Lotto $23m jackpot: What should you do if you win the big one?
Lotto NZ’s Powerball jackpot is $23 million tonight – giving those who enter a chance of winning big.
On Monday, it was revealed Lotto NZ wouldn’t name the location where winning tickets were sold until the morning after the draw, a change from releasing the information on the night.
How many people have won big so far this year?
Lotto NZ keeps an up-to-date online record of the yearly winners, which showed, so far in 2026, 11 people have hit the Powerball jackpot.
Meanwhile, 27 people have become millionaires through buying a ticket, and 184 prizes of more than $100,000 have been won so far this year.
A further $100,000 has been won through Instant Kiwi’s $5 50x cash multiplier.
What should you do if you win?
For those lucky enough to hit the jackpot tonight – Lotto provided advice on how to manage a life-changing win.
Shared experiences from previous winners boiled down to four major points: Think first about what to do with the money; consider privacy; get advice from professionals; and do some of the things you’ve always dreamed of.
Lotto NZ said the first thing a winner should do is make sure the money went into an interest-bearing bank account, so the money could earn interest while a winner considered what to do next.
A phone number was typically provided for a person at the winner’s bank who had experience dealing with Lotto winners – and could help in the short term with what to do.
It also said most winners told only their immediate family.
“Once most of your winnings are secured in an interest-earning account, take some time to come back down to earth before you make any bigger decisions.
“Use this time to start planning what you want to do with your money in the long term. Having a plan in place will help keep you from making too many spur-of-the-moment decisions, which could impact your future goals.”
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Lotto NZ said a sample plan could include immediate next steps, the steps in a month, three months, six months and one year.
Beyond this, it said longer term questions could include: “What have you always wanted for your life and the people around you? What are the things you value most?
“The priorities you set will ultimately be what lead you to achieve this end goal.
“Always ask yourself ‘why’ you decide to do something – this will help keep you on track when setting your priorities.
“Once you have an idea of your goals and priorities, it’s a good time to meet with your financial adviser, who can help you put them into action.”
Lotto NZ added this was just a starting point, and goals and priorities might change over time.
“It’s important to revisit and amend your plan to reflect new priorities as they emerge.”
This content is sourced from www.1news.co.nz and is shared for informational purposes only.
