Two Invercargill Lotto players pocketed $21,736 each last night when second division numbers came up at New World Windsor and Four Square Newfield.
They were among 17 players nationwide who shared the second division pool, each walking away with exactly $21,736. Not life-changing money, but enough to make December considerably brighter.
The bigger winner was a Whanganui player who struck $1.5 million on Strike Four through MyLotto. That ticket hit the Strike Must Be Won draw — the kind of win that actually does change everything.
Another player got luckier than most second division winners. Their ticket, sold at New World Stratford, also carried Powerball Second Division, bumping their total to $47,445.
Meanwhile, two first division winners from Wellington and Dunedin each claimed $500,000. Both tickets came through MyLotto.
Powerball rolled over again. Saturday's draw sits at $20 million.
For Invercargill, two second division wins in one night represents decent local luck. New World Windsor and Four Square Newfield will likely see a few more hopeful faces over the coming weeks.
Anyone who bought tickets online should check MyLotto or the app. The money sits there until claimed, and plenty of smaller prizes go uncollected simply because winners forget to check.
Lotto NZ funnels all profits back into community grants through the NZ Lottery Grants Board. Last night's sales will eventually fund sports clubs, community centres, and local projects across the country.
The Invercargill winners have 12 months to claim their prizes. Most do it within days.