How to Play Lotto NZ

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Enter your Lotto numbers to see how often each one has been drawn and what your line would have won in past draws.

About Lotto

Lotto has run in New Zealand since 1 August 1987 and is still the country's most played lottery game. It's drawn twice a week: Wednesday at 8:20 pm and Saturday at 8:00 pm, with ticket sales closing at 7:30 pm on both nights.

Six numbers are drawn from 40, followed by a bonus ball from the remaining 34. Match all six main numbers and you share First Division, a guaranteed $1 million pool. The odds of that are 1 in 3,838,380, but smaller prizes are much easier to win: three main numbers comes up about once every 35 lines.

Two extras can be added to a Lotto line. Powerball adds a number from 1 to 14 and opens a separate set of bigger prizes. Strike asks you to pick the first four numbers in the exact order they're drawn.

How to play Lotto

Pick six numbers from 1 to 40, or take a Lucky Dip and let the terminal choose for you. A line costs $0.70, and a ticket needs at least four lines.

You don't pick the bonus ball. It's drawn after the six main numbers, and matching it with five, four or three main numbers moves your line up a division. Match all six main numbers and you share First Division.

Lotto prize divisions and odds

Lotto has seven prize divisions. Each division's pool is shared by every line that wins it, so the amount you receive depends on how many people matched the same numbers. First Division is a guaranteed $1 million: one winner takes all of it, and three winners get $333,333 each. Lotto NZ puts the long-run average First Division payout at over $350,000.

Division 7, three main numbers, pays four bonus Lotto lines for the next draw rather than cash.

Division	Numbers matched	Odds per line (1 in)	Per $7 Lucky Dip	Average prize
1	6 numbers	3,838,380	383,838	Over $350,000
2	5 numbers + bonus ball	639,730	63,973	$19,995
3	5 numbers	19,386	1,939	$601
4	4 numbers + bonus ball	7,754	775	$55
5	4 numbers	485	48	$30
6	3 numbers + bonus ball	363	36	$22
7	3 numbers	35	3.5	4 bonus Lotto lines (fixed)

The Powerball add-on

Powerball has been part of Lotto since February 2001. It adds a number from 1 to 14 to each Lotto line, for an extra $0.80 per line. The range was 1 to 10 until 13 September 2026; draw 2621 on 16 September was the first with the new format, which also added an eighth prize division.

Powerball only pays when your line also matches the main draw. You need at least three main numbers plus the Powerball, or two main numbers plus the bonus ball and the Powerball. The Powerball on its own wins nothing.

Unlike Lotto's fixed $1 million, Powerball Division 1 rolls over. It starts at $5 million and grows every draw without a winner, up to $60 million. The draw after it reaches that cap is Must Be Won: if nobody wins Division 1, the money moves down to the next division with winners.

Division	Numbers matched	Odds per line (1 in)	Powerball prize
1	6 numbers + Powerball	53,737,320	Jackpot, $5 million to $60 million
2	5 numbers + bonus ball + Powerball	8,956,220	Shared prize pool
3	5 numbers + Powerball	271,401	Shared prize pool
4	4 numbers + bonus ball + Powerball	108,560	Shared prize pool
5	4 numbers + Powerball	6,785	Shared prize pool
6	3 numbers + bonus ball + Powerball	5,089	Shared prize pool
7	3 numbers + Powerball	492	$20 (fixed), plus Lotto Division 7's four bonus lines
8	2 numbers + bonus ball + Powerball	657	$12 (fixed)

Lotto Strike

Strike started in April 1993. You pick four numbers from 1 to 40 and try to match the first four balls drawn, in the exact order they come out. A Strike line costs $1.

There are four divisions. Division 1, all four in the right order, starts at $100,000 and rolls over until it's won. Strike's limit is a number of draws rather than an amount: it can roll over ten times, and the tenth draw is Must Be Won. By then Division 1 has usually grown to around $700,000, and a strong run of sales can take it past $1 million. Division 4, one number in the right position, pays a bonus Strike line.

