Lotto NZ Hits 37 Years As Powerball Jackpot Hits $33 Million

Lotto NZ is celebrating more than three decades of jackpots, draws and dreaming after the first Lotto draw was held 37 years ago on this day in 1987.

The first ever Lotto draw on 1 August 1987, produced a total prize pool of $1,028,024 and a first division prize of $359,808. Four first division prize winners shared $89,952 each and included “a Devonport pensioner” a “Manurewa couple with two young children” and an “Invercargill City Council employee”.

Although a staggering amount at the time, it pales in comparison to the current Powerball jackpot which rolled over last night to $33 million for Saturday’s draw.

Since that first draw, Lotto NZ games have made millionaires of 1,187 lucky kiwi all around the country and given out more than $15.4 billion in total prizes.

More than $6 billion in lottery funding has also gone back to New Zealand communities, helping support thousands of community groups, charities, and local initiatives across the motu.

“The support of lottery funding has helped foster strong and sustainable communities for over three decades and will continue to do so into the future,” says Lotto NZ CEO, Jason Delamore.

“A huge thank you to our players for embracing the spirit of their national lottery and for coming together each week for the last 37 years to imagine what they’d do if they hit the big one!”

Last night’s draw was the 2399th live Lotto draw, after the first ever Lotto ball (number four) was drawn with inaugural presenters Ann Wilson and Doug Harvey in 1987.

The first ever Lotto tickets went on sale on 22 July and stores opened their doors that wet Wednesday morning to queues around the block, with New Zealanders keen to get their hands on a winning ticket.

Back then, if you lived in a rural area, you could also play Lotto by mail order. These days more than 46% of players play online with Lotto NZ ranking as one of the most digitised lotteries in the world and one of New Zealand’s largest e-commerce businesses.

The largest prize given out in Lotto’s history was $44,066,667 which went to a Hibiscus Coast couple in 2016. There have also been three times the Powerball jackpot has reached its maximum allowable amount of $50 million, resulting in ‘Must be Won’ draws being called – the most recent being in June this year when it rolled down to seven lucky second-division winners who each took home $7.18 million.

Lotto NZ advises people who want a ticket in this Saturday’s 2400th, $33 million draw to get in early by picking up a ticket before draw day or early on the day to avoid the busiest times both instore and online.

© Scoop Media