An Invercargill man says he and his wife were left ‘dumbfounded’ after finding out they were millionaires just before bedtime on Saturday.

The man usually only buys a ticket when the jackpot is high, and remembers the last time he 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, while winding down for bed, he spotted an article saying someone from Invercargill had won $1 million, and decided to check his 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.”

“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 couple are planning to pay off their mortgage, finish some home renovations, and invest the rest of the money for their family’s future.

The winning Lotto First Division ticket was sold on MyLotto for the draw on Saturday 7 February 2026.