NZ's second luckiest Lotto store busy ahead of $28m Powerball draw

Wednesday, 9 October 2019

Richmond Night 'n Day staff member Donna Peoples, and owner David Smolenski serve customers buying Lotto tickets. His store is the second luckiest store in New Zealand.

A steady stream of hopeful punters have bought tickets at the Night 'n Day in Richmond, the second luckiest Lotto store in the country ahead of Wednesday's $28 million Powerball draw.

The store has sold 34 first division winning tickets for Lotto, Powerball, Strike and Big Wednesday over the years, each marked with a trophy proudly displayed on the wall.

Owner David Smolenski said along with the first division winners, the store had sold more than 200 second division winning tickets and he had actively promoted the lucky status of the store over the last few years.

'It's lucky to be the second luckiest store. Sometimes if you find out something first it's not that lucky and the second person knows not to do such a thing so the second luckiest isn't that bad at all.'

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People from 'far and wide' heard about its good fortune and often travelled to Richmond to get their 'lucky Lotto ticket'.

The biggest prize someone had won from the Richmond Night 'n Day was just over $8m in first division.

Smolenski said it would be 'magical' if someone who bought a ticket from his store won Wednesday night's $28m jackpot.

'If it's us that sold it, it's going to hopefully be somebody local who wins it and then hopefully that money goes out in some way, shape or form to help local people by spending it in the community.

'Personally, it is always a good feeling to have someone come in with a big winning prize.'

Smolenski had celebrated with many lucky Lotto players and said even the second division wins were 'pretty significant' for a lot of people and in some cases dramatically changed their lives.

'Every time we sell a winner it's good, the bigger it is the better it is.'

The only store to sell more winning tickets is the Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy in Hastings, which has had 49 first division winners. Pak N Save Riccarton in Christchurch is the third luckiest store having sold 32 first division winning tickets.

It is the first time the jackpot has been this high since late 2017 when Powerball rolled over to $38m, before being split by two players from Warkworth and Greytown who each took home $19.1m.

Lotto NZ senior corporate communications manager Kirsten Robinson said there had been 12 big Powerball wins across the country this year, from $22.3m in Taranaki to $5.5m in Taipa in the Far North.

Only four players in the history of Powerball have ever won a prize over $28m. The biggest win was $44m at the Dairy Flat Food Mart and Liquor store in Auckland in November 2016

Robinson said Powerball could be won by anyone, anywhere but you had to have a ticket to be in to win.

Players can buy a ticket for Wednesday's $28 million Powerball draw at any Lotto store up until 7.30pm for tonight's draw, online at MyLotto.co.nz or through the Lotto NZ App.