Shop awaits the nouveau riche

Ashok Bhatia and his wife, Anu, think the winning Powerball ticket may be brought in for checking today. Picture / Paul Estcourt

When the Muttonbirds sang of a Dominion Rd shining "cause it's just been raining", they probably didn't mean raining money.

But on Saturday night it was raining money, big fat bucketloads of it. $15.2 million worth, still held in an innocuous little yellow ticket sold at Amigos Paper Power.

Yesterday, those hoping to see the winner check his tickets at the Mt Roskill shop that sold the biggest Lotto Powerball prize won in New Zealand were disappointed - the shop was closed.

The owners and most of the staff went in to work to share in the excitement and meet the media. And no doubt if some excited face had appeared in the window looking like Charlie Bucket with a golden ticket, owner Ashok Bhatia might have let them in to check their ticket.

"But people know we are closed, all the locals. They will be in on Monday."

Lotteries Commission chief executive Trevor Hall, also at Amigos, said the winner should not wait too long.

He points out that even on a modest interest rate, the sum will rake in $20,000 interest each week, or just over $1 million a year. Which is just a nudge over the average $24,963 annual income of a Mt Roskill dweller in the last census.

Mr Bhatia's bets were on the winner being a local. He said about 99 per cent of his Lotto customers were locals.

"I hope it is a Mt Roskill win. It will be a big uplift to the community. Not just the Lotto shop either."

Mr Bhatia said it was possible the winner was still unaware of the windfall. Often for the large prizes, people would buy stacks of tickets and get the store to check them. Although the store had sold five run-of-the-mill first division winners, it had never sold a winning Powerball in his four years at the shop.

Mr Hall said winners were told to get a financial adviser, and given a brochure with information such as tax requirements.

The winner needn't expect the red carpet, the streamers or the champagne to be pulled out when the loot is handed over.

"Obviously they get offered a cup of tea or coffee. But it's usually early in the morning, and for wins this size people are quite shell-shocked as well."

Mr Hall said it was usually a subdued affair, either in Wellington at Lotteries Commission HQ or at the winner's home.

"We tell people to take some breathing space, think long and hard about what to do, and tell as few people as possible until they have good advice. Then they often ask where the nearest Holden or Ford dealer is."