A statement sent out by Lotto’s communication team told the story behind the latest NZ$ 16 million ($9.36 million) won by a couple living in Wellington who used to rarely buy a ticket.
Family Evening as Usual
Last week the couple won the multi-million prize in the Powerball first division and after the excitement has subsided a bit, decided to speak publicly while keeping their anonymity in Lotto’s statement released Thursday.
“I usually buy a ticket when the jackpot is high – probably over $10 million – and even then, it’s only when I remember to get one,” explained the husband, adding that he does not normally check the results for days afterwards, incapable to explain what made him “log in after the draw” on Wednesday night last week.
As he had seen earlier that evening that the MyLotto jackpot was NZ$ 15 million ($8.78 million), he had bought a ticket but he never expected to win and he and his wife had a normal evening before something urged him to check his ticket online.
Upon his login, a message saying he was a winner was displayed but his initial reaction was one of disbelief.
“I honestly thought it was a glitch,” he said, never believing that he could ever win so much money. It was not until the couple saw in the news that the jackpot had been won in Wellington that they started to think that it could be them.
They checked the ticket multiple times, made a screenshot of it and read the news over and over until deciding to go to bed. But the excitement would not let them sleep despite having to get up early for work in the morning.
Official Lotto Confirmation Call
The next day after finishing work, the man received a phone call on his way back to his car and the person at the other end told him the call was from Lotto NZ.
“My stomach flipped and I thought ‘oh wow, it must be real’ – the confirmation was a weight off my mind for sure,” the man explained his emotional state at the time.
The couple took Labour Weekend and celebrated with close family friends the win that would be life-changing for them.
“It gives us the freedom to do those things we maybe couldn’t before,” explained the woman, adding that they both love to travel, so traveling will be definitely on their agenda beginning with a family holiday.
The lucky winners are planning to use the money and pay off their mortgage before doing some renovations and taking a family holiday. The couple will also look to make donations to charities.