Lotto NZ

The New Zealand Lotteries Commission has operated the country's national lottery products since 1987, although it’s better known as Lotto NZ. Interestingly, it’s an autonomous Crown entity rather than a privately owned gambling business and it’s headquarters are in Auckland.

Its games are sold through an extensive retail network alongside the MyLotto website and app, and the Commission is overseen by a Crown-appointed board which is chaired by Tony Balfour - a position he’s held since May 2026. Jason Delamore, who joined in January 2024, currently acts as chief executive.

Now, there is an important distinction to make between Lotto NZ and the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board. While the Commission runs the lotteries and is responsible for generating revenue, the Grants Board is responsible for overseeing the distribution of net profits through the lottery grants system.

Lotto NZ's legal position is quite different from that of a commercial casino, and that’s because the Gambling Act 2003 gives the Commission its authority to conduct lotteries, while the Crown Entities Act 2004 helps to provide part of its governance framework.

Under Section 243 of the Gambling Act, the Commission can make rules for its games, but those rules need to be approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The Department of Internal Affairs (a core part of the new online casino licensing framework) also has responsibility for gambling regulation, compliance, and enforcement.

Each lottery product operates under its own set of rules, too. Lotto, Powerball, and Strike are all covered by the Lotto Rules 2025, while Keno, Bullseye, and Instant Kiwi have separate statutory instruments.

It's also worth pointing out that these rules are not simply administrative formalities. For example, in September 2026, amendments to the Powerball rules changed the number pool from 10 to 14, and they also introduced an additional prize division.

However, because Lotto NZ operates under statutory authority, there is no conventional casino licence number or expiry date, so Dash Tickets is unable to provide either.

Lotto NZ's product range covers both traditional lottery draws and instant-win games. Lotto, Powerball and Strike are perhaps its best-known products, while Keno and Bullseye provide alternative draw formats. Instant Kiwi is available through physical scratch cards and digital games.

Players can buy eligible products through authorised retailers or MyLotto, the Commission's website and mobile app, although their online platform is also capable of handling ticket checking, account management and responsible-play controls.

One important thing to keep in mind is that MyLotto is not a conventional casino brand or gambling company. Instead, it’s just a digital platform operated by the Commission - and the same then applies to individual lottery products: Lotto, Powerball, and Instant Kiwi are games, not independent operators.

Lotto NZ operates under a different regulatory framework from commercial casino businesses, but that doesn't mean it’s not accountable. The Commission is subject to statutory audits, public-sector accountability requirements and gambling oversight.

In one notable review, for example, Instant Kiwi became the subject of an investigation. The Office of the Auditor-General looked at how the Commission managed game withdrawals, prize allocations and unclaimed winnings, and while the review found no evidence that players were deliberately disadvantaged, it did identify areas where transparency and operating procedures could be improved.

Lotto NZ has also appeared in Advertising Standards Authority proceedings. Published complaints concerning its marketing in 2025 and 2026 resulted in no-further-action or not-upheld outcomes, so these weren’t true findings of advertising breaches - but they’re still notable.

Another feature of its regulatory position is a conditional exemption under New Zealand's anti-money-laundering legislation. Granted for specified MyLotto account activities, the exemption runs from 30 June 2023 until 30 June 2028. It reflects the Commission's particular operating arrangements and comes with conditions, including an obligation to report relevant changes to the Ministry of Justice.