Media Release 28 November 2014
‘Forget lunch – I’ve just won $9 million!’
A quick visit to the dairy became a life changing moment for an Auckland man who checked his Big Wednesday ticket while
picking up lunch on his way to work – only to discover he’d just won more than $9 million.
The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, couldn’t believe his eyes when ‘First Division winner’ flashed up as he
scanned his BigWednesday ticket.
“I just stood in front of the ticket-checker, blinking,” explained the winner. “Then I scanned my other ticket and it
said ‘Second Division winner’.
“I thought it must have been a mistake, so handed my tickets to the Lotto assistant and said ‘you’d better check these
for me.’”
It wasn’t until the retailer stepped out from behind the counter to shake the winner’s hand that he began to realise
just how lucky he had become.
“As soon as he put the ticket through the machine he couldn’t stop smiling – then when he shook my hand and gave me a
piece of paper showing how much I’d won.
“I was absolutely stunned – I then completely forgot to grab something for lunch.”
While the regular Big Wednesday player often dreamed about winning, he never imagined his dream would one day become a
reality.
“I always hoped I’d win in a ‘wish-upon-a-star’ kind of way. Then today that star turned into a meteorite and hit me in
the back of the head,” the winner laughed.
The winner already has a few ideas about how to spend some of his winnings.
“I’m looking forward to buying a new car and a home of my own – and who knows what else?
“But whatever I do, I’ll definitely keep working – I love my job and think I’d go a bit stir crazy if I retired right
now. It’s just going to make life so much easier.”
The winner won $9 million with Big Wednesday First Division and $87,689 with Big Wednesday Second Division. This is the
11th largest BigWednesday prize ever won.
The winning tickets were sold at Pt Chevalier Lotto Plus in Auckland.
The win comes just days after a Hamilton player won $16.2 million with Powerball First Division on a ticket purchased at
Countdown Hamilton (on the corner of Liverpool and Anglesea Streets).
Lotto New Zealand is still waiting for the Powerball winner to claim their prize, which is the 11th largest Powerball
prize ever won and the largest prize ever to be won in Hamilton.
Anyone who purchased their ticket from Countdown Hamilton is encouraged to write their name on the back of the ticket
and check it immediately at any Lotto outlet, online at MyLotto.co.nz or through Lotto NZ’s ticket-checker app.
Players can phone Lotto on 0800 695 6886 if they want to enquire about the best way to claim a prize.
Background:
The $9 million Big Wednesday win is the 12th major prize won so far this year and the fourth time the Big Wednesday
jackpot has been struck in 2014.
2014 Big Wednesday First Division wins
MonthGamePrizeLocation February
Big Wednesday$8.6 millionKaikouraCelebrated with lunch at McDonald’sAprilBig Wednesday$7 millionTakakaSplashed out on a family holiday to Europe flying business classSeptember
Big Wednesday$20.2 millionPukekoheBought winning ticket while waiting for his wife to finish the grocery shopping – and checked it a week later while she
was doing the same thingNovemberBig Wednesday$9 millionAucklandFound out he’d become a multi-millionaire while picking up lunch on his way to work
ENDS