Winning a lottery is a dream for most players who spend years chasing the prize with long odds. But sometimes regulated lottery operators must wait for days or weeks before lucky players come forth to claim their prize.
In New Zealand, a lucky lottery ticket bagged the $33.5 million Lotto Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The lucky ticket was sold at Fresh Choice Merivale in Christchurch after successfully matching these numbers; 8, 4, 5, 15, 31, 33, 29 bonus ball, and 10 Powerball.
This epic win was the ninth multi-million payout for the famous lottery game in New Zealand in 2023. The prize increased from $30 million to $33 million after the June 24 draw went unclaimed.
But surprisingly, it took the play around 10 days to come forward and claim the life-changing prize. The amount is now the biggest lottery win in 2023, surpassing the $23.5 million prize won by a ticket purchased in Auckland's Quay St on January 18.
According to the spokesperson of Lotto NZ, Lucy Fullarton, the regulated lottery operator is overjoyed for the winner and delighted that the prize has been successfully claimed:
“We will have more [information] to share over the next couple of days.”
This year's big wins are mainly from the North Island. Four are from Auckland, with one each from Porirua and Hamilton. A notable exception before the $33.5 million win was a player from Canterbury who won a $15.5 million jackpot in March. Another player from Invercargill pocketed the $17.25 million jackpot in April.
As expected, the $33.5 million payday will solve almost all the financial problems in the lucky player's books. However, this win also comes with the challenge of investing and spending it wisely. Even worse, Lotto NZ pays the winning prizes in full into the player's account.
But according to Fullarton, the lottery operator immediately contacts big winners to inform them of the win and provide professional financial advice. Lotto NZ also gives them books with helpful financial tips from previous winners.
Fullarton said:
"We meet with them as soon as possible to talk about what they need to think – including how to go about finding financial advice and the importance of setting priorities. We also put our big winners in touch with a private banker at their bank, who can help them manage the money in the immediate term."
