Waipawa BP Lotto win: Auckland man claims $333k First Division prize with last-minute ticket

An Auckland-based man bought the winning ticket just before the Waipawa BP Lotto counter closed.

A man who won a $333,333 Lotto prize from a small-town petrol stop last Wednesday says he plans to use the money to help his family during this challenging time.

The man, who lives in Auckland, said he was one of the last people to buy a ticket from Waipawa BP that evening.

“It was close to the 7pm closing time and the Lotto counter was closing around then so I was one of the last people to grab a ticket and then it got drawn that same night,” he said.

After seeing in the news that a winning First Division ticket had been sold in Waipawa, he checked his own ticket and realised a $25 Lucky Dip ticket had netted him the three-way split.

“I checked my ticket, which was still in the car door, and saw one of the lines was the winning line,” he said.

“I had to pinch myself and then there was the realisation of what had happened.”

While he is still deciding exactly how to use the prize, he said supporting his family was part of the plans.

“It’ll be great to be able to help some of my family. It’s a big time, and I just need to sit down and think about what’s going to happen next.”