New Zealand's luckiest Lotto stores 'non-stop' with people and queues ahead of big $38m draw
Saturday, 8 August 2020
Non-stop queues of people are swarming the “luckiest” Kiwi Lotto stores ahead of tonight's massive jackpot.
A whopping $38 million is up for grabs on Saturday evening with Lotto Powerball.
How long are the queues where you are? Email newstips@stuff.co.nz
Many of the country’s Lotto stores were teeming with people on Saturday afternoon, with long queues forming out the doors. While lines at New Zealand’s “luckiest” Lotto store have been “non-stop”, staff say.
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Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy, in Hastings, has long-held the title as the country's “luckiest” Lotto store after selling 49 first division winning tickets over the years. That’s a whopping $39m in winnings.
Pharmacy technician Samantha Phelwasher, who works in the store estimated there were about 30 people in the store at the time when Stuff called on Saturday afternoon, with a queue halfway through the store.
She said they had been busy since the doors opened at 9am. She said the store’s reputation was well known, so “that’s why everybody comes”.
Store worker Gurmeen Kaur agreed, saying it was extremely busy, with long queues at the Lotto counter.
She said there was some wet weather lingering in Hawke’s Bay, so a lot of the customers were just grabbing their tickets and heading off.
According to Lotto, the country’s second luckiest store is Richmond Night ‘N Day in Nelson. It has sold 35 first division winning tickets.
The third-equal lucky stores are Coastlands Lotto store in Paraparaumu, and Pak ‘N Save Riccarton, with 32 first division winning tickets.
Fiona Young, from the Coastlands store, said they had been “non-stop” with people eager to get their tickets on Saturday. Friday was also a busy day for them, she said.
“Everyone will have queues, it’s a busy time.”
Lotto’s head of communications and corporate social responsibility, Marie Winfield, told Stuff that they have been hearing that shops up and down the country were really busy as Kiwis get excited about the jackpot.
During the lockdown, Lotto saw a lot of people move to the online platform to get their tickets. On Saturday, MyLotto has been 'really busy”. She encouraged people to get their tickets early to avoid the last minute rush.
“If a single player is lucky enough to win the Powerball jackpot on Saturday, it will be the second largest prize ever won in New Zealand,” Winfield said.
“Winning Powerball has a huge ripple effect – so many people benefit from that one little yellow ticket, the win is felt right throughout the winner’s community,” she said.
The fifth lucky store is Hornby Mall Lotto in Christchurch with 32 first division wins to its name.
A total of seven multi-millionaires have been made with Powerball so far in 2020, with an average winning amount of $14.1m. Since its inception, Powerball first division has been won a total of 191 times.
The largest ever Powerball win came in November 2016 when a couple from the Hibiscus Coast won $44m after purchasing their ticket from Dairy Flat Food Mart and Liquor.
Biggest Powerball wins:
$44m: Auckland couple won the biggest jackpot in NZ's history in November 2016
$33.1m: ticket sold at Auckland’s One Step Ahead in September 2013.
$30.2m: ticket sold at Richmond Superette in Taupō in September 2017.
$28.7m: ticket sold at Mobil Papakura in Auckland in October 2010.
$27m: ticket sold at Martina Four Square in Thames in May 2017.