Lotto NZ is holding back one piece of information after each draw — and it's the one that usually sends everyone scrambling for their tickets.
From Wednesday July 8, the locations where winning tickets were sold will no longer be published on draw night. Players will still get the winning numbers, prize amounts and the number of winners on the night itself, but the where — the detail that tells you whether your local dairy or supermarket sold a division one ticket — won't land until 11am the following morning.
The change applies to all Lotto, Powerball and Strike draws, which run every Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto NZ head of corporate communications Will Hine says it comes down to player feedback. "Players have told us they value having time to check their tickets themselves before seeing where winning tickets were sold," Hine said.
The logic is straightforward enough. If you know a winning Powerball ticket was sold at a store in Invercargill, you've essentially had the suspense spoiled before you've even dug your ticket out of your wallet. Delaying that detail by a few hours gives players a chance to find out for themselves first.
"Part of the excitement of playing Lotto is checking your own numbers and we want our players to have the chance to enjoy that experience," Hine said. "In a world where everything is getting faster and information is always at our fingertips, we're taking the opportunity to slow things down a bit for the benefit of our players."
Hine added the approach replicates one already used during past Powerball Must Be Won draws, so it's not entirely new territory.
Nothing changes about how or when players can check their own tickets. That process stays exactly as it is.
"This change gives players a wider window to see if they're a big winner, while ensuring all key prize information continues to be available on draw night," Hine said.
In short: Wednesday night you'll know if someone won and how much. Thursday morning at 11am you'll find out if it was someone at your local Four Square.