Maungaturoto in party mood as Lotto streak continues

Himanshu Kamal, manager of Tony's Stationery and Lotto in Maungaturoto, is delighted his store sold a Lotto First Division winner in Wednesday's draw. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Northland is going through an amazing Lotto winning streak with more than $8.6 million in First and Second Division prizes won in the region in three months - including $500,000 in Wednesday night's draw.

Wednesday's winning First Division ticket was sold at Tony's Stationery and Lotto in Maungaturoto and an ecstatic manager Himanshu Kamal said the win has turned locals into party mode.

The winning streak also includes a $5.5m Lotto and Powerball win from Kamo's Sunnyside Dairy on November 10.

A First Division winner worth $333,333 was sold at Onerahi Bookshop and Lotto on October 29, with another worth $500,000 sold at Countdown Whangarei on October 22.

A My Lotto online player from Whangarei won a cool $1m on First Division on October 12 and a ticket sold at Paihia Four Square earned its holder $500,000 on August 31.

The rest of the cash is made up from 14 Second Division winners sold in the region, ranging from $8844 to $29,996.

Yesterday, Mr Kamal said he hoped the winner was a local who invest some of the proceeds into the small town.

It was the first time the shop had sold a winning Lotto First Division ticket.

In March and April this year, two punters won $17,000 and $23,000 respectively in Second Division from the shop.

"It feels good. People here used to buy Lotto tickets and say we are not connected to Wellington but I said we are and one day someone will win big and it happened," Mr Kamal said.

At edition time yesterday the prize had not been claimed.

Mr Kamal said locals congratulated his shop for putting Maungaturoto on the map.

"The winner may or may not be a local but I want him or her to be from here because they can then invest some of the money in this town. Locals are very happy and in a celebratory mood already," he said.

The man who won $5.5 million last week said he and his wife were in disbelief when they realised they had won.

"[I was in] disbelief. I shouted 'I've got the lot!' then ran and got my wife to make sure I hadn't stuffed something up," he said.

"She was as shocked as I was, we both just stood looking at the winning ticket absolutely stunned. Not a lot was said to be honest."