Lotto's Powerball jackpot continues to grow with a huge $24 million up for grabs on Saturday.
Last Wednesday one person won division 2 Powerball, taking home over $38,000. But no one won the big Powerball prize, which continues to rise.
There's also $1 million up for grabs tonight in Lotto first division and $500,000 in Strike, for a combined prize pool of $25.5 million.
Ticket sales close tonight at 7:30pm - so get in quick.
The last big win came in September, when a Wairoa-based Lotto player bagged $10.3 million.
The winner, in a statement via Lotto, said they were watching the live draw when the numbers just kept coming.
"When I circled the Powerball, I stood up in shock," they said.
"My whānau couldn't believe it - they checked the ticket three times because they thought I'd gotten it wrong!"
They started to "jump around and cry" once the reality of their winnings sunk in.
"I couldn't sit still and was in a stupor for the rest of the evening."
They plan to invest their winnings as well as help their whānau. Other than that, the winner said they planned to "carry on life as normal".
After a tough year filled with "challenges", the winner said they were "thankful for this prize and looking forward to the future".
"This year has brought us closer together."
