$55 million Lotto draw: How will Saturday’s historic prize be won?

The largest Lotto prize in New Zealand history is up for grabs this weekend, but what are the chances of one lucky player taking home the lot?

Lotto Powerball has jackpotted to $55 million for Saturday night’s “must-be-won” draw, meaning the money will be paid out one way or another.

If no one wins Division 1, the jackpot will roll down and be shared among the winners in the next-highest division.

Victoria University of Wellington’s Richard Arnold said there was about a 30% chance that the full $55m would be won by one person, depending on the total number of players.

He told Herald NOW’s Ryan Bridge if there are two million players buying 10 lines each then there’s about a 30% chance there’s going to be a single winner on Division 1. He said if there are four million players that probably goes up to about 36%.

Arnold said the more likely scenario was that the money would be shared in the lower divisions.

“There’s a 40% chance that there’ll be a winner on Division 1, either one winner or two or possibly three.

“But there’s a 60% chance it will go down to Division 2, which is easier to win. And in that case, there might be three, four or five winners.”

The odds of striking the jackpot are extremely slim, at one in 38 million.

Tomorrow's prize draw is the biggest in New Zealand history.

Of the country’s previous 12 “must-be-won” draws, seven have been shared among multiple winners.

The most recent “must-win” draw in June last year saw $50m shared between seven players, with each taking home $7.18m after the jackpot rolled down to Division 2.

In a word to the superstitious, Arnold said that where you buy your ticket and how you pick your numbers made no difference.

“There’s no ordering. There’s no art to this at all, and it’s designed that way. It’s designed to be fully random. And that’s the way to approach it.

“Some people have favourite numbers they go to every time. But that’s no better than doing a random lucky dip. It really makes no difference at all.”

One thing that might help your chances was to avoid number sets that other people were likely to choose, although that was hard to do, he said.

“If other people choose the same numbers and you both win, you’re sharing the jackpot.”

Tomorrow’s draw offers potentially life-changing money for those who win.

The winners of the last $50m jackpot told Lotto that the key was not to be changed by the sudden wealth.

They advised Saturday’s winners to “make sure you’re confident in the team you build around you – you have to trust they are giving you good advice”.