'Butterflies' for $333K Tauranga Lotto player

A Tauranga woman who won $333,000 in Lotto says she had butterflies in her stomach while checking her ticket.

The woman, who would not be named, was a regular Lotto player and had been buying her tickets on MyLotto since the lockdown.

"I used to buy my tickets in-store, but since the lockdown, I've been playing on MyLotto – it's great and suits my busy lifestyle," said the woman.

On Saturday night, the woman was catching up on the latest news in bed when she saw that Lotto had been won and split three ways. She clicked on the article and noticed that one of the winners was a MyLotto player from Tauranga.

"My partner and I usually check our tickets together but I had forgotten to remind him to buy his that day – so we just checked mine instead.

"I logged in watched the animated draw, I saw the numbers circling on my ticket – one number, then two ... three numbers then four, I thought 'sweet, about thirty bucks, that's a nice little win'.

"Then the fifth number circled and that's when I got butterflies and started to believe the Tauranga winner could actually be me."

Finally, the sixth number circled and $333,333 flashed up at the top of the ticket.

"It was so exciting to see those numbers at the top, winning this money really helps. We can't wait to celebrate our win properly, soon," she said.

The woman is hoping to celebrate her win with an extended weekend away and a glass of bubbles.

The win will help the woman with house renovations and a few other little treats for her and her family along the way.

The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto for the Lotto Draw on May 23.