How Lotto works
It’s easy to daydream about what you can do if you win the Lotto. The reality is that Lotto is designed to keep you spending. Your odds of winning Lotto First Division or Powerball may be lower than you think.
How does the Lotto draw work?
In Aotearoa, six balls are drawn from a machine containing 40 balls. The balls are numbered 1 to 40.
The big prize, First Division, is won when a player has all six numbers correctly on one line. The order of numbers on the line doesn’t matter.
The Powerball is a number between 1 and 10, drawn from a separate machine.
For Lotto NZ, only 53 cents is paid out in prizes for every $1.00 spent.
Your odds of winning Lotto
Lotto NZ explains that if you buy a $7 ticket your odds of winning First Division are 1 in 383,838.
Your odds of winning Lotto Powerball with a $15.00 Power Dip ticket are 1 in 3,838,380.
It's natural to think “Hey, there’s a chance!” and Lotto’s advertisements often repeat this message.
The reality of Lotto is that because the odds are so low, there is no strategy for winning.
Are you still playing Lotto just for fun?
It can be fun to play the occasional game of Lotto, but for some people, it can become harmful.
Signs that playing Lotto may be doing you and your whānau harm include:
- Occasionally missing out on basic items and groceries because you bought a Lotto ticket “to be in to win”.
- Missing your savings targets or debt repayments because you bought Lotto tickets.
- Hiding your Lotto tickets and Lotto playing from others.
- Feeling regret after playing Lotto.
- Spending more money than you planned to when the Lotto jackpot increases.
If you suspect that playing Lotto could be causing issues for you or your whānau, it’s time to take action.