Media Release 15 April 2016
Finding New Zealand’s ‘luckiest’ Lotto shops
With $22 million up for grabs with Powerball on Saturday, Lotto New Zealand has revealed the ‘luckiest’ Lotto stores
around the country.
Hawke’s Bay Lotto players are in luck, as Hastings’ Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy is the country’s ‘luckiest’ Lotto
store, having sold a massive 39 First Division winning tickets over the years – including two winning Powerball First
Division tickets.
Just last year the store sold an $8.1 million Powerball First Division winning ticket, which a lucky local received as a
birthday gift from a family member.
Nanette Woodham, Lotto Manager at Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy, has met a lot of winners during her 21 years at the
store – but the excitement of having a big winner never gets old.
“There’s a real buzz every time we sell a big winning ticket - the customers get just as excited as we do. We absolutely
love having winners come in – we just want more and more,” said Nanette.
“We definitely have a reputation as being a lucky store so have a lot of regulars who go out of their way to pick up
their Lotto tickets from us.”
Coming in second is a Christchurch Lotto store, with Pak N Save Riccarton having sold 30 First Division winning tickets.
This includes a $22.5 million winning Big Wednesday First Division ticket sold in September 2013.
Rounding out the country’s top five ‘luckiest’ stores are Richmond Night N Day in Nelson with 29 First Division wins,
Coastlands Lotto in Paraparaumu with 28 First Division wins and Hornby Mall Lotto in Christchurch with 25 First Division
wins.
But while these five stores have a reputation as being some of the ‘luckiest’ in the country, there’s no predicting
where Powerball will be won next.
“Powerball can be won by anyone, anywhere, at any time – it’s all part of the fun! The only thing we can guarantee is
that you can’t win if you don’t have a ticket,” said Kirsten Robinson, Corporate Communications Advisor at Lotto NZ.
Lotto players can buy a ticket for Saturday’s $22 million Lotto Powerball draw from any Lotto retailer or online at MyLotto.co.nz.
Background:
New Zealand’s ‘Luckiest’ Lotto stores
Number of First Division winning tickets sold for Lotto Family (Lotto, Powerball and Strike) and BigWednesday
StoreLocationFirst Div winners1Unichem Stortford Lodge PharmacyHastings392Pak N Save RiccartonChristchurch303Richmond Night N DayNelson294Coastlands LottoParaparaumu285Hornby Mall LottoChristchurch25
Powerball wins in 2016
Date wonPrizeLocationWinners9 Jan$7 millionTimaruA family syndicate who are looking forward to following their favourite rugby team around the world with their winnings.23 Jan$6.8 millionOhakune The winning ticket sat in the lucky winner’s wallet for eight days before they realised that they had won.10 Feb$7.1 millionTaurangaA Tauranga family won with lucky numbers that had been in the wider family for over 20 years – but the winners only
started playing these numbers weeks before their big win.
ENDS