Eight Te Kuiti friends are now each $125,000 richer after winning Lotto's First Division $1 million prize last Wednesday.
The syndicate of work colleagues buy a Triple Dip ticket each draw, something they've been doing for nearly a year.
"At work you always have those conversations, 'what would you do if you won?' So we thought we would try our luck and give it a go as a group," syndicate leader Melanie said.
"I was at the local squash club on Wednesday night when someone mentioned that New World Te Kuiti had sold a big prize."
Melanie checked the group's tickets on her friend's phone as soon as she found out the winner was from the small King Country town.
"We won $15 and a bonus ticket on our regular ticket, which wasn't bad. Then I scanned a bonus ticket that we'd won in the previous draw," she said.
"The words 'major prize winner' popped up on the screen and my heart started racing!"
However, she still had to break the good news to the rest of the group.
"I called Sandra, a member of the syndicate, to tell her the good news and make a plan to tell everyone else. We decided to gather everyone in the office on Thursday morning," she said.
"I had all these witty lines prepared to surprise the group, but when it came down to it I was a blubbering mess, all I could manage to say was 'We've won Lotto!'
"Everyone was jumping around and screaming. There were a lot of tears and a lot of hugs."
The friends are now seeking answers to the question 'what would you do if you won?' and are each making plans, including home renovations, going on holiday, and helping out friends and family.
The syndicate will stay together and also had advice for other punters: "You've got to be in it to win it!"
Newshub.
