Auckland, April 20 (Inditop.com) An Indian-origin store owner in New Zealand sold a lottery ticket that won $500,000 and the prize was claimed by a man with just a day to spare after the ticket was found by chance in a drawer.
The winner had bought the ticket from Ponsonby’s Richmond Road Superette 12 months ago and it would have expired Sunday.
Superette owner Manhar Patel said: “I’ve been telling them to check their winter coats, cupboards at home because (Sunday) was the last day and they might be lucky.”
The winner said he put the ticket in a drawer at home and forgot about it.
“It’s been a stressful year and I completely forgot I had the ticket until Saturday when I opened the drawer. It was a bit faded but I noticed the date on it and thought I’d better get down to the shop quick just in case I’d won anything,” New Zealand Herald quoted the winner as saying.
The winning ticket was worth $509,937.
