Onerahi bookshop luckiest in Lotto

Vaishali and Sujal (Sam) Patel, owners of Onerahi Bookshop and Lotto, which has been dubbed the region's luckiest Lotto Shop. Photo / Michael Cunningham

More than 3.5 million Lucky, Power and Triple dip lotto tickets were sold in Northland in the past three financial years, costing ticket buyers more than $50 million, according to the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.

The number of ticket sales was highest in 2011-12, at more than 1,250,000 dip sales. Sales dropped off to about 1,105,000 in 2012-13 and rose again to almost 1,174,000 in the last financial year.

Ticket buyers spent $18,436,840 on Lucky Dip tickets in Northland in 2011-12, which was the most in the three years. Dip tickets were between $6 and $26 each, depending on the number of Lotto, Powerball and Strike lines purchased.

More than $30 million was won in Northland across all games and divisions in the three-year period.

Twenty-two Northland ticket buyers were lucky enough to beat the 3,838,380:1 odds of winning first division on a line in the three-year period. First division wins have an average payout of more than $400,000.

The 639,730:1 odds of winning second division on a line were beaten by 104 Northland shoppers. The average payout of second division wins was $20,159.

The region's luckiest store since draws began in August 1987, based on the number of first division, Lotto Family and Big Wednesday wins, was Onerahi Bookshop and Lotto in Whangarei, the commission said. The store has had 14 first division winners.

Store owner Sam Patel said the outlet had a lot of out-of-towners come in because they had heard of the winnings.

"We get people from all parts of Whangarei and lots of people from Auckland. We even get people from the South Island and from Australia," he said.

Ticket buyers commonly spent around $20, though it was not unusual for people to fork out $400 or $500, he said.

Many shoppers had bought tickets for Christmas presents in the past couple of weeks, he said. On Sunday, Lotto released a special Christmas Triple Dip, with 200 extra prizes.

Mr Patel expected high sales to continue as Northland's warmer weather brought more visitors to the region. New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services chief executive Raewyn Fox said ticket buyers needed to make sure their spending was prioritised.