Hamilton's winning $6.3million Lotto winner used birthdate to pick winning numbers

Tuesday, 27 November 2018

'The numbers jumped out at me – there they were, all lined up on the first line.'

A Hamilton man who won $6.3million in Powerball chose his winning numbers using a technique he'd seen on television a decade ago.

'In the show they talked about how your birthdate could be used to create lucky numbers,' the winner, who wants to remain anonymous, said.

'Something about it stuck with me and a couple of months ago I decided to give it a try on my Lotto ticket.'

And payday came last Wednesday when the man won the draw after purchasing a ticket from the Glenview Lotto and Post.

'I overheard someone at work say that Glenview Centre Lotto and Post had sold a big winning ticket and remembered that I needed to check the one I'd bought there.

'I wasn't in too much of a hurry, but decided to have a look at the results after dinner that night.

'As soon as I saw the numbers on my phone I thought they looked familiar, so I raced to my room and grabbed my ticket.'

After retrieving his lucky ticket tucked inside his passport for safe-keeping, the man checked the numbers off one by one.

'The numbers jumped out at me – there they were, all lined up on the first line. I couldn't believe my eyes — it just seemed so unreal. It was such a rush of emotions; I think my blood pressure definitely went up a few notches,' laughed the man.

He woke early the next day and headed to the store to check the ticket.

'Even though I checked the ticket hundreds of times, it's not until you hear that winning music go off that you actually believe it's true.

'I walked out of that store smiling ear to ear,' said the man.

With the money now safely in the man's bank account, the winner is planning to take a bit of time to decide what he wants to do next.

'This win has given me the financial freedom I never thought I would have. I can now buy my first house and use the winnings to help others.

'I feel incredibly blessed — it really feels like a dream come true.'

The winner is the 16th Kiwi to win big with Powerball so far this year, joining 42 other players who have become overnight millionaires with Lotto NZ's games in 2018.

The lucky ticket was sold at Glenview Centre Lotto & Post in Hamilton, with First Division winnings comprised of $6 million from Powerball and $333,333 from Lotto.

This is the second Powerball win in less than 12 months for the lucky Hamilton store, with a $4.25 million prize won in November 2017.