Bay Lotto tickets scoop $1.8m

One of the winning lotto tickets were sold at Paper Plus Mount Maunganui. Owner Jane Debenham.

Four Lotto tickets sold in the Western Bay won a combined total of more than $1.8 million in Saturday night's draw.

A player who bought their ticket online in the Western Bay through Mylotto.com shared the first division prize with someone who bought their ticket in Wellington. The winners will split the $3 million prizemoney to take home $1.5 million each.

Two of the 17 second division winning tickets were sold in Tauranga, each worth $16,560.

The winning Western Bay second division tickets were sold at Greerton Lotto and New World Brookfield.

Mount Maunganui PaperPlus also sold one of the two winning Strike Four tickets worth $309,214.

It was the second time the Mount Maunganui PaperPlus has hit the jackpot with a winning first division ticket worth about $300,000 sold in March last year.

Owner Jane Debenham said selling a winning ticket always created a buzz in store.

"It's really exciting, especially if they come in and redeem it with us which is what happened with the first division one," she said. "It's awesome to see their faces when they do win. Sometimes when people win $30, $40, $50 their whole face just lights up.

"It's the dream."

Many of the store's customers were tourists but Ms Debenham hoped it was a local who had won.

"We do have a lot of local work syndicates that are very regular so it would be quite nice if it did go to one," she said. "It's not often it goes to a local but you just don't know."

Ms Debenham said it was also good for business as it often drew more people to the store in the hope they might get lucky too.

Powerball was not struck over the weekend and has jackpotted to $10 million.

None of the prizes had been claimed last night.

Anyone who bought their ticket from one of the winning stores should write their name on the back of it and check it using the official Lotto New Zealand smartphone app, at mylotto.co.nz or a Lotto outlet.