Suspense over $23m Lotto winner grows
Orewa’s tight-knit community is on the lookout for the mystery winner of the $23 million Lotto jackpot prize which still remains to be claimed.
Excited and anticipating customers with their Lotto tickets in hand, lined up at Orewa Lotto Plus Store on Thursday wanting to know if they had won a jackpot.
And the owner of the lucky store that sold the $23m Lotto Powerball ticket rushed out the door early to open up the shop — in case the winner was standing outside waiting for their ticket to be checked.
Orewa Lotto Plus owner Amit Botadra told the Weekend Herald Thursday was busy for him as everyone waited in anticipation for the lucky winner.
“It was a whole day of waiting for the winner to come and claim their prize. However, no one turned up.”
Loyal customer Bob Storm went to check his Lotto ticket as soon as he heard of the winning store.
“I didn’t win it though. I would’ve loved to come in for that ticket.”
Tony Ruffer said he also visited the store to check his ticket which he bought on Saturday.
“It’s pretty cool someone won the [big] Lotto from here.
“I hope I win too.” Botadra said he jumped out of bed when he received the news his store sold the $23m winning ticket.
“The community wanted the win. We are quite tightly knit. Customers walk in, most of them I know them by their first name.
“I’m in celebration mode.” Another customer, Linda Huffman, congratulated the store owner and said she had come to check her ticket. Huffman said she was not a regular Lotto buyer but when the jackpot was huge she bought one.
The win was great for the community, she said.
“It’s nice for the area, someone in the community has won it.
“We feel really good. Now we all are going to come and buy a Lotto ticket from here.”
The shop sold a winning Lotto second division ticket worth just over $21,500 last year. This was the store’s 18th win.
The latest winning Lotto numbers were: 28, 8, 27, 24, 13 and 35. The
It’s pretty cool someone won the [big] Lotto from here.
Tony Ruffer, Orewa Lotto Plus
Store customer
bonus ball was 40, and the power ball was 3.
The latest big win is the 14th Powerball multi-millionaire of 2022.
It is made up of $23 million in Lotto Powerball and $333,333 from a share of first division.
Two other players will also pocket $333,333 for their first division share.
Those winning tickets were sold at Burnside Dairy in Christchurch and Hornby Mall Lotto in Christchurch.
The $1m up for grabs in Strike was a “must be won” draw, and was split 128 ways, for $8553 each, after it rolled down to Strike 3.