The Heart Foundation Home Lottery is one of New Zealand’s best-known charity lotteries. It’s often confused with Lotto NZ, but it’s a completely separate product — a charity fundraiser rather than a state-run weekly draw.
This guide explains, in plain and factual terms, how it works, what the prizes are, how eligibility rules apply if you win the home, and how to check results.
A charity fundraising lottery — separate from Lotto NZ.The Heart Foundation Home Lottery at a glance
Run by National Heart Foundation of New Zealand Type Charity home lottery (raffle-style) Frequency Seven lotteries per year Tickets per lottery Capped (commonly 250,000) First prize Fully furnished Jennian home (~$1m+) Age to buy 18 or over Prizes Tax-free in New Zealand Regulator Department of Internal Affairs
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What it is and who runs it
The lottery is run by the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand, a health charity. It operates as a home lottery — closer to a large raffle than to Lotto’s number-drawing format — and runs seven times a year.
Net proceeds fund the Heart Foundation’s work: heart-health research, training and fellowships for cardiologists, and community programmes. Heart disease is the single biggest killer of New Zealand men and women, with the Foundation noting that more than one hundred families a week lose a loved one to it. The lottery is one of the charity’s fundraising channels.
It’s regulated by the Department of Internal Affairs under the Gambling Act 2003, the same regulator that oversees other society lotteries. Each lottery has published Terms & Conditions, and the draw is made by blind selection under independent-witness supervision.
The prizes
The centrepiece is the first-prize home.
Sources used to research and fact-check this article. Last checked 13 August 2026.Reference sources
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First prize is a brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home in a New Zealand location — recent lotteries have featured homes with registered valuations around $1 million to $1.2 million, in places such as Blenheim and Kinloch near Lake Taupō. Jennian Homes is the Foundation’s long-standing building partner for these prizes.
Alongside the home, a typical lottery includes a travel prize (for example, to the value of $15,000) and a Toyota Hybrid, plus bonus draws: an Early-Buy cash prize (such as $10,000) for buying before an early deadline, and Auto-Buyer bonuses like a $7,500 Prezzy Card. Exact prizes vary from lottery to lottery, so the current Terms & Conditions are the reliable source.
How buying works
Tickets are sold directly by the Heart Foundation — online through its official website, by phone, or by post — rather than at Lotto retail counters. You must be 18 or over to buy.
Regular supporters can join the Auto-Buyer programme, which automatically reserves and sends tickets for every lottery so you don’t miss one, and also enters you into the bonus draws. Because the number of tickets in each lottery is capped (commonly 250,000), the pool is finite — unlike Lotto, where there’s no limit on how many entries are sold.
A note on tax: because you receive a lottery entry in exchange for your money, ticket purchases are not tax-deductible as donations, even though the proceeds support a charity.
How it compares to Lotto NZ
The two are easy to mix up, so it’s worth being clear about the differences.
Typical prizes and the rules that apply if you win the home.The prize package and eligibility
Typical prizes
If you win the home
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The most-cited difference is the odds. Because the Heart Foundation lottery caps its ticket numbers, your mathematical chance of winning first prize is better than winning a Lotto or Powerball jackpot, where combinations run into the millions. But “better” is relative — it’s still a long shot, and it remains gambling with a negative expected return. The main practical difference is that most of your ticket price funds the charity rather than a prize pool. For how Lotto’s odds work, see our guide to the odds of winning Lotto in NZ, and for the contrast in ownership, who owns Lotto NZ.
If you win the home
Winning the first-prize home comes with eligibility rules, mainly around property ownership.
You’ll need to prove your identity, and if you’re an overseas buyer, your eligibility to own the property under the Overseas Investment Act 2005. If you win but aren’t eligible to own it, the Heart Foundation will sell the home and pay you the net proceeds instead. Car and travel prizes can generally be taken as cash value by winners who live overseas.
Once the title transfers, the home is yours to do with as you wish — live in it, rent it out, or sell it. That’s a personal financial decision, and anyone in that position should take independent advice rather than treating a prize home as a guaranteed windfall.
How to check results
After each draw, the Heart Foundation publishes the winning ticket numbers on its official website, and winners are contacted directly by phone and email (winners’ details are published only with consent).
To check your own ticket, find your ticket number on your confirmation or physical ticket, then match it against the published results for that specific lottery number, working through the prize tiers. Keep your ticket or confirmation until any claim is complete. Because this is a separate lottery, you won’t find its results on Lotto NZ’s channels — go to the Heart Foundation’s official website for the official numbers.
Playing responsibly
Buying a ticket supports a good cause, but it’s still a form of gambling and shouldn’t be treated as an investment or a way to solve financial pressure.
A healthy way to frame it is as a donation with a chance of a prize attached, rather than the other way around. Only spend what you can comfortably afford, don’t let early-bird countdowns pressure you into buying more than you planned, and keep track of your total annual spend across any lottery subscriptions. If it ever stops feeling like a choice, support is available.
If you’re weighing charity lotteries against Lotto products more broadly, our guide on unclaimed lottery prizes also touches on how charity lotteries differ in their rules.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only. It does not encourage anyone to gamble, buy lottery tickets, or spend money on any product, and it is not financial, legal or professional advice. Lottery tickets are a form of gambling with a negative expected return, and buying more tickets does not make a prize likely. Prizes, ticket numbers, eligibility rules and terms change with each lottery — always confirm the current details in the official Heart Foundation Home Lottery Terms & Conditions before acting on anything here.
You must be 18 or over to buy lottery products in New Zealand. If gambling is causing harm to you or someone you know, free 24/7 support is available from the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or by texting 8006, from Safer Gambling Aotearoa, and from PGF Services on 0800 664 262. Gambling in New Zealand is regulated by the Department of Internal Affairs.
Two very different products that are often confused.Charity home lottery vs Lotto NZ
Feature Heart Foundation Lottery Lotto NZ Run by Heart Foundation (charity) Government (Crown entity) Ticket numbers Capped per lottery Unlimited until 7:30pm cut-off Main prize A furnished home + goods A cash jackpot Draw frequency Seven times a year Twice weekly (Wed & Sat) Where profits go Heart research & health programmes Lottery Grants Board (community) Odds of first prize Better (capped tickets), but still long Very long (millions to one)
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FAQ
Who runs the Heart Foundation Lottery in New Zealand?
It’s run by the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand, a health charity, as a fundraising home lottery. It’s separate from Lotto NZ and is regulated by the Department of Internal Affairs under the Gambling Act 2003.
How often are the lotteries drawn?
There are seven Heart Foundation Home Lotteries every year, each with its own prize pool and a different first-prize home.
What is the first prize?
A brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home in a New Zealand location, typically valued around $1 million or more, along with other prizes such as travel, a Toyota Hybrid, and bonus cash draws.
Are the odds better than Lotto?
Statistically, yes — because the number of tickets is capped (commonly 250,000), the chance of winning first prize is higher than winning a Lotto or Powerball jackpot. It’s still a long shot, and it’s still gambling.
Are the prizes taxed?
No. Like other New Zealand lottery prizes, winnings are tax-free at the point of transfer. However, ticket purchases are not tax-deductible as donations, because you receive a lottery entry in return.
What happens if an overseas winner wins the home?
They must meet the Overseas Investment Act 2005 rules to own the property. If they aren’t eligible, the Heart Foundation sells the home and pays them the net proceeds. Car and travel prizes can be taken as cash value.
How do I check the results?
The Heart Foundation publishes the winning ticket numbers on its official website after each draw, and contacts winners directly by phone and email. You won’t find these results on Lotto NZ’s channels, since it’s a separate lottery.
