Claiming New Zealand Powerball prizes is easy. You just need to make sure you come forward to receive your winnings within 12 months of the draw date. Once a year has passed, NZ Powerball tickets are valid and prizes cannot be redeemed. Any unclaimed money is returned to the New Zealand Lottery and used for the prize pool in future promotions.
Find out how to claim prizes below, depending on how much you have won and whether you played online or in a retail store.
If you play online, you have the security of knowing that your numbers are stored safely in their digital account, and that they will be checked automatically after a draw.
Prizes of up to $1,000 will be automatically paid into your online account. For larger amounts, you will be contacted by email and instructed to complete an online claim form. You will be guided through the rest of the process if it is a major win, but generally you can still expect your prize to be paid into your nominated bank account within three days of the claim form being received.
If you buy a ticket at a retail outlet, it is your responsibility to keep it safe and then remember to check it after the draw takes place. The easiest way to claim is to go back to a Lotto NZ outlet, and in most cases they will be able to pay out the prize straight away.
For prizes worth more than $1,000, you can still visit a retailer. You won’t be given your money there and then, but the Lotto NZ outlet can help to process your win. You will just need to hand over your winning ticket and a claim form, while you’ll also need to have a copy of your bank account details.
As Lotto NZ is required to keep all winning tickets, you may wish to make a copy to keep it for your own records. The retailer will send your ticket and claim form off to head office for payment.
The address of Lotto New Zealand’s head office is shown below:
Physical address: 73 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland 1050
Postal address: PO Box 8929, Newmarket, Auckland 1149
Phone: +64 9 356 3685 or 0800 695 6886
If you win a big New Zealand Powerball prize, you have the right to stay anonymous so that your name is never revealed publicly. If you stay private, it is recommended that you decide quickly how many people you want to tell, and visit a financial adviser to discuss your new position. Over the first few months, you may wish to come up with a financial plan for what you want to do with the money and how you want to proceed. Lotto New Zealand can help to point you in the direction of experts.
There is no tax directly on prize money, but if you land a big win you will have to pay tax on any interest that comes from the money. Using a financial adviser can help you to understand how you might be impacted.
