This Saturday, there’s a record-breaking $55 million Powerball jackpot – and it must be won.
The big question is – will one lucky player take it all, or will the prize be shared among several winners?
In a Must Be Won draw, if there is no Division 1 Powerball winner, the jackpot rolls down to the next division where there are winners.
There have been 12 Must Be Won draws in Lotto NZ history, and seven of those have been shared by multiple winners.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if this jackpot went the same way,” says Lotto NZ Head of Corporate Communications, Will Hine.
“The last three big $50 million Must Be Won draws were all shared – and that’s great because we know so many people benefitted,” says Hine.
The most recent $50 million Must Be Won draw was in June 2024.
The jackpot rolled down to Second Division, and seven lucky players each took home $7.18 million. Over a year on, we caught up with a few of them to see how life has changed since that unforgettable night.
One winner said, “we’ve paid off our mortgage, and helped family and friends with theirs, and bought a couple of new cars.”
“We haven’t managed to tick anything off the bucket list yet,” they said, “but the list is ready, and we’ll be starting that in the new year.”
Another said the most extravagant thing they’ve done was a shopping spree overseas, but day-to-day life hasn’t changed much.
“We still check prices before buying things – that’s not going to change.”
They all agreed the first year felt surreal, full of decisions and ‘pinch me’ moments.
“Seeing how much interest the first term deposit earned us – we just couldn’t believe it,” one winner shared.
Their advice for Saturday’s winners?
“Don’t let it change you,” and “make sure you’re confident in the team you build around you – you have to trust they are giving you good advice.”
Hine says hearing these stories is one of the best parts of his job.
“It’s fantastic to hear how our lucky winners from last year’s Must Be Won lives have changed, and how they’ve been able to help those around them.”
With $55 million on the line, many New Zealanders will be grabbing a ticket for their chance to win, but Hine says players should stay informed on the odds and not spend more than they can afford.
“You don’t need to purchase more than one ticket to be in the draw, and a $6 ticket will enable you to do that. It’s all about playing a little and dreaming a lot.
“Even with a jackpot this huge, the odds of winning Powerball remain very small at 1 in 38.3 million per line.”
