Hastings Lotto player hits $79k Powerball win

The $43 million Powerball jackpot may not have been won, but a lucky Hastings Lotto player still struck a very nice $79,461 windfall.

The sole Powerball second division winner in this Wednesday’s draw purchased the ticket through the MyLotto app in Hastings.

Across the country, 28 other Lotto players won $24,952 each with Lotto Second Division.

The top prize rolls over to a $50 million must-be-won draw this Saturday, equalling the 2020 records.

If there are no First Division winners this Saturday, the entire jackpot rolls down to the next Powerball division where there are winners according to Lotto rules.

That means that had Wednesday’s sole Powerball second division winner been drawn on Saturday, the entire $50 million prize plus the second division winnings would have gone to them.

If there is more than one winner in that Powerball prize division, then the prize is split equally between them.

The jackpot now equals the two biggest prizes in Lotto’s history, two $50m jackpots in 2020.

The first Powerball $50 million jackpot was struck in February 2020, when two winners, one from Auckland and one from Hawkes Bay, won $25.1m each.

The second Powerball $50 million jackpot, in August 2020, rolled down to Powerball Second Division and was shared by 10 winners, one of whom purchased their ticket from Andrew Spence Pharmacy in Napier.

The biggest win on Wednesday night was $166,667; a sum six players will each receive after sharing first division.

The six winning tickets were sold at New World Whangaparāoa in Whangaparāoa, Eastridge Lotto in Auckland, New World Papakura in Auckland, Drury Lane Lotto Superette in Auckland, Bayfair Lotto in Mount Maunganui and on the MyLotto app in Bay of Plenty.

Strike Four was also won by three lucky Strike players. The winning Strike tickets were sold at Botany Junction Four Square in Auckland and on MyLotto to players from Gisborne and Ashburton.