Whangarei Lotto player wins $333,333

Onerahi Bookshop & Lotto owners Neha and Dipesh Patel after the store sold a $333,333 Lotto First Division winner on Wednesday. PHOTO/JOHN STONE

A Whangarei Lotto player is $333,333 better off after a ticket sold at Onerahi Bookshop & Lotto won a share of Lotto First Division on Wednesday.

The ticket was one of three that each won $333,333, with other winning tickets sold in Auckland and Hokitika. As well, a ticket sold at Kaikohe Four Square won $27,922 with Lotto Second Division on Wednesday.

Onerahi Bookshop & Lotto is owned by Neha and Dipesh Patel, who only took over last year.

Mrs Patel said as of yesterday the prize had not been claimed, but she hoped it had gone to one of the store's many regular customers.

''We have lots of regulars coming in, a big group of regulars, and as it hasn't been claimed yet I don't know if it is one of them,'' she said.

Mrs Patel said the store sold a Second Division winner last month worth $29,554, but this was the first First Division winner since they took over.

Powerball was not struck on Wednesday and has rolled over to Saturday where the jackpot will be $38 million.

"If a single player is lucky enough to win the top Powerball prize on Saturday night, it will be the single largest prize ever won in New Zealand," Lotto spokeswoman Emilia Mazur said.

Strike Four also rolled over and will be worth $500,000 on Saturday. The winning Lotto numbers were 2, 9, 13, 25, 29 and 36, with the bonus number 11 and Powerball number 6. The Strike numbers were 29, 25, 9 and 36.

While Wednesday's First Division win was the first for the Patels, their store is the second-most successful in Northland having sold 16 First Division winners, behind Dargaville's Mags N More with 17 and ahead of Civic Video & Lotto Kerikeri with 14.