For anyone playing Lotto in New Zealand, two times matter most: when ticket sales close, and when the draw happens. Get the first one wrong and your ticket rolls into the next draw.
This guide covers the full schedule — the 7:30 pm cut-off, the Wednesday and Saturday draw times, and the daily games — plus what happens after the balls are drawn.
Times may vary slightly. Televised on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+.NZ lottery draw times
Game Days Draw time Lotto / Powerball / Strike Wednesday ~8:20 pm Lotto / Powerball / Strike Saturday ~8:00 pm Keno Daily 10am, 1pm, 3pm, 6pm Bullseye Daily 6:00 pm
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The 7:30 pm cut-off
The single most important time to remember is the sales cut-off. Ticket sales for Lotto, Powerball and Strike close at 7:30 pm on Wednesday and Saturday, and that time is the same everywhere in the country and on every channel — in store or on MyLotto.
The cut-off is set centrally by Lotto NZ, not by individual shops, so staff can’t override it and there’s no grace period. If you reach the counter (or tap “buy” on the app) after 7:30 pm, the terminal will still sell you a ticket — but it goes into the next draw, not that night’s. For where to buy in person, see our guide on finding Lotto near me.
The draw times
The main draw is held twice a week and broadcast on TVNZ 1 (and TVNZ+).
On Wednesdays the draw airs at around 8:20 pm, and on Saturdays at around 8:00 pm. These times can vary slightly depending on the television schedule, but sales always close at 7:30 pm regardless. Strike is drawn as part of the same event, using the first four main balls.
If you miss the live broadcast, there’s no need to worry — the winning numbers are published straight after the draw, a replay goes up on TVNZ+, and you can check any time afterwards.
How the draws are kept fair
The draw itself is a tightly controlled process, which is what lets millions of players trust the result.
Every draw — televised or not — is independently scrutineered.How the draws are kept fair
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All draws take place at the TVNZ studios in Auckland, and independent scrutineers from Audit New Zealand are present at every draw — including the daily games that aren’t televised. Before the live draw, there’s a technical rehearsal using unnumbered balls, followed by a full dress rehearsal with numbered balls. Lotto NZ uses two draw machines, and the machines and ball sets are kept behind double-locked doors between draws. A machine and ball set are selected before the draw so no one can predict which equipment will be used.
What happens after the draw
Two different pieces of information are released at different times, which trips people up.
Numbers first, then a wait for the winning locations. The winning numbers, the number of winners and prize details are shared on draw night. Once results are processed, scan a paper ticket in the MyLotto app or check online. Online entries are checked automatically. Lotto NZ now holds off revealing which store sold a winning ticket until 11 am the following day, giving players time to check first.What happens after the draw
Numbers & prizes announced
Check your ticket
Winning locations released
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On draw night you’ll see the winning numbers, the number of winners, and prize details. But Lotto NZ now holds off revealing where winning tickets were sold until 11 am the following day. This is a deliberate recent change: it lets players check their own tickets first, before the winning store locations become public.
For checking your ticket that evening, the results are available once processing finishes — a paper ticket can be scanned in the MyLotto app, and online entries are checked automatically. Our Lotto scanner guide covers how scanning works, and the Lotto results page carries the numbers after each draw. MyLotto also has overnight maintenance hours, so the platform isn’t available in the early hours of the morning.
The daily games: Keno and Bullseye
Beyond the twice-weekly draws, two games run every day.
Keno is drawn four times a day, at 10 am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm, giving several chances to play throughout the day. Bullseye, where you pick a six-digit number, is drawn once daily at 6 pm, with results available shortly after. Neither is televised — their results are published online. Because draw times can occasionally change, it’s worth confirming the current times on MyLotto.
Beating the pre-draw rush
As jackpots climb past $20 or $30 million, large numbers of people log on at once in the final hour, which can slow things down. A few simple habits avoid the crunch:
Buy earlier in the day or the day before rather than at 7:29 pm. Use the multi-draw option to enter up to 10 consecutive draws at once, so you don’t have to buy twice a week. And if you play online, keeping your MyLotto wallet topped up avoids card-verification delays right on the deadline. For how online play works, see our Lotto online page.
What if the jackpot isn’t struck tonight
If no ticket wins Powerball First Division, the prize pool rolls over to the next draw — a Saturday rollover moves to Wednesday, and a Wednesday rollover to the following Saturday. That’s how the jackpot builds over successive weeks.
It can’t roll over forever, though. Once the Powerball pool reaches its cap, a Must Be Won draw is declared: if nobody wins First Division that night, the pool rolls down and is shared among winners of the next division that has any, which is how a single draw can create several millionaires at once.
One change to note: from 13 September 2026, Powerball’s cap rises from $50 million to $60 million and the starting jackpot from $4 million to $5 million, with four extra Powerballs added and a new Division 8. For the record jackpots this has produced, see our biggest Lotto wins in NZ round-up.
Playing responsibly
Big rollovers and live draws build excitement, which is exactly when it helps to keep spending in proportion. The odds of the top prize remain very long no matter how large the jackpot, and a ticket is best treated as entertainment rather than an investment or a way out of financial pressure.
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. Draw times, cut-offs, caps and rules change — always confirm the current details with Lotto New Zealand at mylotto.co.nz before acting 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
What time do Lotto ticket sales close in NZ?
Sales for Lotto, Powerball and Strike close at 7:30 pm on Wednesday and Saturday, nationwide and on every channel. After 7:30 pm, any ticket you buy goes into the next draw.
What time is the Lotto draw?
The main draw airs on TVNZ 1 at around 8:20 pm on Wednesdays and around 8:00 pm on Saturdays. These times can vary slightly with the TV schedule, but the 7:30 pm sales cut-off is fixed.
Can I check my ticket straight after the draw?
Results are available once processing finishes shortly after the draw. You can scan a paper ticket in the MyLotto app, and online entries are checked automatically.
Why don’t I find out which store sold the winning ticket on draw night?
Lotto NZ now holds off revealing winning store locations until 11 am the following day, so players have time to check their own tickets first. The winning numbers and prize details are still released on draw night.
What times are Keno and Bullseye drawn?
Keno is drawn four times a day, at 10 am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm. Bullseye is drawn once daily at 6 pm. Neither is televised; results are published online.
What happens if nobody wins the jackpot?
The Powerball pool rolls over to the next draw. Once it reaches the cap, a Must Be Won draw is called — if no one wins First Division, the pool rolls down and is shared among winners of the next division. From 13 September 2026 the cap rises from $50 million to $60 million.
Can I buy tickets in advance so I don’t miss a draw?
Yes. A multi-draw ticket enters the same numbers into up to 10 consecutive draws, so you don’t have to buy before each one.
