Lotto NZ Powerball format transition

Lotto NZ is transitioning its Powerball game from a 10-ball format to a new 14-ball system. This change, effective mid-September, will shift the Division 1 winning odds from approximately one in 38.4 million to one in 53.7 million. While the starting jackpot will increase from $4 million to $5 million and the maximum jackpot will rise from $50 million to $60 million, existing divisions will become more difficult to win.

To compensate for the harder-to-win jackpots, 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. To mark the end of the current format, the final draw on September 12 will be a $10 million ‘Must Be Won’ event.

The organization Hāpai Te Hauora has called for increased scrutiny of these modifications, urging that they be evaluated through a “gambling-harm lens” rather than as simple product enhancements. Chief Operating Officer Jason Alexander has requested to see the “harm-minimisation assessment” behind the redesign, noting that the changes alter both ends of the reward structure.