‘I had a bit of a mild panic’: Christchurch man claims $5.5m Powerball win

Tuesday, 18 March 2025

A Christchurch man has become an overnight millionaire, claiming a $5.5 million Powerball First Division prize from Saturday night’s draw.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, had no idea of his win until the next morning when he checked his ticket while stopping for coffee at a local New World.

“I held it under the ticket checker and ‘Division One Winner’ popped up on the screen,” he said.

“I had a bit of a mild panic at that point and lots of questions popped into my mind – the main one being ‘is this the big prize?’”

After confirming the $5.5 million win with a Lotto operator, the man called his family and close friends to share the news.

“They were ecstatic for me – probably more excited than I was!”

While he has yet to make any major decisions about the money, he celebrated with lunch for a few friends and spent the rest of the day dreaming about his future.

“I couldn’t sleep last night and had lots running through my mind – you start imagining the holiday home, the overseas trips etc. I am going to wait a while before I make any decisions though. I want to make sure this money works for mine and my family’s future.”

The second South Island winner from the same draw has yet to claim their prize. Lotto NZ is encouraging anyone who purchased a ticket from New World Gardens in Dunedin to check their ticket and write their name on the back.