Game on: Lotto NZ announces overhaul of Powerball rules – top prizes bigger and harder to win

And while Lotto Powerball rules were tweaked in 2007, 2010, 2015 and 2017, this will be the first “matrix change” Lotto Powerball has had in 19 years.

Lotto NZ chief executive Jason Delamore has revealed big changes to Lotto Powerball coming this year. Herald composite photo

Delamore said there will be bigger prizes and he believes Lotto NZ has managed to retain what people love about Powerball while making refinements.

“While we look forward to sending more prizes back to players every draw, we want to be upfront that Powerball Division 1 will be won less frequently due to the greater number of possible line combinations in each draw,” Delamore said.

He told the Herald that projections estimated there would be a $60m must-be-won draw every two- to two-and-a-half years under the new matrix.

Meanwhile, smaller Lotto Powerball draws would be won on average every three- to three-and-a-half weeks, he said.

Lotto Powerball jackpots will be able to increase to $60 million – but will be much harder to win. New Zealand Herald composite photo

There will also be a new Powerball Division 8 which will have an as-yet unspecified guaranteed cash prize.

This is estimated to increase the number of weekly Powerball winners across all divisions by 30% from about 47,000 to 62,000.

The starting Powerball jackpot value will also increase, from $4m to $5m.

Delamore told the Herald more details about the changes – including revised pricing – will be released over the next couple of months. He confirmed the cost of playing Powerball would not increase.

Changes to Lotto Powerball will see the introduction of a new Division 8. Photo / Michael Bradley

The Herald first revealed the potential changes – including the addition of extra Powerball balls – in June 2025.

Evolve or risk becoming stale

Lotto Powerball was introduced in 2001 with eight Powerballs.

That number was increased to 10 in 2007.

To win Lotto Powerball, players have to get all six first division numbers – and the Powerball.

Delamore says lotteries around the world regularly refresh their games in response to changes in population size, customer expectations, inflation and other factors.

Lotto NZ has been facing increasing competition from other gaming and gambling outlets both domestically and internationally, he said.

Lotto NZ boss Jason Delamore (inset) says the number of weekly winners will grow, but the odds of winning Powerball Division 1 will drop from about one in 38.4m to about one in 53.7m. New Zealand Herald composite photo

“Keeping the game relevant is really key,” he told the Herald.

Delamore said the last time Lotto NZ made a matrix change was in 2007 and the population has increased by more than a million people since then.

Government approval was required under the Gambling Act for Lotto NZ to make the changes to Lotto Powerball announced today.

Delamore said that involved “a lot of effort consulting and liaising” with the Ministry of Health, the Department of Internal Affairs and experts within the problem gambling field.

The issue of minimising gambling harm was a factor in designing the game change, he said.

“We have undertaken a range of activities, including customer research, speaking to expert stakeholders, engaging with individuals with lived experience of gambling harm, and modelling the way the changes could affect purchasing by different customers.”

Lotto’s technology upgrade has given it greater tools to spot problem gambling traits of registered players. Photo / 123RF

Powerball rejig follows international trends

Lotto-type games are continually changing and evolving around the world.

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 – last year removed one golden ‘Mega Ball’ to increase the odds of winning, and increased its prices.

There, the odds of winning are 1 in 209.4m and the game’s record payout is $2.6 billion.

Changes to Lotto Powerball will see the minimum jackpot value increase to $5 million, and the introduction of four new balls will decrease the odds of winning the big prize. Photo / Michael Bradley

A matrix change to Australia’s Powerball in 2018 meant players had to get seven balls to win, up from a previous six.

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.

Since Lotto’s launch in 1987, more than $6.7b in profits have been distributed back into the community via the Lottery Grants Board.

Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 34 years of newsroom experience.

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