'Lucky' store expects crowd

LUCKY SHOP: Raj Kumar, owner of Springfield Superette and Lotto, says Lotto is going to go over and above $22 million. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Lotto Powerball has reached a massive $22 millon for tonight and one "lucky" local store owner reckons it looks set to go even higher.

Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar said with the way Lotto was being played it was going to jump to over $24 million again.

Almost a year ago he sold a winning Lotto ticket which had a matching Powerball number, seeing the winners claim more than $24 million in prize money. Ever since he said his store had been viewed as "lucky" by locals.

"The patrons are coming in bigger droves now. We usually get spikes in the morning and afternoon, before and after work, but since Wednesday it has been a constant steady flow.

"On Wednesday we were so busy the milk man and bread man were complaining because their sales have dropped because people are putting more of their money into Lotto.

"It's almost like the good old days when it hit $3 million, we are getting those kinds of crowds again."

He said Lotto had changed a lot since the days when it used to be just once a week and people could only buy tickets in certain places. Now they could buy their tickets online, in supermarkets and almost everywhere.

"But at the moment it doesn't take much to sell tickets, being such a huge amount. People will buy it, it's a celebration people are hoping will change their lives. We are definitely expecting to see quite a few people coming through [today]," Mr Kumar said.

Chook Ledger and Lesley Porter from Australia heard about the 'lucky' store from their friends who lived in Rotorua.

Ms Porter said they normally played Lotto in Australia so thought they would give New Zealand's lucky numbers a go.