Another winning Lotto ticket

Countdown Rotorua Lotto assistant Florence Els celebrating the sale of the $1 million first-division ticket. Photo / Stephen Parker

It's happened again.

For the third week in a row, Rotorua has struck it rich in Lotto with $1 million the latest win. As of yesterday, the prize has not been claimed.

Saturday night's first division ticket was sold at Countdown Rotorua, on Fenton St. It follows last week's win of $500,000 and the $24.3 million Powerball two weeks ago.

"It's been really good, people are checking their tickets [yesterday], we've been told we're a lucky shop," Countdown Lotto assistant Florence Els said.

"We're all really excited, it's like we've won actually and not the customer. Of course, we want to know who sold the winning ticket. I bought a ticket, I need to go home and check it."

Last weekend's half million dollar prize was claimed at Countdown Rotorua on Thursday. The shared first division winning ticket was bought from New World, West End.

"I like to mix it up and purchase my tickets from four different places. It's a bit of a flutter and I enjoy supporting each of the stores," the Rotorua winner said in a statement.

Having no idea he was holding on to a major prize, he received a call from his daughter who had heard someone local was sitting on a windfall.

"She rang out of the blue and asked where I had bought my ticket from. I told her I had bought it from Pak'nSave and she immediately wrote it off, because this ticket was bought at New World."

After the phone call the winner searched for his latest Lotto ticket, which he found nestled in a pocket of a woollen jersey and decided he would check it at lunchtime the next day.

It wasn't until he checked his ticket under the self-scanner that he realised just how lucky he had become, and remembered where he had bought it.

"The screen immediately flashed and said 'Congratulations - First Division Winner!' and I couldn't believe it."

When asked about what he will do with his winnings, he said he was planning to take a trip across the Tasman.

"My daughter lives in Australia, so I'll take my wife on an extended holiday to visit the grandkids. She's never been out of the country, so it will be pretty special," the winner said.

Lotto NZ corporate communications general manager Emilia Mazur said the Rotorua's winning streak was unusual but not uncommon.

"There was a bit of a winning streak at Mount Maunganui last year with two in a row and a winning wheel. Now Rotorua has a couple in a row."

The last time Rotorua had consecutive wins was in 2008. A Lucky Lotto Shop ticket won $1.19 million first division on June 21. The following week, on June 28, a Powerball ticket sold from Countdown Rotorua won $8.25 million.

City's Lotto wins

Saturday, July 11: $1 million first division

Saturday, July 4: $500,000 shared first division

Saturday, June 27: $24.3 million Powerball