Goldrush! Jackpot fever hits

Gotta be in ... Lotto buyers were queuing yesterday to buy tickets from Harry Wadan in Blockhouse Bay. Photo / Michael Craig

Lotto players are spending thousands in the hope of hitting a jackpot that could give them enough money to buy 150 new Lamborghini sports cars.

Last night, a $27 million Powerball wasn't struck. It jackpots once more, to $30 million, which must be won next time.

A survey of 16 of New Zealand's luckiest stores yesterday found the largest amount spent in one go was $10,000 at Lotto Temptations in Birkenhead, in 2003.

Among the 16 Lotto agents, many reported people spending more than $450 on trying to make their dream come true.

But some couldn't talk on the telephone yesterday as they had queues of customers out the doors.

The Lucky Lotto Shop in Rotorua reported one customer spent more than $1,000 yesterday morning.

David Smolenski, who owns the Richmond Night N Day Foodstore with his wife Amber, said many people had doubled their Lotto spending this week.

"People who usually don't add Powerball to their tickets are coming in and adding it, which doubles the cost of the ticket," he said.

United Video Blockhouse Bay owner Harry Wadan said he expects big spending every time a Lotto jackpot balloons.

"The customers who put $3000 on tickets are the ones who only come in once a year when it gets really big and must be won."

Auckland University Associate Professor of Statistics Ross Ihaka put the odds of winning a $20 million windfall at 1 in 38 million.

"A comparable event would be if you tossed a coin 25 times and it came up heads every time," he said.