Lotto Powerball $34 million: Massive draw not struck

Sorry New Zealand - it's back to work this morning after last night's $34m Lotto Powerball was not struck.

But you could be in with a chance to win $38 million in Saturday's draw.

Last night numbers were: 22, 20, 5, 9, 19 and 24.

The bonus number was 6, and Powerball was 4.

Six players from around the country each won $166,667 with Lotto First Division. The winning tickets were sold at Oratia Superette, Auckland; The Bookshop and Lotto, Huntly; Countdown Fairy Springs, Rotorua; Temuka New Word, Roxburgh Supervalue.

Strike Four was also won by a player from Mosgiel who took home $400,000 after purchasing their ticket at Mosgiel New World.

At 3.30pm, Lotto NZ said it was well on track to sell 1.2 million tickets the draw, 37 per cent of those being through MyLotto.

The odds were slightly stacked against you to win Powerball at one in 38 million.

The biggest Lotto NZ win was claimed in 2016 by a young couple from the Hibiscus Coast pocketed an incredible $44.1m.

Earlier this year, the Powerball jackpot reached a mammoth $50m which was won by two separate players who took home $25.1m each.

The second-biggest Powerball win by an individual ticket is $33.1m which was won by a ticket bought in 2013 at One Step Ahead in Auckland.

The third biggest win was $30.2m, the next $28.7m and the fifth-highest was $27m.

As of February 20, the luckiest Lotto stores in New Zealand were in Hastings, Nelson, Christchurch, and Paraparaumu.

Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy in Hastings frequently sells winning first division tickets and had notched up 49 in total by that point.

The pharmacy also had the most first division wins last year with four.

Richmond Night n Day in Nelson had 35, Pak'nSave Riccarton in Christchurch had 33, and Coastlands Lotto in Paraparaumu had 32.

It has been a good year for Lotto players, with 28 Kiwis made overnight millionaires already and seven Powerball multi-millionaires.

The winner's room at the Lotto NZ offices in New Market, Auckland. Photo / File

The first Lotto draw was held on August 1, 1987, and in the 33 years since then, 943 people have become millionaires after winning Lotto NZ games.

Powerball kicked off 13 years later, in 2001, and since its inception, a total of 191 Kiwis have experienced the life-changing moment of winning it.

There has been a total of 1981 draws since Lotto NZ started, with the six most frequently drawn numbers being 1, 7, 22, 19, 18, and 12.

The most frequently drawn Powerball numbers have been 2, followed by 3, 6, 1, 5, 8, 4, 7, 10, and 9.

After bagging Lotto jackpots, winners are required to head to the head office in Auckland where they are taken to the special winner's room.

It's thought up to 1.2 million people will buy tickets to tonight's draw. Photo / Michael Bradley

Stocked with champagne, chocolate and even tissues for the emotional types, winners receive a book full of tips.

"The decision about what you do with your winnings is entirely yours - you will shape your future," the 60-page book states.

"We hope this booklet helps you to understand the steps ahead of you, make your goals easier to reach and, of course, enjoy your winnings!

"We wish you all the best for the future, and hope you'll look back on the day you found out you were a winner as one of the happiest days of your life."

The book is kitted out with a timetable for action, previous winners' advice and even interesting facts about Lotto's big winners.

The majority of them continue working after their big wins, 85 per cent, often in the same job as before their Lotto haul.

And almost all of them continue playing Lotto, with 98 per cent of the big winners saying they regularly buy Lotto tickets.