General manager of corporate communications for Lotto NZ, Emilia Mazur, said 120 players have won big with Powerball over the years. The largest was a $36.8m Big Wednesday prize won by a Masterton family syndicate in 2009.
Powerball $27m prize up for grabs
One lucky punter could be the country's newest multi-millionaire if the numbers fall in their favour to nab the $27 million Powerball jackpot tonight.
The winner would be one of the country's biggest.
General manager of corporate communications for Lotto NZ, Emilia Mazur, said the money could help some Kiwis make their dreams a reality.
"Every winner has their own unique dream of what they'd do if they won."
They were able to pay off student loans, mortgages and donated two ambulances to their local service.
The most recent big win went to a player from West Auckland who scooped $33 million with Powerball in 2013 and bought a brand new car for his wife.
In 2010 a keen pig hunter and family man from Papakura won $28.7m with Powerball - and used it to give him the time and freedom to pursue his hobbies - including diving and fishing.
The fourth biggest lotto prize in the record books came about in 2012 after a young Tauranga man bought himself a Lotto ticket on a whim when he found the hairdressers was shut.
The man, who described himself as a greenie, used his winnings to build an eco-friendly house and live off the grid.
Top four lottery wins in New Zealand
• $36.8m Big Wednesday prize won by a Masterton family in June 2009
• $33m Powerball prize won by a West Auckland resident in September 2013
• $28.7m Powerball prize won by a Papakura father in October 2010
• $27m Big Wednesday prize won by a Tauranga man in September 2012
What you can buy with $27m
• 9000 return flights from New Zealand to Europe with enough left over for some retail therapy
• 27 million-dollar Auckland properties
• Turtle Island, off the coast of Australia, for $5.34m with enough left over to buy five more in a similar price range, or redevelop the island to your whole taste
