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Playing the New Zealand Lotto and picking possible winning numbers are easy and straight-forward. Simply buy a ticket from a Local Retailer to stand a chance to win big cash prizes.
Easily check today’s New Zealand Lotto winning numbers, handy and useful tips.
The New Zealand Lotto was launched in July 1987 with the inaugural draw taking place on the 1st August 1987 with a jackpot of NZ$359,808. To date, the draw is held twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, and has a guaranteed first division prize of NZ$1 million in every draw.
New Zealand Lotto Draw Schedule
The New Zealand Lotto draws are broadcast live on TV on Saturday nights at 8pm NZST and on Wednesday nights at approximately 8.20pm NZST.
The main New Zealand numbers are all drawn with numbered balls ranging from 1 to 40. Six main numbers are chosen at random first and players will be required to match all of them to win the jackpot. One further number will be drawn from the remaining pool of 34, which is the Bonus Ball.
Ticket sales close at 7.30pm NZST on the night of the draw and re-open shortly after. If tickets are bought online through a lottery concierge, ticket sale cut-off times may vary, so players are advised to check with the online service provider in use to ensure confusion is avoided.
How to play the New Zealand Lotto?
To enter, players must select six numbers between 1 to 40 and purchase a minimum of four lines. In order for players to win New Zealand Lotto’s First Division prize all six of their chosen numbers must match the draw. A Bonus Ball is drawn after the six main numbers and increases the value of any prizes won if matched with three, four or five main numbers.
Additional Draw
Players who take part in the main New Zealand Lotto game have the option to enter two add-on games for an additional fee – Strike! and Powerball.
Strike!: Players need to predict the first four numbers drawn from the Lotto drum; the more accurate – the greater the prize.
Powerball: Players have to match a special ball in addition to those in the main Lotto game to have a chance to win prizes that reach up to eight figures.
New Zealand Lotto Prizes
The Division 1 jackpot is set at NZ$1 million in every draw, alongside additional games such as Powerball and Strike which can be added onto tickets to increase potential winnings. There are a further six prize tiers which require players to match fewer numbers in exchange for smaller prizes.
The New Zealand Lotteries Commission, trading as Lotto New Zealand since 2013, is a Crown entity that operates nationwide lotteries in New Zealand. It was established in 1987 and operates under the Gambling Act 2003.
A breakdown of the odds and prize tiers for the New Zealand Lotto can be found below:
Match | Odds | Average Prize Amount |
---|---|---|
Match 6 | 1 in 3,838,380 | Over $400,000 |
Match 5 plus Bonus | 1 in 639,730 | $20,159 |
Match 5 | 1 in 19,386 | $635 |
Match 4 plus Bonus | 1 in 7,754 | $60 |
Match 4 | 1 in 485 | $33 |
Match 3 plus Bonus | 1 in 363 | $24 |
Match 3 | 1 in 35 | Free Lotto Bonus ticket |
All New Zealand Lotto winnings are paid out in a tax-free cash lump sum.
Draw six balls from 40, and a bonus ball from the remaining 34.
Division | Winning numbers | Bonus ball | Odds per line | Odds per $7 dip | Avg. Prize payout |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | No | 1 in 3,838,380 | 1 in 383,838 | Over $350,000 |
2 | 5 | Yes | 1 in 639,730 | 1 in 63,973 | $19,995 |
3 | 5 | No | 1 in 19,386 | 1 in 1,939 | $601 |
4 | 4 | Yes | 1 in 7,754 | 1 in 775 | $55 |
5 | 4 | No | 1 in 485 | 1 in 48 | $30 |
6 | 3 | Yes | 1 in 363 | 1 in 36 | $22 |
7 | 3 | No | 1 in 35 | 1 in 3.5 | Bonus Lotto Ticket* |
All New Zealand Lotto winnings are paid out in a tax-free cash lump sum.
Remember – there’s no real way to predict the set of winning numbers as drawings are completely random, but there are tried and tested ways to increase your chance to win. The probability that you will win the next draw is monumental – but it can still be tons of fun to try!
Just a few thoughts before we get into it –
We will pop in some fun strategies and bonus tips along the line for good measure!
Play the Right Games
There is a selection of lottery games—and they each have different odds of winning.
According to a poll run by mathematician Alex Bellos, seven is not surprisingly the most popular lucky number in the world.
Seven days of the week, seven wonders of the world, seven continents, seven seas, and the list goes on.
Other traditional lucky numbers include three (as in “good things come in threes”) and four.
Horoscopes: Lucky Numbers for Today
If you’d like to find lucky numbers without having to play around with numbers yourself, your daily horoscope is a good place to turn.
Many horoscopes include predictions of which days will be lucky for you (and you can try playing the lottery on those days).
