Buy New Zealand Powerball Tickets Online

New Zealand Powerball may share a similar name with many international lotteries, but it has a very different format.

Still, it is an exciting game that offers impressive jackpots and tax-free prizes.

In this New Zealand Powerball review we’ll share other fun features of this unique game.

About New Zealand Powerball

Unlike most other Powerball games in the world, New Zealand Powerball is actually a supplementary game.

It was launched in February 2001 as an add-on game for New Zealand Lotto. Both of these games are run by the New Zealand Lotteries Commission, also called Lotto New Zealand.

The game has undergone a few changes since it was first introduced.

Initially, it offered only eight numbers in the Powerball number pool. The minimum and maximum jackpot prizes were also smaller at first, at NZ $1 million and NZ $15 million.

Since then, the minimum jackpot has increased to NZ $4 million.

The maximum jackpot has increased many times as well. First, it was upped to NZ $30 million, then to NZ $40 million.

Finally, the cap was set at NZ $50 million, where it remains to today.

New Zealand Powerball Draws

New Zealand Powerball offers bi-weekly draws. They take place every Wednesday at approximately 8:20 pm NZDT and every Saturday at 8:00 pm NZDT.

Draws are held in Auckland and use Smartplay Halogen II machines.

Previously, numbers were selected using Ryo Catteau Mimosa machines. However, several technical issues over the years led to the switch.

How to Play New Zealand Powerball

To play New Zealand Powerball, players have to buy a ticket for New Zealand Lotto.

To play New Zealand Lotto, players must choose six numbers from a number pool of 1 through 40.

Players must purchase at least four Powerball entries per draw. The Powerball draw involves selecting one number from a pool of 1 through 10.

Players can either select their lines manually or select the “Power Dip” option.

The “Power Dip” option allows players to buy 8, 10, 12 or 16 lines of random numbers for both draws.

Adding the Powerball game costs NZ $0.80 per entry when purchased in New Zealand. Players who buy tickets from popular online lottery websites may have to pay an additional fee.

To win the jackpot, players must match the Powerball number as well as all six numbers of the Lotto draw. By doing so, they win both the Powerball jackpot and the Lotto jackpot.

New Zealand Powerball Prizes and Odds

One of the most exciting things about New Zealand Powerball is the prizes. In fact, the jackpot is actually bigger than the New Zealand Lotto draw that players must purchase tickets to.

New Zealand Lotto’s jackpot is a fixed NZ $1 million, while Powerball’s starts at a minimum of NZ $4 million.

Powerball’s jackpot rolls over every time there is no winner, up until it reaches the cap of NZ $50 million.

Once it reaches the cap, there is a “Must Be Won” draw. In these draws, the money rolls down to the lower prize tiers if there is still no winner.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 38,383,800, which are very favourable compared to other Powerball games.

For example, US Powerball has jackpot odds of 1 in 292,201,338, while Australia Powerball has odds of 1 in 134,490,400. However, the jackpots for these draws are typically much larger.

On the other hand, there are also games with better odds and comparable or better jackpots.

For example, Canada Lotto Max has jackpot odds of 1 in 28,633,528. It has a minimum prize of CAD $10 million and a cap of CAD $70 million. It also doesn’t require buying a ticket to any other draw.

The prizes and odds breakdown for New Zealand Powerball are as follows:

Claiming New Zealand Powerball Prizes

Lucky players have up to one year from the draw date to claim their prizes. Any prizes that are unclaimed go back to the prize pool.

All prizes are free of tax and are awarded as lump-sum payouts. However, foreign players who buy online lottery tickets may have to pay taxes in accordance with local laws.

Prizes under NZ $1,000 can be claimed immediately at any lottery retailer. For prizes over NZ $1,000, winners must fill out a claim form at an official retailer.

Bigger prizes must be claimed at Lotto New Zealand’s head office in Auckland.

Notable New Zealand Powerball Winners

There have been some pretty big New Zealand Powerball jackpots in the past. However, no jackpot has reached the new NZ $50 million cap yet.

The closest the prize pool has come to that was in November 2016. A single ticket holder won the NZ $44 million jackpot, becoming the biggest winner in New Zealand Powerball history.

New Zealand Powerball-Should You Play?

Adding a New Zealand Powerball entry if you’re already purchasing a New Zealand Lotto ticket is a no-brainer.

The game also stands on its own merits, with a great rollover jackpot prize and tax-free payouts. It certainly makes purchasing tickets for New Zealand Lotto more appealing.

If you’re looking for a new game to try, then this is a good option.