It’s a natural question to ask while standing in a pre-jackpot queue: how many Lotto tickets does New Zealand buy each week? The honest answer starts with a caveat.
Lotto NZ reports its sales in dollars, not in ticket counts. So there’s no official “tickets sold per week” figure — and any precise number you see should be treated with suspicion. What we can do is look at the real, published data: total sales, who plays, and where the money goes.
Figures reported for the financial year ended 30 June 2024.Lotto NZ sales by the numbers
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What the sales figures actually show
In the financial year to 30 June 2024, Lotto NZ recorded record sales of $1.71 billion — up 13% on the year before. Spread across a 52-week year, that’s an average of roughly $33 million a week moving through the system.
But “average” hides a lot. Sales swing dramatically with the size of the Powerball jackpot. Lotto NZ’s chief executive attributed the record year largely to a run of big jackpots, including a $50 million Must Be Won draw and two other draws of $30 million or more. Those events spark “have you got your ticket?” conversations that pull in occasional and casual players who wouldn’t otherwise buy.
Translating dollars into “tickets” is imprecise anyway, because a ticket can cost anywhere from $2.80 to $28 or more. A quiet $4 million week and a record jackpot week aren’t remotely comparable in volume — which is exactly why a single weekly ticket number would be misleading. For what those tickets cost, see our guide to Lotto ticket prices in NZ.
How many people play
While ticket counts aren’t published, participation is well studied through national health and gambling surveys.
From New Zealand health and gambling surveys.Who plays: participation snapshot
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Buying Lotto is consistently the single most popular form of gambling in New Zealand. Surveys have found that around two-thirds of adults gambled in some form in the previous year — 67% in the 2018 Health and Lifestyles Survey, and about 64% in the 2023/24 New Zealand Gambling Survey — with Lotto the most common activity by a clear margin. The MyLotto app is also the country’s most common form of online gambling.
Importantly, the picture is one of broad, light participation rather than heavy spending. Lotto NZ describes its own strategy as encouraging many New Zealanders to play, but to spend only a little. Across all gambling types, about 0.5% of adults are classed as problem gamblers, with roughly 2.4% at moderate risk or higher.
Retail versus online
One of the biggest shifts in recent years is where those sales happen.
The split is now close to even after years of online growth.Where tickets are bought (FY2024)
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In FY2024, about 54% of sales were made in store and 46% online through MyLotto — a near-even split. That balance has moved a long way: online made up roughly 19% of sales in 2018/19, about 38% by late 2020, and 46% by FY2024. On a big Saturday, the central system is handling a huge volume of online transactions right up to the 7:30 pm cut-off. Our page on playing Lotto online explains how MyLotto works, and has anyone won Lotto online in NZ covers the confirmed digital wins.
The retail network remains substantial — around 1,178 authorised outlets nationwide, mostly independent dairies, bookshops and supermarket counters that earn a commission on sales. In 2025, Lotto NZ also completed a major project to replace its core gaming system, upgrading the technology behind both in-store and online play.
Where the money goes
Every dollar of sales feeds a transparent, audited pipeline.
Across a full year, roughly 54% goes back to players as prizes, about 25% to the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board, 12% to taxes, duties and levies, 5% to operating costs, and 4% to retailer commissions and MyLotto fees (FY2024 figures, rounded). Because Lotto NZ is a state-owned Crown entity, 100% of its net profit goes to the Grants Board — a record $434 million in FY2024, and more than $6 billion since 1987 — which funds Sport NZ, Creative NZ, the NZ Film Commission and thousands of community organisations. Our guide on who owns Lotto NZ covers this structure in full.
Why jackpots drive the numbers
The clearest pattern in the data is that demand tracks the jackpot. During a base-level $4 million week, sales follow a gentle, predictable curve. During a long rollover approaching the cap, they surge — more casual buyers, more workplace syndicates, and long queues (and online waiting rooms) in the final hour before the cut-off.
This is worth understanding about your own behaviour, too. Big-jackpot media coverage is precisely when people who don’t normally play tend to spend more than they intended. The odds of the top prize don’t improve because the jackpot is large — see our round-up of the biggest Lotto wins in NZ for how rare those wins really are.
Keeping it in proportion
The fact that most of the country plays doesn’t make a ticket a smart financial move. Lotto is designed as low-cost entertainment, not an investment or a way to solve money problems.
A sensible approach is the one Lotto NZ itself promotes: play a little, not a lot. Set a weekly amount before the jackpot is announced and keep it fixed; don’t buy extra lines just because a jackpot has rolled over; and only ever spend money that’s surplus to rent, bills and essentials. Online accounts let you set a hard spending limit, and if it ever stops feeling like fun, free and confidential support is available at any hour.
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 games are games of chance with a negative expected return. Sales figures, participation data and rules change, and some statistics are estimates — always confirm the current details with Lotto New Zealand at mylotto.co.nz before relying on anything here.
You must be 18 or over to buy or claim 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.
Sources used to research and fact-check this article. Last checked 13 August 2026.Reference sources
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FAQ
How many Lotto tickets are sold each week in NZ?
There’s no official weekly ticket count — Lotto NZ reports sales in dollars, not tickets. Total sales were $1.71 billion in FY2024, an average of roughly $33 million a week, though the figure swings dramatically with the size of the Powerball jackpot.
What are Lotto NZ’s total annual sales?
A record $1.71 billion in the year to 30 June 2024, up 13% on the previous year, driven largely by a run of big Powerball jackpots.
How many New Zealanders play Lotto?
Buying Lotto is the most popular form of gambling in New Zealand. National surveys have found around two-thirds of adults gambled in some form in the past year, with Lotto the most common activity by a wide margin.
Do more people buy tickets online or in store now?
It’s close to even. In FY2024, about 54% of sales were in store and 46% online — up from roughly 19% online in 2018/19.
How much goes back to the community?
100% of Lotto NZ’s net profit goes to the Lottery Grants Board — a record $434 million in FY2024, and more than $6 billion since 1987 — funding sport, arts, film and community organisations.
Why do sales jump so much during big jackpots?
Large jackpots pull in occasional and casual players who don’t normally buy, along with workplace syndicates, so weekly sales can rise well above the baseline. The odds of winning don’t change, only the number of people playing.
Is there a limit on how much I can spend online?
Yes. MyLotto applies a rolling seven-day spending limit of $150 across all Lotto NZ games, and you can set your own limit lower.
