Lotto bosses are seeking government permission to add extra balls to the Lotto Powerball draw, a move that will decrease the odds of winning. New Zealand Herald composite photo
Lotto bosses are seeking government permission to add extra balls to the Lotto Powerball draw, a move that will decrease the odds of winning. New Zealand Herald composite photo
Winning Lotto Powerball could be about to get much harder.
The Herald can reveal Lotto NZ bosses are keen to increase the number of balls in the Powerball draw - and are already seeking permission from the Government for what has been described as a “matrix” change for the game.
More regular wins means fewer of the more exciting mega-jackpots - like the $50m draws that attract “exponential” ticket sales.
Lotto NZ’s 2024-25 Statement of Performance Expectations flagged a 28% growth in ticket sales over five years.
Lotto NZ chief innovation and product officer Ben Coney told the Herald their five-year strategy to 2029 includes “changing the odds by adding more balls to the Powerball machine” and evolving the game.
The change will require government approval.
“The details of exactly what we will change and what it would mean for customers...is subject to regulatory consultation and ministerial approval” he said.
“We continue to...talk to our government stakeholders about the potential shape of any change.”
What’s the up-side?
Coney described Powerball as Lotto NZ’s “flagship game” and said game bosses want to ensure it remains appealing.
A Lotto NZ business document says the plus-side for players will mean bigger jackpots.
At least one extra ball could be added to the Powerball draw. Photo / Michael Bradley
What’s the down-side?
Lotto Powerball players currently have a 1 in 38 million chance of winning big.
Adding two numbers would see the odds drop to 1 in 46m, and increasing the size of the Powerball draw to 15 numbers in total would see the odds dwindle to 1 in 57.5m.
Lotto-type games globally are continually changing and evolving.
Common changes include increasing prize pools, matrix changes via extra balls, more frequent draws, and price changes.
Mega Millions – played in 45 states in America – recently removed one ‘Mega Ball’ but increased its prices.
There, the odds of winning are 1 in 209.4m and the game’s record payout was $2.6 billion.
A matrix change to Australia’s Powerball in 2018 meant players had to get seven balls to win, up from a previous six.
“It’s important that lottery games continue to evolve so that games remain compelling to players, prize value is not eroded through inflation, and the odds of winning move in line with population growth,” Coney said.
This ticket transformed a Lotto Powerball player into an overnight multi-millionaire in 2015, snaring a $15m win. Photo / Supplied
The risks
Research from the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) shows around 12% of clients who received gambling harm treatment services said Lotto was their “primary mode of gambling harm”.
That compared to 50% who listed playing pokies, and 9% who were impacted by their gambling with the TAB.
Research from the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) shows around 12% of clients who received gambling harm treatment services said Lotto was their “primary mode of gambling harm, compared to 50% who listed playing pokies. Photo / NZME
The PGF says big jackpots can “drive people to spend more money than they can afford to in the hope of winning big”.
It urges prospective players to know the odds of winning as that helped “to keep things in perspective”.
Lotto games – headed by Powerball – account for about 84% of Lotto NZ’s annual revenue, a figure that totalled $1.22b in 2024 and is budgeted to grow to $1.8b by 2029.
*This article corrects an earlier version which said the proposed changes would make the chances of winning Lotto millions of times tougher. It would in fact change the odds from 1 in 38m to 1 in 42.2m.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.
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