Could you be Lotto's 33rd birthday $30m jackpot Powerball winner?

Saturday, 1 August 2020

Hopeful winners will be lining up to get their Lotto tickets, as Lotto NZ celebrates its 33rd birthday with a $30 million Powerball jackpot.

And the winners of Saturday’s jackpot will join a growing list of Lotto millionaires, including seven Powerball multi-millionaires this year alone.

In the past 33 years, 943 millionaires have been made with Lotto NZ games, including 28 millionaires so far this year, said Marie Winfield, head of communications and corporate social responsibility.

191 Kiwis have won millions with Powerball since 2001.

The largest ever Powerball win came in November 2016, when a Hibiscus Coast couple, struggling to buy a house in Auckland, scored themselves $44.1m.

**READ MORE:

Mark Taylor Take Note Dinsdale owner Gurpreet Minhas was excited about the $50 million jackpot in February this year – the largest ever Powerball prize.

* Auckland couple struggling to buy a house scoop record $44 million prize on Lotto

Lotto stores are expecting to be busy on Saturday as people are hopeful of winning the $30 million jackpot.

* No big wins at almost half of all New Zealand Lotto outlets

* Lotto: Te Kūiti woman scoops $1 million after mistakenly doubling up numbers

* Lotto's mammoth $50m jackpot must be won this Saturday - here's why

Earlier this year, two lucky winners from Auckland and Hawke’s Bay shared the historic $50m must-be-won jackpot, taking home $25.1m each.

Of the five largest Powerball wins by an individual, three of the tickets were sold at Auckland stores.

The 2016 winning ticket was sold at Dairy Flat Food Mart and Liquor.

In September 2013, a $33.1m ticket was sold at One Step Ahead in Auckland.

Further down the country, a $30.2m winning ticket was sold at Taupo’s Richmond Superette in September 2017.

In October 2010, a $28.7m ticket was sold at Auckland’s Mobil Papakura, while a $27m ticket was sold at Martina Four Square in Thames in May 2017.

Winfield said the most common thing New Zealanders say they will spend a big win on is buying a house or paying off their mortgage.

In total, Powerball first division has been won 191 times since the game began in 2001, with the number 2 the most commonly drawn Powerball number.

The northernmost Powerball winner was a player from Taipa in the Far North, who won $5m in May 2019.

The southernmost Powerball winner was from a player from Invercargill, who won $20m in 2013.