Lotto NZ plans third weekly draw and more online gaming options

Lotto NZ wants to migrate retail players online.

New Zealand.- The Otago Daily Times has revealed that the New Zealand Lotteries Commission (Lotto NZ) is working on a new gaming system, with a view to expanding the number of digital products it offers. The company also wants to add a third weekly lottery draw.

Lotto NZ wants to migrate retail players online and has asked contractors to offer a wider selection of online gambling to better compete with international players. It has also reached an agreement to revise spending controls on online games, something that critics say would “make it easier for players to gamble”.

However, Lotto NZ has affirmed that the proposed changes are not yet definitive and some would require ministerial approval. If approved, any changes would take 18 months or more to implement. A third draw would take three to five years.

Some groups that work with people with gambling-harm related issues have raised concerns that the plan could be dangerous for middle-class people who have already struggled with the Covid-19 pandemic and its mental health effects.

However, Lotto NZ said the impact of adding another draw would be thoroughly scrutinised and that if a decision is made to go ahead with the changes, it will consult extensively with the Home Office and Health Department. It will need the approval of internal affairs minister Jan Tinetti to move forward with the proposal.