Where’s the Winner? $500K Pāpāmoa Lotto ticket yet to be claimed!

Four months later, Lotto New Zealand is still looking for the owner of what seems like a golden ticket, with a $500,000 prize attached.

The ticket that was brought from Fresh Choice Pāpāmoa for the first division New Years Day draw has been a mystery for Lotto official's, after no-one is yet to step forward and claim the prize.

"The ticket could be anywhere" said Lotto NZ Head of Corporate Communications, Will Hine.

" We’re urging players who may have bought a ticket in Pāpāmoa over the holidays to check it as soon as possible"

The exciting and slightly crazy part of this story is that ticket could be with absolutely anyone. A local? A tourist? or even Someone who dropped it between the couch cushions while eating a supermarket pie at the beach!

With Lotto lovers all over New Zealand, questioning the winner and their story, wanting to know why has it taken so long, for anyone to claim the prize.

“I’m imagining a family on a summer getaway, enjoying days on the beach… maybe they popped into Fresh Choice to grab something for a barbecue back at the bach and picked up a ticket while they were there, tucking it away and forgetting all about it.” “I’m looking forward to hearing their actual story once they claim,” says Hine.

Residents all over New Zealand who brought a lucky new years ticket in the beloved coastal suburb are being encouraged to empty their car, wallet and even their sock draw, in the hopes of solving this soon to be iconic kiwi mystery.

As somewhere out there, someone is half a million dollars richer. They just don’t know it yet!