The Lotto balls have been falling kindly for Northlanders with two First Division winners sold in the region so far this year.
The Lotto balls have been falling kindly for Northlanders with two First Division winners sold in the region so far this year.
Northland's incredible Lotto luck from last year has continued into 2020 with a second First Division winner sold in the region for the year.
A ticket sold at New World Regent in Whangārei was one of three that each won $333,333 on Lotto in Saturday night's draw.
It's the secondFirst Division winner sold in the region far in 2020 with the previous - also worth $333,333 - sold at Countdown Waitangi in Paihia for the Lotto draw on Wednesday, January 8.
And as well, a ticket sold at Four Square Coopers Beach won its holder $26,326 with Lotto Second Division on Saturday.
The latest wins come after an amazing amount of Lotto luck last year in Northland that saw 10 Lotto, one Powerball and three Strike First Division wins in the region. There were also 49 Lotto Second Division wins, two Powerball Second Division wins and 214 Strike Second Division winners in Northland in 2019.
Last year $12,505,770 was won in Northland on Lotto; $6,094,841 on Powerball and $2,398,156 on Strike.
While the latest First Division win has yet to be claimed, this year's previous big winner was a Northland woman who found out she had won while returning from a sailing trip to Whangaroa Harbour.
The woman was enjoying a sailing day-trip around the harbour with a friend when she dropped into the Kaeo Four Square on the way home to buy some groceries. She plays Lotto twice a week and had not heard of a recent First Division win in the Paihia area.
She had a bunch of Lotto tickets in her purse and decided to check them at the same time on the Kaeo ticket scanner. To her disbelief, one of them came up with "Major Prize Winner".
She said the moment when it sunk in that she had won Lotto was when she saw the money in her bank account for the first time. She is still getting her head around the win and plans to travel, do some work on her house and support her family.
"I really want to paint the house and there are some renovations that I have wanted to do for a while," she said.
"It will be nice to travel again. I lived abroad for a few years and I would love to revisit some of my favourite places."
