What Happens If I Win Lotto NZ? The Claim Process, Step by Step

First: check, carefully

If you think you've won, check the draw first - on the MyLotto app, at a retailer, or on a results page like ours. Then double-check. Ticket mix-ups happen, and the only ticket that counts is the one matching the official result.

How prizes are paid, by size

• $1,000 or less (MyLotto): credited to your account automatically. Nothing to do.
• Over $1,000 (MyLotto): complete an online prize claim form and verify your account details.
• Physical tickets: take the original ticket to a Lotto retailer (smaller prizes) or contact Lotto NZ directly for Division 1 wins.

How long do you have?

Prizes must be claimed within 12 months of the draw. After that, unclaimed prize money is redirected to Lotto NZ's community funding (Te Puna Tahua) - so don't sit on a winning ticket.

Can you stay anonymous?

In New Zealand, winners are not required to go public. You can claim privately, and Lotto NZ does not publish your identity. (They do announce winning stores and regions, so the neighbourhood may guess - but your name stays out of it.)

What should you actually do first?

Sign the back of a physical ticket and keep it somewhere safe. If it's a big win, take your time before doing anything - and get professional advice on what to do next. Plenty of winners have wished they'd waited.

The money is tax-free and paid as a lump sum, so the practical side is simple. The emotional side - that's the part worth slowing down for.