Powerball prize climbs to $25m

Photo / Michael Craig

Time to grab your ticket. The Lotto Powerball prize has climbed to $25 million this week, after Saturday's draw failed to pick a winner.

The biggest single Lotto win is $28.7 million. That went to a self-employed Papakura man, who declined to give his full occupation but said he was a pig hunter, last October.

New Zealand Lotteries chief executive Todd McLeay said that if a single punter won the $25 million jackpot next Saturday, it would be the second-largest Powerball prize yet.

The pig hunter, who is also a diver and fisherman, told the Herald after his landmark win that he planned to meet his close, extended family to discuss how the money might be used.

He had a "couple of little debts" that he would pay off. He and his wife had been "down to our last dollar a couple of times" in the months leading up to his win.

On a smaller scale, someone from Auckland won $1 million in the Lotto First Division draw on Saturday night.

The winner bought his or her ticket at the Roskill South Hammer Hardware in Auckland.

Strike Four prizes were also won by two players from Manukau and Wellington, each winning a share of $330,803. The tickets were sold at Botany New World in Manukau and at Whitcoulls Lambton Quay in Wellington.

Blenheim businesswoman Joy spun and won $100,000 on the Winning Wheel in the live draw.

The Winning Wheel ticket was bought at Eden Foods in Auckland.

NZ Lotteries urges anyone who bought their ticket from any of the named stores where winning tickets were sold to write their name on the back of the ticket and check it immediately at a Lotto outlet.

$25M GETS YOU

* 13 Maritimo 19m luxury motor yachts.

* 36 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti sports cars.

* 235 world cruises on the Queen Mary 2.

* 8333 Panasonic 137cm TV sets.

* 1 house on Auckland's exclusive Paritai Drive, with $20 million change.

Or you could bank the lot on a term deposit at 4.35 per cent for a year and earn:

* $20,913 interest a week - before tax.