$10,000 lucky number - twice

Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

A Napier woman who accidentally bought the same Lotto ticket twice soon saw her bank balance rise by $10,000 - twice.

The woman, aged in her 70s, who does not want to be named or photographed, said despite the $20,000 windfall already sitting in her bank account the circumstances were "unbelievable".

"It is a bit of a shock when you get hit by something like that. I know the money is there, but I still think it is just so unbelievable."

The Lotto draw was Bullseye, where players choose a lucky number from 000,000 to 999,999 and the number closest to that drawn, the more money was won.

The Napier grandmother plays the same numbers every week and always buys her tickets from Images Transformed in Emerson St.

"I used to play Big Wednesday, but the returns weren't very good so the lady in the shop said I should try this new one, Bullseye.

I picked some numbers and have played them every week since.

"There would have only been one $10,000 win if I hadn't been going away for the weekend, because I always get my numbers on the Friday, but because I was going away I got them on the Thursday."

However, she had already purchased the same ticket the week before, said a Lotto spokeswoman.

"When she handed over her ticket at Images Transformed in Napier the terminal locked with the first prize, and in all the excitement they forgot to check her other ticket.

"Over the weekend, she realised that she should probably have won with her doubled up number ticket, so went in to the store and sure enough, hers was a winner again - not surprisingly, with the same number."

The Napier woman and her husband planned to take an overseas trip to America, England and Hawaii with the winnings, and were still purchasing their Bullseye tickets.