Powerball’s $30 million jackpot – the biggest prize we’ve seen so far in 2026 – went unclaimed in Saturday night’s draw and now rolls over to Wednesday, the 22nd of July. No winning ticket matched Powerball First Division on the 18th of July, but one lucky player did win $1 million in Lotto First Division.
The draw was one of the most heavily-anticipated of the last few years, with the Herald reporting Lotto NZ had expected around 1.25 million tickets to be sold. Corporate communications manager Sarah McCormack urged restraint from punters chasing the pot: “So spend only a little – it takes only one ticket to win!”
One New Millionaire From First Division
While the big jackpot continues to be up for grabs, Saturday’s draw still made a lucky Kiwi a millionaire through Lotto First Division, with results site LottoDraw recording more than $36.5 million in total prizes paid across all games in draw 2604.
It shows a pretty busy week for Lotto NZ: in Wednesday’s draw, for example, two First Division winners collected $500,000 each – one from Night ‘n Day on Taranaki Street in Wellington, the other via MyLotto in Christchurch – while 21 Second Division players won $17,028 each.
Biggest Prize Pool of 2026
The current jackpot has been building for the best part of a month, and it’s now the largest of the year – easily topping the $28.6 million an Ashburton family won in June, all from a $7.50 ticket they had played with the same numbers for years.
The single biggest Powerball prize in New Zealand, however, remains the one worth just over $44 million from August 2024, and this was claimed through MyLotto in Auckland.
While Powerball is capped, the “must-be-won” limit is well above the current levels, so if the roll continues, the pot on offer midweek – tomorrow – is expected to grow once again. As of now, Lotto NZ hasn’t confirmed Wednesday’s advertised jackpot, but it’s sure to be an eye-catcher, and we wish everyone playing, good luck!
Alex Smith is the lead editor and writer at DashTickets, specializing in online casino and sports betting content for New Zealand players. With over 12 years of iGaming experience, including a tenure as Head of Editorial at Casinomeister, Alex is renowned for his accurate, fair, and player-first writing style. His in-depth reviews and guides provide clear, trustworthy information to help readers make confident decisions.
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