A$22m win may be NZ’S 4th-biggest

SATURDAY’S Powerball could be the fourth biggest prize in New Zealand history.

The top prize of $19 million was not struck at the weekend and the jackpot will reach an estimated $22 million.

First division Lotto was won by two ticketholders on Saturday night. One of the tickets was sold at a store in Waikanae and the other at the Otatara Four Square in Invercargill. Each ticketholder will receive $500,000.

That amount pales in comparison to the massive prize on offer next weekend.

NZ Lotteries acting chief executive Warren Salisbury said next Saturday’s prize would be one of the top prizes on offer in NZ Lotteries’ history. ‘‘If it’s won by a single ticket, it’ll be the fourth-biggest prize ever won.’’

Powerball is allowed to jackpot only to $30m before a must-be-won draw is held. If there are no winners in that draw, the prize is split between the winners of the second division.

Lotto outlets will be busy this week as large prizes usually increase ticket sales. The most Lotto tickets sold for a draw was in October 2008 when 2.5m were snapped up by punters for a $30m must-be-won prize.

The highest single Lotto payout was $28.7m in October 2010, which went to a ticket bought in Papakura.

However, the record for most tickets and highest overall prize goes to the June 29 Big Wednesday draw, which attracted 4.78m entries and was won by a ticket bought in Masterton that received $36.9m in cash and prizes.

Strike Four, the top division of the Strike game, was also not struck on Saturday and will jackpot to $500,000.