News
An Invercargill couple are celebrating a life changing windfall after claiming $1 million in Lotto First Division, following a last minute decision to buy a ticket.
The husband said the surprise win came just before bedtime on Saturday, leaving both him and his wife stunned.
Invercargill Celebrates $1 Million Lotto Win
An Invercargill resident has struck it lucky, winning $1 million with Lotto First Division in Saturday night’s live draw. The winning ticket was sold online through MyLotto. A Lotto NZ spokesperson said, “One lucky Lotto player from Invercargill will be in for a treat after winning $1 million with
Mike Sanford
He explained that he usually only buys a Lotto ticket when the jackpot climbs to a significant amount. The last time he had purchased a ticket was during November’s $55 million Must Be Won draw.
“Last week I got an email saying I had $16 in my MyLotto account, so I logged in and bought a ticket for last Wednesday’s draw.
“On Saturday night I checked that ticket, which wasn’t a winner. I looked at the clock and it was 7:20pm so I made a split-second decision to buy another ticket for that night – which turned out to be a pretty good decision,” he said.
Later that evening, as the couple were winding down for bed, he noticed an online article reporting that someone in Invercargill had won $1 million. Curious, he decided to check his own ticket.
“I opened the app and skipped the virtual draw, expecting to see ‘better luck next time’, but this time it was different. I stared at the screen, and then closed and reopened the app a few times to make sure it wasn’t some kind of glitch,” he said.
Still unsure, he handed the phone to his wife.
“She thought I was joking and didn’t believe me at first. We sat up for a while – both a bit dumbfounded – it still hasn’t really sunk in.”
While the win is significant, the couple say they plan to stay grounded.
“It’s a nice amount for us… not enough to get silly and start buying private jets and the likes,” he joked, “but enough that it really helps us reach our goals that bit quicker.”
The pair intend to pay off their mortgage, complete some long planned home renovations and invest the remaining funds to support their family’s future.
The winning Lotto First Division ticket was sold on MyLotto for the draw on Saturday 7 February 2026.