Thames Four Square jumping with excitement after Powerball win

Sunday, 28 May 2017

The town of Thames is buzzing after finding out the winning $27 million Powerball ticket was sold at the local Four Square.

Martina Four Square and Lotto owner Sukhpal Singh didn't get much sleep last night.

He found out about midnight that his Thames store had sold the $27 million Powerball winning ticket and his phone has been going nonstop since.

His shop usually opens at 7.30am, but he got there a half hour early on Sunday.

The winning lotto was brought from Thames Four Square owned by Sukhpal Singh.

'Oh my god! It is just unbelievable,' Singh said. 'We are a very lucky shop.'

**READ MORE:

Four Square owner Sukhpal Singh and his helper, Mandeep Singh, plan to spend Sunday celebrating.

* Lucky winner $27m richer

* Auckland couple scoop record $44m prize

* More than a million Kiwis keen for a slice of $38m

* Taranaki Lotto player $27k richer

* Why professors play Lotto when the prize is big enough**

The store sold over $10,000 worth of Powerball tickets on Saturday alone.

No one had claimed the prize by midday on Sunday, said Lotto spokeswoman Emilia Mazur, who added that the ticket holder won not just the $27m Powerball, but $333,333 in Lotto First Division.

'This is the fourth largest Powerball win ever in the history of the game,' she said.

Two other Lotto players - from Orewa and Porirua - will also be celebrating after winning $333,333 each with Lotto First Division. The winning tickets were sold at Grand Superette in Orewa and Morere Four Square in Porirua.

And a Strike player also won $600,000 after buying a ticket at Chartwell Food Centre and Lotto in Auckland.

Singh said nobody has come in to his Thames shop to claim the win yet. And while he hopes it is a Thames local, he says a lot of Aucklanders buy Lotto tickets from him.

'I'm very happy. Thames needed some good news like this.'

Singh said when there's big money up for grabs, the staff always have their fingers crossed.

It isn't the first time the store has sold a winner, either - it once sold a $1m First Division Lotto ticket.

Singh has owned the shop on Pollen Street for five years. A Big Wednesday ticket was sold there, too.

'We have customers who call in from Auckland to buy tickets because we have sold winning tickets before.

'People come in and say to us we are a lucky shop, now we can say that we are once more. A big win like this is really good for us.'

Singh said there is definitely a buzz in the community.

'I look around and there are just happy Thames faces.'

Singh said if he won, the first thing he would do is donate $1 million to the Thames Hospital.

'It's a lot of money, but I would just like to congratulate the winner and hope they spend it wisely.'

Thames-Coromandel District Mayor Sandra Goudie knows she's not the winner, since she didn't buy a ticket, but is thrilled nonetheless.

'I'm very happy for Martina Four Square and for the winners - I wish them all the best.

'We are a low-income district, so it will be even better if the money has gone to someone who needs help.'

Goudie said the win is very exciting for Thames.

'Once the excitement dies down I'm sure there'll be some speculation, but it's all positive and a real buzz to have a good news story.

'To the winners I can't say much more than how thrilled I am for them.

'That much money has a huge impact on someone's life.

'If I won, my husband would probably say to do nothing for a few months to get over it and then decide what to do.'

So her advice is to 'take a deep breath and some time to reflect and consider wisely before taking action'.

'Enjoy the moment of having won.'

Mazur said Thames was not the only winner last night.

Mazur had this advice for people who think they hold a winning ticket:

'People should write their name on the back of the ticket and check it immediately at any Lotto outlet, online at mylotto.co.nz or through the Lotto NZ App.'