Hāpai Te Hauora calls for scrutiny of Powerball changes

Hāpai Te Hauora is calling for increased scrutiny regarding upcoming changes to the Powerball game, urging that the modifications be evaluated through a gambling-harm lens rather than as simple product enhancements.

Effective September 13, the number of possible Powerball numbers will increase from 10 to 14. This change will shift the odds of winning Division 1 from approximately one in 38.4 million to one in 53.7 million. While the starting jackpot will rise from $4 million to $5 million and the maximum jackpot will increase from $50 million to $60 million, existing divisions will become harder to win. Lotto NZ forecasts approximately 9,000 fewer winners across Divisions 1 to 7 each week.

To offset this, Lotto NZ is introducing a new Division 8, which is expected to increase the total number of weekly winners across all divisions by roughly 30 percent through more frequent fixed $12 prizes. Hāpai Te Hauora Chief Operating Officer Jason Alexander noted that the redesign alters both ends of the reward structure, making the jackpot harder to win while increasing the frequency of smaller wins, and has requested to see the harm-minimisation assessment behind the design.