Greerton Lotto winner yet to come forward

Greerton Lotto owner Belinda Sands holds her breath every time someone comes in to check their ticket. Photo / John Borren

Somewhere out there, a yellow piece of paper worth $5 million is burning a hole in a lucky person's pocket.

The lucky winner of $5 million from Saturday's Lotto First Division and Powerball draw is still yet to come forward.

Any prize that remains unclaimed 12 months after the draw is returned to the Prize Reserve Fund for future draws and promotions.

With three days down, the clock is ticking on the 362 days the Greerton Lotto winner has left to claim their winnings.

It could be worse - earlier this month a $1 million prize won in Auckland was returned to the Prize Reserve Fund after the winner failed to claim their prize before it expired on September 6.

The largest prize that expired unclaimed recently was a $3 million Lotto prize sold in Masterton in early 2003.

In 2013, it took an Auckland man seven months to get around to checking his Lotto tickets - and discovered a ticket worth $1 million in the drawer of his coffee table.

In April 2010 another Aucklander's life changed when he checked a ticket found while cleaning their house - and claimed their $509,937 prize one day before it expired.