A large 'lucky' sign sits above the Whakatāne shop's entrance.
A large 'lucky' sign sits above the Whakatāne shop's entrance.
The owner of one of New Zealand’s luckiest Lotto stores is betting it can sell another winner ahead of tonight’s $33 million Lotto Powerball jackpot draw.
It has been a year since Whakatāne’s Halfway Store sold a $12m winning ticket and store owner Sophie Sang hoped it could repeat thatfeat with what, if struck by a single winner, would equal Powerball’s third-highest jackpot ever won.
NZME asked Lotto NZ for New Zealand’s and Bay of Plenty’s top five luckiest stores based on First Division wins in the last 12 months.
A Taranaki and two Auckland stores top the national list, with Whakatāne’s Halfway Store coming in at number four and number one for Bay of Plenty (See full lists below).
It had total wins valued at $12,250,000. Its largest prize won was $12m in Powerball, with $250,000 from Lotto First Division.
Lotto NZ said the odds of winning are “exactly the same no matter how or where you buy your ticket”, but the Halfway store is backing its lucky reputation.
The shop is emblazoned with emblems of luck - from the leprechaun and four-leaf clover behind the counter to the big “lucky” sign at its entrance.
