Lotto winner: 'I chose the same numbers every draw'

The winning Powerball ticket, that won it's purchaser $15million in the 16 December 2015 Lotto draw. Photo / Supplied

The winner of last night's $15 million Powerball First Division jackpot has claimed his prize.

It was the ultimate Christmas gift for the lucky Porirua family, who wish to remain anonymous.

"I chose the same numbers every draw," the winner explained.

"So when I turned on the computer last night to check the numbers, I knew I'd won something as soon as I saw the numbers I just didn't know how much!"

"We were sitting on the couch, when he started making funny noises and I thought something was wrong," the winner's daughter said.

Eastside Four Square and Lotto owner Dipek Dubariya, right, and staff Nimesh Bhavsar, left, and Prjesh Patel sold the winning ticket. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"Then he told me to get his wallet and we checked his Lotto ticket together. We all just looked at each other and then started screaming and jumping and hugging each other a bit of a winning dance. We were so excited."

The family picked up their prize money at Lotto's head office in Auckland early this morning.

The winner had also made a pact to split any prize money with his best friend and he will be sticking to his word.

"I'm going to tell my mate that $7.5 million is his. But I'm keeping that extra $250,000, I think that's fair," laughed the winner.

"I can't wait to tell him, we want to share the joy with this win and we know that this will absolutely make his family's Christmas, as well as ours."

The total amount won was $15,250,000, which is made up of $15 million from Powerball First Division and $250,000 from Lotto First Division.