How to Claim a Prize

NB: This section only applies to tickets bought in one of our retail outlets. For tickets bought online with MyLotto, please refer to our MyLotto FAQ section.

Prize claims can be made by presenting your ticket for checking at a Lotto shop, or at the NZ Lotteries Wellington Office at 54-56 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington.  Lotto, Powerball, Strike, Big Wednesday, Keno and Bullseye prizes must be claimed within 12 months of the date of the draw in which the prize was won.  Instant Kiwi prizes must be claimed within 12 months of the date the game was closed – see our Last Date For Prize Claims page for individual game closing dates.

Prizes up to and including $1,000 can be paid immediately by any Lotto shop.  When your winning ticket is checked through the terminal, a tune will play (‘You’re in the money’) and the terminal screen facing you will say “Congratulations” and display the prize amount you have won.  A prize receipt will also be printed by the terminal which the Lotto operator should give to you as confirmation of your prize.

Prizes of $1,001 or more can still be checked at Lotto shops, but can only be paid by NZ Lotteries’ Wellington office. The terminal will still play a tune and print a claim receipt. Any prize of $5001 or more will show “Congratulations - Division X Winner” on the screen facing you but will not display the prize amount (for your privacy). If you claim your prize at a Lotto shop, they will assist you to fill out a NZ Lotteries’ Prize Claim Form and will provide a Fast Post envelope to send the form to Wellington. Alternatively, you can opt to travel to Wellington to collect your prize. Large prize winners often choose to travel to Wellington with their winning ticket in order to claim in person.  

Prizes can be paid either by cheque or by direct credit to your bank account. 

Important notes:

• Eftpos and credit card numbers are not bank account numbers and can not be used for direct credit prize payment.  A deposit slip is the best way to provide your correct bank account number.
• Prizes can not be paid to a syndicate group or split into payments to more than one person.  If a syndicate group wins a prize, they must nominate one member of the syndicate to complete the Prize Claim Form in their name.
• When a ticket which has won a prize of $5,001 or more is checked through a terminal at a Lotto shop, the terminal will lock and the Lotto operator will need to call NZ Lotteries immediately to unlock the terminal. This gives NZ Lotteries the chance to talk to you, the winner, as soon as you win and make a record of your prize claim.  The terminal will also lock when checking tickets which have won Lotto’s Winning Wheel, Big Wednesday’s Second Chance Draw, and Lotto promotions.
• Prizes are not paid until the Prize Claim Form and winning ticket are received at NZ Lotteries’ Wellington office.  Therefore any postal delays will affect the prize payment process.