“However, the extra four balls will mean the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot will lengthen from 1 in 38.4 million per line to 1 in 53.7 million.
“That means on a Powerball ticket with 10 lines the chance of winning the big one will be 1 in 5.37 million.”
Delamore said the new Powerball Division 8 completely changes the game.
“It offers a fixed cash prize of $12, and will be won by any player who matches two Lotto numbers, the Bonus Ball and the Powerball on a line.
“The introduction of this division is expected to increase the total number of Powerball winners in an average week by around 30%, up from about 47,000 to 62,000.”
The existing fixed prize in Powerball Division 7 will lift from $15 to $20, while Divisions 2 to 6 will increase by about 45%.
“Lotteries around the world regularly enhance their games to ensure they remain fresh and appealing to customers,” Delamore said.
“These latest updates will help ensure Powerball continues to deliver the excitement our players love, while supporting sustainable returns to communities via the Lottery Grants Board.”
Lotto NZ chief innovation and product officer Ben Coney said the Government-owned lottery had considered player wellbeing when designing and introducing the changes.
“We have engaged with gambling-harm experts, treatment providers and people with lived experience to understand how the changes may affect different groups of players.
“From 13 September, every new MyLotto player will be required to actively choose a weekly spending limit instead of automatically being assigned the maximum $150 limit.
“We have also strengthened our player-wellbeing messages for high jackpots and are working with treatment providers on the placement of gambling-harm information in stores.”
Coney said customers did not need to increase their spending on Powerball.
