Lotto upgrading website to avoid future chaos with big draws

Senior Journalist - crime and justice·NZ Herald·

15 Aug, 2020 08:18 PM3 mins to read

The MyLotto website is currently not working with ticket holders unable to check their results.

A major upgrade of New Zealand's Lotto website is underway in a bid to avoid any more online chaos after big draws.

And as more people turn to online ticket purchasing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Lotto are hopeful the changes to the site will avoid any delay in getting results to hopeful punters.

After last night's whopping $50 million "must win" draw, the result could not be immediately published.

Only this morning was Lotto able to announced how many winners were sharing the haul and where they had purchased their tickets.

The delay was blamed on the "sheer volume" of tickets purchased and the fact Lotto sold "more online tickets than ever before".

It is not the first time there have been major issues with the MyLotto website after a significant draw either.

On Wednesday the site and app crashed after it became overwhelmed with people trying to buy tickets.

Lotto later confirmed between 4000 and 5000 tickets were being purchased per minute for the $43 million draw, which then jackpotted to $50m for last night's draw.

And in October the site imploded because of high numbers of people trying to check tickets after a $28m Powerball draw.

The $50 million Lotto jackpot has been won. Photo / John Stone

At that time Lotto said the interest in the draw was almost 2.5 times greater than for a "normal" draw.

The stress from the website and app from everyone wanting to check their tickets caused MyLotto to cut out.

The Herald questioned Lotto this morning on why the website did not have adequate capacity for the online demand - particularly in light of the Covid-19 level 3 restrictions in place in Auckland.

The partial lockdown meant a higher number of people purchasing online.

Lotto NZ head of communications and corporate social responsibility Marie Winfield revealed work was being done behind the scenes to improve the organisation's capabilities in future.

"To support the move to online play and big increase in the number of people playing online, Lotto NZ has work underway to upgrade MyLotto, which is due to be completed by early 2021," she said.

"This work has been underway for a number of months, and while it continues we are making interim improvements.

"We understand delays on MyLotto are frustrating for players and we sincerely apologise to those players affected."

The large number of Powerball tickets bought for last night's draw - both online and in person - has caused issues for Lotto NZ. Photo / File

Currently the MyLotto site states the online store is open from 6pm tonight.

However, it may open sooner if possible.

The results of last night's draw have only just been released.

"The delay was because of the sheer volume of tickets purchased for the draw, and the fact that we sold more online tickets than ever before," Winfield said.

"Because of the delay, our counters in-store will open late today.

"As communicated yesterday, customers who bought their ticket online will be unable to log into their account to check their ticket until later this afternoon – we don't have an exact time yet as we are processing an unprecedented number of winning tickets, and this takes time.

"We will keep customers updated on our MyLotto website and app."