An Ashburton family's $7.50 Lotto ticket turned into a $28.6 million win, leaving them in "shock".
The family, who did not want to be named, had been playing Lotto with the same numbers for years – using a mix of similar digits across just five lines on a $7.50 Powerball ticket.
The winning ticket was bought from Four Square in Netherby.
Last Wednesday it landed them a huge $28 million win, as well as three Lotto first-division wins, each worth $200,000, across three diffrent lines.
Initially, the family didn't think they had won.
“It was the talk of the town,” the woman said. “Everyone was asking each other if they were the winner and talking about what they’d do if they won.
“I never thought it would be us… but I couldn’t shake this strange feeling for most of the day.”
Later, her daughter sent her a message asking if she'd checked the ticket.
“She asked me if I knew someone in town had won, and if I’d checked our ticket. I said, ‘No, it’s at home; I’ll check it later’.
“We checked the numbers, and sure enough…they were ours."
She said the discovery caused "such a mix of emotions".
"My husband cried, and none of us knew what to do with ourselves.”
With the win secured, the family spent some time discussing what it would mean for them.
“We’re still very much in shock and overwhelmed with the prize. We’re so incredibly grateful for what this is going to do for us, our family and future,” the woman’s daughter said.
The family said they were taking things slowly as they decided what to do with the money.
“There is so much to think about – we want to enjoy our lives and help others – but it all needs a lot of thought.
They planned to buy their first home.
"It’s something we’ve always talked about – and now it’s possible.”
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