Twizel's $17.1 million winning Lotto ticket still unclaimed

The $17.1m Lotto Powerball ticket bought in Twizel and drawn on December 28 has not been claimed. Photo / File

The $17.1 million Lotto ticket sold in Twizel at the end of last year remains unclaimed and Lotto is urging people to check their tickets as they could be sitting on a life-changing amount of money.

The winning ticket was bought from the Market Store in Twizel for the draw on December 28, 2019.

Lotto NZ head of communications and corporate social responsibility Marie Winfield encouraged anyone who bought their tickets from the Twizel store for that draw to check their tickets.

Anyone who purchased their ticket from The Market Store in Twizel is encouraged to write their name on the back of the ticket and check it at any Lotto outlet, online at MyLotto.co.nz or through the Lotto NZ App.

After the ticket was won, store owner Monica Andrew said it was exciting news for Twizel and added to the good vibe in the town.

Already two Lotto winners had claimed $1m prizes today and they are hoping the country's newest multi-millionaire would be next.

The first ticket was sold at Alexandra New World in Alexandra for the draw on January 4 and the other was sold at Onehunga Mall Superette in Auckland for the draw on December 18.

"This is a life-changing amount of money, and we have the champagne on ice ready to celebrate with our newest Powerball winner," Winfield said.

Lotto would give the winner another week to claim the prize before trying to track them down.

"Most Powerball winners claim their prize within a few days of winning – but occasionally we have these big wins [that] go unclaimed for a while."

Lotto NZ tracked down the winner of a $12.2 million Powerball prize sold on MyLotto after it was won last August and had not been claimed after two weeks. The winner had been shocked to hear they had won.

In 2017, a Gisborne couple took two weeks to claim a $6.5 million Powerball prize because they wanted to think about how to manage their windfall before cashing it in.

While a Hamilton couple sat on their winning $16.2 million ticket for 10 days before checking and finding out they were the missing millionaires in 2014.

Lotto NZ surprised a Christchurch player in 2013 who was unaware he had won $22 million by knocking on his door to tell him.