New Zealand Powerball Exposed — Perfect for the Fans of Massive Jackpots!
New Zealand Powerball Review
If you’ve taken a look at the odds in the table above, you’re probably feeling discouraged and telling yourself that New Zealand Powerball isn’t worth a try. Slow down, cowboy! Though the odds of hitting that massive jackpot aren’t exactly in your favor, New Zealand Powerball has a lot more to offer than just a jackpot. Chances are that if you give the lottery a try, you’ll quickly fall in love with it. Here are the main reasons why.
Is The Lottery Office legit? Learn more in this The Lottery Office review
NZ Powerball: The Basics
New Zealand Powerball was introduced in February 2001. As in the original game, players have to choose a set of 6 main numbers and a Powerball to win the jackpot. With a minimum guaranteed jackpot of 4 million New Zealand dollars, the lottery quickly became a commercial success.
Originally, the Powerball number range was from 1 to 8. Today, players have to choose their lucky number from a set of 10. Prior to the change, the minimum guaranteed jackpot was solely 1 million dollars. Though getting to the jackpot has become a little bit harder through the addition of two extra Powerball numbers, the 3 million dollars added to the minimum guaranteed jackpot justifies the effort.
How to Play New Zealand Powerball
Tickets for the game can be bought online or from a licensed retailer. You’re free to choose your own numbers or select the automatic pick option. A single line will cost you 0.60 dollars, making the lottery one of the most affordable across the globe.
If you decide to play at least 4 lines, you’ll activate an additional feature called Strike. In this instance, you’ll have to pick 4 additional numbers. If these numbers match the four lottery numbers drawn in the exact order, you’ll get an opportunity to win an additional prize of 200,000 dollars.
But we’re getting a little bit carried away and we haven’t discussed the way to fill out the main Powerball ticket. You’ll have to choose 6 main numbers from a pool of 40 and a Powerball number from a pool of 10. To win the jackpot, you’ll have to match all 7 of the numbers.
Prizes, Awards, and Odds
The Powerball, New Zealand comes with a minimum guaranteed jackpot of 4 million dollars – a pretty exciting and motivating amount. If there isn’t a winner for the respective drawing, the jackpot will roll over toward the next one.
The jackpot will continue rolling over until it reaches 50 million dollars or until somebody wins. If there’s no winner by the time the jackpot reaches the limit, it will roll down toward the lower prize tiers.
As lucrative as the jackpot may seem, it does come with pretty unfavorable odds. You have a 1 in 38,383,800 chance of getting the big bucks. Apart from getting the jackpot, there are 6 additional ways to win. Having 5 correct numbers and the Powerball (odds of 1 in 6,397,300) will produce a prize of approximately 7,100 dollars. The third prize tier is set at about 200 dollars and the fourth one – at 20 dollars. The lowest prize is 10 dollars and it’s handed out for getting 3 correct main numbers and the Powerball.
| Divisions | Matching Numbers | Odds Per Line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lotto Division 1 and Powerball | 1 in 38,383,800 |
| 2 | Lotto Division 2 and Powerball | 1 in 6,397,300 |
| 3 | Lotto Division 3 and Powerball | 1 in 193,858 |
| 4 | Lotto Division 4 and Powerball | 1 in 77,543 |
| 5 | Lotto Division 5 and Powerball | 1 in 4846 |
| 6 | Lotto Division 6 and Powerball | 1 in 3635 |
As already mentioned, New Zealand Powerball has an additional feature that can be activated through the purchase of at least 4 lines. This additional feature called Strike provides a wonderful opportunity to increase the monetary prizes even further.
Some Information for Winners
New Zealand Powerball prizes are handed out in the form of tax-free lump sums. If you’re an international player, however, you’ll need to be mindful of regulations in your own country.
Players have 12 months from the date of the drawing to claim any amount that they’ve won. Prizes that don’t exceed 1,000 dollars can be obtained from any licensed vendor (or online through an agency platform). People who win more than 1,000 dollars will have to fill out a Prize Claim Form that’s available on the lottery’s official website.
The jackpot winners will have to visit the Auckland head office where they’ll get more information about how the money will be made available.
Can You Buy NZ Powerball Tickets Online?
The good news is that New Zealand Powerball is open to international players through online lottery agency websites. These websites have local representatives responsible for purchasing tickets on behalf of the platform’s clients.
All of the transactions take place online. Smaller prizes are usually credited directly to the player’s account on the respective website. If a bigger amount is won, the player may have to travel and collect the amount in person.
Why You Should Play NZ Powerball
Pros:
A single line costs as little as 0.6 dollars in New Zealand
Open to international players
There are 2 drawings per week
The minimum guaranteed jackpot is impressive
The jackpot rolls over to the next drawing if there’s no winner
There’s an additional Strike feature that can be activated through the purchase of 4 lines
The lottery is organized by an official national agency
Some of the funds generated through ticket sales go to charity and to support worthy causes
New Zealand doesn’t tax lottery prizes
Why You Shouldn’t Play NZ Powerball
Cons:
The odds of winning the jackpot are far from impressive
Lower prize tiers feature relatively small amounts
Is New Zealand Powerball Legit?
Powerball is operated by the New Zealand Lotteries Commission. This Crown entity operates across the country and it’s responsible for a wide array of games like Lotto (the main lottery game in New Zealand), Keno, Winning Wheels, Bullseye, Instant Kiwi, and Play 3.
The New Zealand Lotteries Commission also has made a range of scratch card games available for players to try.
The agency was established back in 1986 and the first drawing of the oldest game, Lotto, took place in 1987. Ever since, the New Zealand Lotteries Commission has given out billions of dollars in the form of lottery prizes. The agency is also responsible for allocating some of the funds generated through ticket sales to charitable causes.
This long explanation is needed to help you rest assured that New Zealand Powerball is a completely legitimate lottery. Run and operated by a state agency, the game comes with a history and specific regulations (available for viewing on the official New Zealand Powerball website).
So, if we draw the line, New Zealand Powerball is pretty great. The disadvantages are just a few and the tickets are way too inexpensive to ignore the opportunity. With a minimum guaranteed jackpot of 4 million dollars, New Zealand Powerball may be the right game for you.
Jolly Berman
Hey, I like the additional “strike” feature of added value if you play at least 4 lines. It’s also nice to see a lottery that is tax free and can be played by anyone from anywhere. There is also the roll down feature if the lottery gets up to 40 million, which means the lower tier prizes increase. Nice lottery.