Choose Rarer Numbers
Picking certain numbers may offer you a slight advantage, not for your chances of winning, but for your payout.
If you win a lottery jackpot, there is a chance that you might have to split the payout with players who picked the same numbers, so you might as well try to select rarer numbers to improve your odds of keeping more of the payout for yourself.
Lucky Number Generators
The simplest way to find lucky numbers to play is simply to use a generator. Lucky number generators use numerology, or perhaps simply randomness, to find numbers for you.
In Lotto 6/52, on average, one lottery number will be a repeat hit from the last drawing 56 percent of the time.
Just a note About #LotteryStrategies
Finding and playing lucky numbers is based on fun more than facts. Mathematically, every number has an equal chance of being chosen as a winner.
Remember that there are disadvantages to using traditional lucky numbers as lottery numbers: a lot of other players will be using them, too. That means that if these numbers do win, players chances of having to split the jackpot are high.
Not only does the New Zealand Lotto offer players “top prize” payouts, but it has multiple ways and chances to win. As previous results and jackpot payouts will show, the New Zealand Lotto offers players of any income a chance to win and dream BIG! The New Zealand Lotto the most pay-outs throughout the prize categories, which makes it a solid choice nationwide and abroad.
A breakdown of the odds and prize tiers for the New Zealand Lotto can be found below:
Match | Odds | Average Prize Amount |
---|---|---|
Match 6 | 1 in 3,838,380 | Over $400,000 |
Match 5 plus Bonus | 1 in 639,730 | $20,159 |
Match 5 | 1 in 19,386 | $635 |
Match 4 plus Bonus | 1 in 7,754 | $60 |
Match 4 | 1 in 485 | $33 |
Match 3 plus Bonus | 1 in 363 | $24 |
Match 3 | 1 in 35 | Free Lotto Bonus ticket |
All New Zealand Lotto winnings are paid out in a tax-free cash lump sum.
Prize Tiers
Draw six balls from 40, and a bonus ball from the remaining 34.
Division | Winning numbers | Bonus ball | Odds per line | Odds per $7 dip | Avg. Prize payout |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | No | 1 in 3,838,380 | 1 in 383,838 | Over $350,000 |
2 | 5 | Yes | 1 in 639,730 | 1 in 63,973 | $19,995 |
3 | 5 | No | 1 in 19,386 | 1 in 1,939 | $601 |
4 | 4 | Yes | 1 in 7,754 | 1 in 775 | $55 |
5 | 4 | No | 1 in 485 | 1 in 48 | $30 |
6 | 3 | Yes | 1 in 363 | 1 in 36 | $22 |
7 | 3 | No | 1 in 35 | 1 in 3.5 | Bonus Lotto Ticket* |
All New Zealand Lotto winnings are paid out in a tax-free cash lump sum.
Absolutely not! The New Zealand Lotto was launched in May 1987, an is still going strong over 33 years later.
Between November 2002 and August 2004, a millionaire was drawn every week from all the Division One winners.
Unfortunately, fake wins with other institutions have become a regular occurrence – so here are a few tips to keep you and your money safe!
A lottery scam is an attempt to fraudulently extract money from someone by pretending to be a legitimate lottery company or winning player. It has sadly become a too common method of deception as such scams prey on people’s desire to win money and the popularity of big lottery games.
Did you receive a notification that you have won a prize in a lottery? Perhaps the Microsoft Lottery? If so, don’t get too enthusiastic as this is almost certainly a scam. Players need to find the winning numbers in a newspaper, the internet, or on TV and compare them to their ticket.
Win notices from foreign lotteries are even more suspicious. Not only do foreign lotteries have the same restriction as domestic lotteries, but it is also illegal to sell tickets for foreign lotteries across international borders.
Therefore, unless a player actually was in a foreign country and bought a lottery ticket, foreign lottery notifications are frauds.
A lottery scam is a type of advance-fee fraud which begins with an unexpected email notification, phone call, or mailing (sometimes including a large check) explaining that “You have won!” a large sum of money in a lottery.
What to do:
If you receive a letter or email claiming that you won a prize for the New Zealand Lotto but did not enter, it is strongly recommended that you:
Clues to look for:
The biggest note to remember – It’s impossible to win a lottery without buying a ticket!
No matter where players live in the world, all are welcome to buy New Zealand Lotto and Powerball tickets through an online lottery concierge service. New Zealand Lotto prizes must be claimed within a year of the date of the winning draw, and there are no tax implications for New Zealand residents who win, but taxes may be payable in other countries – It is best to check with a tax specialist as to potential liabilities.
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Stay up to date with all the latest Lotto news and Lotto Results by following us on social media.