An Auckland couple who won a share of the $50 million Lotto prize have finally come forward - meaning all seven players have now cashed in.
The couple asked to remain anonymous but said in a statement released by Lotto they didn't usually buy tickets: "We usually only check our tickets when we remember to - we weren't in a rush.
It wasn't until two weeks after the draw they remembered they'd bought a ticket and scanned it using the MyLotto app.
"The app told me I'd won a major prize and to take the ticket to a Lotto store. I wasn't sure how much I'd won… but I had a feeling that it was a big amount," the man said.
With that, they went to the supermarket the next day and had their ticket scanned before shopping.
"They told us we had won $7 million - we were so excited," said the man, noting the winnings would be used to look after their children.
"It's all for them - everything has been. It means so much to know that my family will be looked after."
One of the couple's children recalled they "thought something serious had happened" when their parents called a family meeting that day.
"We all sat around the table waiting and that’s when they told us they had won $7 million with Powerball. We were all so excited for them.
"There were lots of tears for sure. They've worked incredibly hard all their lives for us, they really deserve this.
"We really want them to do something for themselves though. They've been talking about a special overseas trip for a long time and now they can do that, it will be amazing for them," another of the children added.
Lotto said the seven winning tickets were purchased in Auckland (5), Hamilton and Hastings.
