In the Bay of Plenty, a Mount Maunganui Lotto store ranked among the region’s top performers, but a Kawerau Powerball win pushed prize payouts into the tens of millions. Photo / Michael Bradley
In the Bay of Plenty, a Mount Maunganui Lotto store ranked among the region’s top performers, but a Kawerau Powerball win pushed prize payouts into the tens of millions. Photo / Michael Bradley
There’s $8m up for grabs in Lotto Powerball this Saturday – but does it matter where you buy your ticket?
As punters across the Bay of Plenty shell out with dreams of a win, the Bay of Plenty Times can today reveal which stores sold the most winning Lottotickets – and the most in prize money in the region last year.
And is there any such thing as a lucky Lotto shop?
Lotto NZ data shows that Bayfair Lotto is a hotspot for lottery wins, leading the region in first and second division prizes across Powerball and Lotto.
The store recorded 9473 first division wins, ahead of Pak’nSave Cameron Rd with 7060 wins and New World Westend in Rotorua on 6563.
Bayfair Lotto also ranked among the region’s top stores for prize money paid out in 2025, distributing a total of $1,508,501.60 across all games.
All draw-based games include Powerball, Lotto, Strike, and Bullseye.
Bayfair Lotto was second in the Bay of Plenty when it came to total prize money, behind New World Kawerau, which led the region with $18,540,711.40 in prize money paid out.
Four Square Te Puke paid out $814,931.90, followed by New World Westend on $776,785.80.
Te Puke Four Square owner Kim Hothi pictured in 2020. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
Fresh Choice Papamoa rounded out the top five, with $714,787.10 across all games during the year.
Even though his shop was not in the top five, Four Square Te Puke owner Kim Hothi told the Bay of Plenty Times the store had sold three winning tickets since October.
The store sold a Lotto first division winner in October, a second division winner in November and another on the January 3 draw.
“My wish is that we could sell one Powerball winner here as well.”
He said it was always exciting when someone local had a winning ticket.
“It’s pretty good for the store, and we’re excited to see local people coming in every day; it feels very good,” he said.
“It’s bringing people in, and that’s great for Te Puke, but at the end of the day, it’s luck anyway.
“Hopefully, in the future, we keep selling winning tickets.”
All Lotto NZ profits go back into Kiwi communities through lottery grants administered by Te Puna Tahua NZ Lottery Grants Board.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
