Lotto results: Waikato, Coromandel winners and Hamilton man’s $1m surprise

They may not have hit the big jackpot but Waikato and Coromandel players did strike it lucky in last night’s Lotto draw.

The $37 million Lotto Powerball draw was won by a single lucky punter who bought their ticket in Paraparaumu.

It was the largest draw this year and the fourth-highest in New Zealand’s history. The winner becomes the 10th Powerball multi-millionaire of 2023, and their victory comes over two months after a couple from Christchurch won a $33.5 million Powerball prize.

There were seven winning first division players winning $125,000, and 32 winning second division players, including those who bought their tickets at Pak’nSave Clarence Street in Hamilton and New World Whangamatā, and a Waikato MyLotto player. They each pick up $17,094.

Six players also won Powerball second division, taking their total winnings to $23,745.

Last night’s Powerball prize had jackpotted from Saturday’s draw after no one had the winning numbers.

But one Hamilton man had a nice surprise on Monday when he checked his ticket - he’d won $1 million in first division.

In a media release from Lotto, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was not a regular player and the win was “totally unexpected”.

“I decided to pick up a ticket last Friday when I was shopping and saw the $33 million jackpot. But after I went home, I completely forgot about it and went on with life as normal,” the man said.

It wasn’t until Monday lunchtime, when the man went to grab some lunch, that he decided to check his yellow ticket.

“I was at the supermarket and suddenly remembered my ticket, so I asked the retail operators what to do, and they told me to scan it.

“After I scanned it, it said I was a ‘Major Prize Winner’, so I showed the staff, and they congratulated me and told me I’d won $1 million. I couldn’t believe it – I thought it was a joke and was looking around for the cameras!”

After filling out the prize claim form, the man said he went straight back to work – only $1 million richer.

He planned to “keep things normal while I figure out what I want to do”.

“It’s definitely a good thing and will help me a lot in the future.”

The winning Lotto first division ticket was sold at Chartwell Lotto in Hamilton.