30 Millionaires Made in Three Months

Lotteries Commission Reports Best Ever Quarterly Sales

30 Millionaires Made in Three Months

The New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZLC) had its best sales ever in the first quarter of its 2003/04 financial year, Chief Executive Trevor Hall announced today.

Mr Hall, who took over as CEO of NZLC in February 2003, says sales of Lotto, Instant Kiwi and Daily Keno totalled $175.4 million for the three months to the end of September 2003, the best quarterly figure in NZLC's 16-year history.

"Overall, we were $42.6 million (32%) up on budget and $44.4 million (34%) ahead of the same time last year," Trevor Hall said.

"During this quarter we've made 30 millionaires, given away 10 Holden Monaros and 30 Sony Home Entertainment systems. That's an average of more than two millionaires a week for 12 weeks - something we've never even been close to before.

"The key drivers of sales were a successful Holden Monaro promotion which fuelled Powerball which then jackpotted to a record $19 million. This created a jackpot fever that gripped the nation before the Must Be Won week where the jackpot was shared by 14 Division Two ticket holders who each became overnight millionaires.

"The impact of the jackpot is shown by total product sales for the week it was struck, a record $28.7 million. This result was bolstered by the ongoing success we are having with special promotions associated with our Lotto suite of products.

"Our Instant Kiwi and Daily Keno products have also been performing well.

"We're operating in a highly competitive market and the battle for the consumers' discretionary dollar is fierce, but we have a strategy we're starting to execute and I'm confident that we can continue to build the business.

"I can promise our customers that we are entering a very exciting time as we begin to roll out plans for new and improved games and player services.

"And, given we're solely in the business of making money to be used to fund good causes in New Zealand, this is good news for the whole community," said Mr Hall.

"All our profits - 20 cents in every dollar we make - are distributed via the Lottery Grants Board and we're a huge funder of artists, sportspeople and filmmakers through the organisations that fund these activities, as well as the hundreds of community groups that people are more familiar with us supporting," says Mr Hall.

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