Lotto Win Changes Life for Hamilton Beneficiary

19 September 2007

Half Million Lotto Win Changes Life for Hamilton Beneficiary

A Hamilton mother can't stop smiling after winning $500,000 on Lotto First Division last weekend.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, had been struggling to make ends meet over recent years after personal circumstances forced her onto a benefit, said NZ Lotteries' Chief Executive Todd McLeay.

"Going onto a benefit was an extremely humbling experience and the challenge each week of making mortgage payments and then having $130 left to cover every other living expense has been quite daunting," she said.

However, her weekly treat was buying four lines of Lotto, and very occasionally she has taken a Lucky Dip.

"Last Friday was one of the rare days when I found that I had a few dollars left after buying some groceries - so I bought a $6 Lucky Dip," she said.

She then checked the numbers online after the Saturday draw, and found her heart going bump, bump, bump as she realised she had a Lotto First Division winning ticket in her hand.

"I can't begin to tell you what winning this First Division will mean and if I plan everything right, it should enable me to help others and look after myself the rest of my life. To have no mortgage, go off the benefit and to be self-sufficient again is worth millions to me," she added.

The lucky winner would also like thank "the lovely ladies in the Dinsdale Stationers Lotto shop who always sell me my tickets each week."

Her final comments to NZ Lotteries were "Lotto is real and people like me do actually win.......many thanks."

ENDS

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