$50 Million Powerball And $1 Million Strike Must Be Won

Powerball has rolled over to a jaw-dropping $50 million and must be won on Saturday.

In a Must Be Won draw, if there are no First Division winners the entire jackpot rolls down to the next division where there are winners – i.e. Second or Third Division. If there is more than one winner in that prize division, then the prize is shared evenly amongst all of the winners. Read more about how a Must Be Won draw works here.

“As the draw is now a Must Be Won, there is a chance that it will be split by multiple winners. In last night’s draw, 38 people won Second Division, with five of those winning Powerball. If the same happens on Saturday, the jackpot is likely to be shared by multiple winners.” says Marie Winfield, Head of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Saturday’s $50 million jackpot is the largest prize ever on offer with the game and the first time Powerball has reached a Must Be Won draw since November 2016.

This is the sixth time Powerball has reached a Must Be Won draw with a jackpot of over $30 million in the history of the game.

• In 2008, five players split the jackpot and took home $6.1 million each.
• In 2011, two players split the jackpot and took home $17.4 million each.
• In 2013, one player from Auckland took home $33 million.
• In July 2016, three players split the jackpot and took home $13.3 million each.
• In November 2016 one player from Auckland took home $44 million.

Strike Four will be $1 million this Saturday and also must be won.

“With a Powerball Must Be Won this Saturday, it’s guaranteed that one or more lucky Kiwis are going to win big – even if the prize is split.

“Whether it’s one lucky winner or more, we’re so excited that we’ll be making more New Zealanders millionaires this week!” says Marie.

Lotto NZ is expecting unprecedented demand – both in-store and online and recommends getting in early to grab your ticket!

“With Kiwis all over the country dreaming of what they could do with $50 million, Lotto NZ stores are going to be really busy the next few days. We’re also expecting high traffic to MyLotto and the Lotto NZ App. We encourage players to get in early to make sure they’re in to win!” says Marie.

Players can buy a ticket for Saturday’s $50 million Powerball draw in-store at any Lotto NZ retailer, online at MyLotto.co.nz or through the Lotto NZ App.

Like all lotteries, our games are based on a large number of people paying a small amount of money in the hope of winning a small number of large prizes. At all times Lotto NZ encourages our customers to play responsibly – this is all about having fun, being informed and knowing your limits. For more information on the tools and resources we offer, visit MyLotto.

Every year 100% of Lotto NZ’s profits go to over 3,000 great causes around New Zealand. Over the past decade, Lotto NZ returned almost $2.2 billion in profits to communities all around New Zealand. Read more about how Lotto NZ players made this possible here: A decade of making a difference

Largest Powerball wins of all time

© Scoop Media