Lotto fever is sweeping Rotorua as people clamber for their chance to become an instant millionaire.
Today's $22 million Big Wednesday draw and Saturday's must-win Powerball jackpot of $30 million is now the largest prize pool offered in the history of the game.
According to Lotto New Zealand, Countdown Rotoruahas sold two Powerball first division winning tickets. In 2011, a Rotorua family syndicate won $10.6 million and another family claimed $8.3 million in 2008. The store had also sold two first division tickets.
Pak 'n Save Rotorua sold a winning Big Wednesday First Division ticket that won $3.4 million just before Christmas in 2011 and had nine Lotto first division wins.
But The Lucky Lottery Shop in Rotorua continued to live up to its name with a total of 12 Lotto first division winning tickets as well as a Winning Wheel ticket.
Lotto New Zealand spokeswoman Emilia Mazur said growing jackpots captured people's imagination as they started thinking about winning the 'big one'.
"People who don't regularly play Lotto start buying tickets, so naturally we usually see increased ticket sales in large jackpot weeks. Sales for both Big Wednesday and Lotto in Rotorua over the last week have increased by over 30 per cent, compared to last month's sales."
