Lotto's Powerball jackpot has reached an eye-watering $38 million, and if won on Saturday, it will be New Zealand's third-largest Lotto win in history.
In light of the historic windfall, Lotto has released statistics on the stores that have sold the most winning tickets, the most drawn numbers and how buying online on MyLotto compares with buying in store.
Luckiest stores
The table below shows the top ten stores ranked by the number of First Division winning tickets they have sold for Lotto, Powerball and Strike since Lotto's inception.
"The one caveat we would put against this is that no particular store is 'luckier' than others – the odds of winning are exactly the same no matter where or how you buy your ticket," a Lotto spokesperson added.
MyLotto vs in-store
Around 52 percent of Lotto tickets sold are purchased in shops, while 48 percent are sold online through MyLotto.
The proportion of winning tickets tends to correlate with sales, with 53 percent of First Division prizes won in-store, and 47 percent from tickets bought online.
In 2023, 53 percent of First Division prizes were won in-store, and 47 percent from tickets bought online. In 2024 so far, those figures are 44 percent online and 56 percent from instore tickets.
"The main thing to remember is that the odds are the same no matter where or how you buy your ticket – so just do what suits you," the Lotto spokesperson added.
Most drawn balls
A list of the most-drawn balls is updated after each draw on Lotto's website. Currently, '1' is the most drawn number while '14' is the least.
The most drawn Powerball number is 2, which has been drawn 197 times.
"However, we’d reiterate the draw is completely random – so past patterns do not predict future patterns," The Lotto spokesperson added.
Top 10 largest prizes in Lotto NZ history
The below table shows where the 10 largest prizes in Lotto history were sold:
Saturday's draw
Because Saturday’s jackpot is a big one, Lotto said it is expecting stores and MyLotto to be very busy and anyone who wants to buy a ticket should get in early.
Stores are expected to be busy from mid-afternoon, and MyLotto from around 6.30pm (sales close at 7:30pm).
"We know high jackpots can be exciting, but we always remind people that playing Lotto is just for fun, it’s not an investment. And remember, you only need one ticket to be in to win," the Lotto spokesperson added.
