Lotto-mania: 2000 tickets sold every minute for $50m draw

A staggering 2000 tickets a minute are being sold for tonight's whopping $50 million Lotto Powerball draw.

Lotto NZ confirmed the figure at about 3.30pm, as well as revealing more than 1.9m tickets had been sold for the draw

The $50m 'Must Be Won' draw is the biggest ever offered in Lotto's history, which dates back to August 1987.

"Stores around the country are buzzing as Kiwis pick up a ticket to be part of Lotto NZ history – we're seeing queues out the door in some places," said Marie Winfield, Head of Communications at Lotto NZ.

"Sales are typically at their peak after 5pm, so the busiest time in store and online is still to come. We recommend that anyone who wants a ticket for tonight's $50 million Powerball Must Be Won draw to get their ticket early."

And as Kiwis snap up tickets, a clinical psychologist has warned those who view Lotto as a form of escapism, to temper their expectations.

Dr Natalie Flynn is urging those lucky dippers to evaluate both their personal and financial situation.

"My advice is if you do win the money; really have a think about parts of yourself that are important, such as your temperament. Are you an impulsive person? Pause and think before you decide what you are going to do with the money," she said.

"There's nothing wrong at all about fantasy. We need to fantasize, and sometimes fantasy is a wonderful escape and a nice thing to share with other people.

"But if you notice that the fantasy is changing towards expectations or unrealistic beliefs about possibly of winning, it's best to keep yourself in check because that can lead to disappointment."

Saturday is typically the biggest day for ticket sales and with $50 million up for grabs tonight, Lotto NZ is expecting a busy day in stores around New Zealand.

Flynn hopes those queuing up view Lotto as more of a form of entertainment, and not as an avenue for people to escape their daily lives.

"Some people it's entertainment, and sure, if that's the way you want to spend your $16 and it gives you pleasure over a few days. But for some people, it's not like that, it's really grasping at a hope for escape for perhaps a desperate situation and that's when it can get really tricky," she said.

"Because having unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment and of course, what goes up, must come down. It's just about keeping yourself in check, it's fun to think about what you might do with the money, but there's no reason to expect that you're going to be the lucky person."

The current record for tickets entered into a single draw in Lotto history took place in July 2016 when 2.4 million tickets were sold for the $40 million Must Be Won Draw.