Wairoa Lotto winner 'in stupor' after $10.3m Powerball jackpot

September 6, 2023
Lotto winners room.

The winner of last Saturday's Lotto Powerball draw was "in stupor" after realising they'd won $10.3 million.

Hailing from Wairoa in Hawke's Bay, the winner wants to remain anonymous. They're a regular player.

They bought a Power Dip from New World Wairoa and watched the draw live, marking the numbers as they appeared.

"All of a sudden, I had four matching numbers and then five. I yelled, 'I've got five numbers!'," they said. "I was so happy.

"But then I realised I had more numbers, and when I circled the Powerball, I stood up in shock.

"My whānau couldn't believe it – they checked the ticket three times because they thought I'd gotten it wrong!"

The family started to "jump around and cry".

"“I couldn't sit still and was in a stupor for the rest of the evening," the winner said, adding they claimed their prize on Monday.

"Things are a bit more settled now – I had about four hours of sleep last night, which was good!"

The stroke of luck came after a tough year, filled with "challenges" – but the winner still isn't getting ahead of themselves.

They plan to "carry on life as normal", invest, and help their whānau.

"This year has brought us closer together," they said.

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