The lucky winner of the massive $33 million Powerball drawn last month has come forward and claimed the prize, Lotto says.
Head of Corporate Communications Lucy Fullarton said Lotto NZ is thrilled for the winner and very pleased to have the prize safely claimed.
“We don’t have any further details to give at this early stage, but we will have more to share over the next couple of days,” Fullarton said.
The winning ticket was sold at Merivale Mall's Fresh Choice supermarket in Christchurch, with owner Craig Grant telling AM in June the shopper had yet to claim their prize in-store.
"We waited all day yesterday, looking for it to happen - but presuming they may choose to do it a little more discreetly than at the supermarket front-of-house," Grant said.
But that didn't dampened the spirits of staff at Fresh Choice, with champagne flowing on Thursday morning to celebrate being the home of one of Lotto New Zealand's largest windfalls.
An affluent suburb, Merivale is already home to many millionaires, but Grant hopes the life-changing sum will go to someone who "needs and deserves it".
That person is now a lot richer than they were.
The winning numbers were drawn on Wednesday 28 June.
The $33.5 million prize is made up of $33 million from Powerball First Division and $500,000 from Lotto First Division.
