Gisborne's newest multi-millionaire has spoken about winning Lotto's huge $28.5 million powerball draw, saying he would "remember that moment for a long time".
The ticket, sold at Grant Bros Homeware & Gifts, won $28 million with Powerball first division and a further $250,000 with Lotto first division on Saturday night.
Now, the winner has spoken about the huge win, saying he was a "regular player who always buys the same ticket" from his local store.
"I play the same kind of ticket for each draw, but I always use Powerball 7 because it has special meaning to me," he said.
On Sunday morning, unaware there had been a big win in Gisborne, the man was helping a family member at their house.
"We were pottering around when another family member came in and said, 'Did anyone get a ticket from Grant Bros. for last night… because somebody won $28 million'."
The man thought to himself "that’s nice, well done to them" and carried on with what he was doing.
"I said, 'Well if the Powerball was number 7… we might be in the running you know' – which sent one of them sprinting for their phone.
"They pulled up the numbers and said 'Look, it was Powerball 7'. That's when the excitement really started building."
The winner took out his ticket and they checked the numbers together.
"They started reading them out to me, ‘3, 14, 16, 23...’ and before they could finish, I yelled, '31 and 34!'
He said everyone began screaming and hugging one another, saying he would "remember that moment for a long time".
After claiming their prize, they gathered the rest of the family to share the news.
“I started telling them the story of what happened earlier in the day and then stopped and said, ‘Well anyway, twenty-eight million, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars later…’
"Seeing the expressions on my family’s faces when I told them was very special," he said.
"To be able to share that moment with my whole family on Father's Day made it even more memorable. It’s something I’ll never forget."
The man told Lotto NZ he was taking time to let the news sink in before making any big decisions.
"I am incredibly grateful for this win. It puts me in a position to be able to help my family.
"To know that they’ll be looked after, that they will be set up for the future no matter what, means more than anything."
Tomorrow night's draw was the last under the current game format and will be a must be won draw. If no one wins Powerball First Division, the entire $10 million jackpot will roll down and be shared among players in the next division where there are winners.
Tickets for the new 14-ball Powerball game go on sale from Sunday, with the first draw taking place on Wednesday.
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