Division	Numbers matched	Odds per line (1 in)	Average prize payout
1	All 4 in exact order	2,193,360	Over $300,000
2	Any 3 in exact order	15,232	$668
3	Any 2 in exact order	274	$67
4	Any 1 in exact order	11	1 bonus Strike line (fixed)

Recent Lotto draws

Lotto FAQ

When does the Lotto draw take place?

Draws are held twice a week. The Saturday draw is at 8:00 pm and the Wednesday draw at 8:20 pm.

Where can I watch the Lotto draw?

The draw goes out live on TVNZ 1 and is streamed on Lotto NZ's own channels.

What time do Lotto ticket sales close?

Sales close at 7:30 pm on both Wednesday and Saturday, ahead of that evening's draw.

How much does it cost to play Lotto?

A Lotto line costs $0.70, and a ticket has to cover at least four lines. Adding Powerball costs another $0.80 per line, and Strike is $1 per line.

Where do I buy Lotto tickets?

From any Lotto NZ retailer, or online through MyLotto.

How old do I have to be to play Lotto?

You must be 18 or older to buy a ticket, whether in-store or through MyLotto.

Can I play Lotto if I don't live in New Zealand?

Lotto NZ sells tickets in New Zealand, in-store and through MyLotto. Third-party concierge and messenger services advertise NZ lottery tickets to overseas players, but they are independent businesses with no connection to Lotto NZ, and using one doesn't change the age requirement or any other eligibility rule.

How do I win Lotto?

Match at least three of the six main numbers and you win a prize. Match all six and you take First Division.

What are the odds of winning Lotto NZ?

The odds of winning First Division are 1 in 3,838,380 per line. Any prize is far more likely: about 1 in 35 lines matches at least three numbers. With Powerball, the odds of Division 1 are 1 in 53,737,320 per line.

How does Powerball work?

Powerball adds a number from 1 to 14 to each Lotto line for an extra $0.80. It has its own eight prize divisions, which pay only when your line also matches enough of the main draw. Division 1 is a jackpot that starts at $5 million and rolls over up to $60 million.

Does Lotto have a minimum guaranteed jackpot?

Yes, First Division is guaranteed at $1 million. On some draws Lotto NZ tops it up from the prize reserve fund, so it can be higher.

Does the First Division prize in Lotto roll over?

No. If nobody matches all six numbers, that share of the prize pool goes into Lotto NZ's prize reserve fund rather than growing the next jackpot. Powerball works differently: it jackpots from draw to draw until someone wins it.

What happens in a Must Be Won draw?

The Powerball jackpot starts at $5 million and can grow to $60 million and no further. Once it hits that ceiling, the next draw is Must Be Won: if nobody matches all six numbers plus the Powerball, the entire Division 1 amount drops down to the next division that does have winners. Strike works on a count rather than an amount: it can roll over for ten draws, and the tenth is Must Be Won.

What is the biggest Lotto jackpot ever won?

Lotto's own First Division is fixed at $1 million, so the headline figures are always Powerball wins. The biggest single-ticket win in our records is $44.07 million, on 10 August 2024: the $44 million Powerball jackpot plus a share of Lotto First Division. Our records start in December 2018; before that, a ticket sold in Dairy Flat, north of Auckland, won $44.06 million on 9 November 2016.

Is there a deadline for claiming Lotto prizes?

Yes, 12 months from the draw date. After that the prize is forfeited and the money goes into the prize reserve fund.

Will I have to pay taxes if I win a prize?

Lottery prizes are paid out tax-free in New Zealand. If you live overseas, your own country's tax rules may still apply.

Where can I find Lotto results if I missed the draw?

On our Lotto results page. We add the winning numbers as soon as the draw is confirmed, and the full prize breakdown follows shortly after. They're also on the official Lotto NZ site.

Lotto results 7 October 2026

Lotto at a glance