A Paraparaumu man who has scooped up a $4.3 million Lotto prize says a routine check of his Lotto ticket left him in complete shock.
The winning ticket was purchased early last week at Kapiti Knitting and Lotto for the November 3 draw.
The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said as he bought the same ticket as usual, he "didn't think anything of it".
After the winning numbers were announced, news of a local winner quickly spread. But the man said he still had no idea Powerball had been struck.
It wasn't until he went back to the outlet to get his ticket checked and buy another one that he discovered he could be lucky.
"I handed my ticket to the lady at the counter and she ran my ticket through the terminal. That’s when she looked at me and said, 'You better pop into the back office with me," the man said.
When the woman told him he'd won $4.3 million, he said he didn't believe her.
"I was in complete shock - we both were actually, I think the operator was as surprised as I was."
He rushed home to share the news. Upon hearing about his win, his daughter "took a bit of convincing," the man added.
With the money now in the bank, the winner said he'll think about how to make the most of the prize and plans to set up his family for the future.
"It still doesn’t feel real - I think it will take awhile to sink in. All I know now is that I feel incredibly lucky."
Since the start of 2021, there have been 17 Lotto Powerball winners, Lotto said. Winners are spread from Northland to Te Anau, including five winners in Auckland and two in Christchurch.
The local win comes after a Pōkeno family struck gold on October 20, bagging $42.2 million in the Lotto Powerball Jackpot draw.
The next Lotto draw is on Saturday, when a first division Lotto Powerball prize of $6 million is up for grabs.
