The dream of a big Lotto win is alive and well in Dunedin.
An official Information Act request revealed nearly $70 million was spent in Dunedin to play Lotto and Big Wednesday between 2013 and 2017.
During the five-year period, the most money was spent last year - $15.96 million.
More money has been spent on Lotto tickets in Dunedin since Big Wednesday was retired in September 2015.
Lotto NZ spokeswoman Kirsten Robinson said Big Wednesday was replaced with Lotto, Powerball and Strike because customers wanted bigger jackpots and more chances to win.
"We believed that we could create a simpler, more enjoyable game by running Lotto, Powerball and Strike on Wednesday, as well as Saturday.''
The change allowed the Powerball jackpot to grow faster and created more winners across the country, she said.
On average, every dollar invested in Lotto in Dunedin last year returned 28 cents.
In August 2016, a ticket bought in Dunedin won a $13.3 million jackpot in Powerball.
A week later, a first-division Lotto ticket bought in Dunedin won $333,333.
A Lotto syndicate of 10 women, established in Dunedin in 2012, won a $30 million Powerball prize in September last year.
The 10 women started their syndicate in 2012 after becoming friends while working in a Dunedin dental clinic.
Every week the women, aged in their 50s and 60s, each put in $2 and bought a $20 lucky dip. Some of the women now lived outside Dunedin and the winning ticket was bought in Taupo.
When The Star visited the Dunedin dental clinic recently, a staff member declined to reveal if any of the women remained working there after collecting the big win.
Instant Kiwi loss better than NZ average
Instant Kiwi players in Dunedin lost more than they won last year, but the loss was better than the national average.
An Official Information Act request to Lotto NZ revealed $3.72 million was spent on Instant Kiwi tickets in Dunedin last year and $2.88 million was won.
More than 77% of Instant Kiwi sales in Dunedin last year was paid as prizes.
Of the $145.16 million spent on Instant Kiwi tickets in New Zealand last year, $98.83 million was won - a 68% return.
A Lotto NZ spokeswoman said that historically, about 68% of Instant Kiwi sales in New Zealand was paid as prizes.
Factors influencing the amount paid each year in Instant Kiwi prizes included the range of games available in any given year, the odds of winning on individual games and when players chose to claim their winnings, as Instant Kiwi prizes could be claimed up to 12 months from the close of the game.
Lotto NZ funds Dunedin projects
Losing Lotto NZ tickets still result in wins for Dunedin projects. Lotto NZ profits are distributed by the Lottery Grants Board through a range of lottery funds.
A board spokesman said the Otago/Southland Lottery Community Committee distributed about $2.6 million to organisations in the South in the 2017-18 financial year.
Lottery community grants are available for not-for-profit organisations with a community or social service focus for ongoing operating costs, or projects, that help improve the quality of people's lives.
Dunedin organisations receiving community grants in the latest financial year include:
• Greater Green Island Community Network Charitable Trust, which received $115,343 towards developing a recreational area.
• Dunedin Riding for the Disabled, which received $149,790 to install a canopy over its main riding arena.
• Lottery Environment and Heritage provides grants for plans, reports and one-off projects that protect, conserve and promote New Zealand's natural, cultural and physical heritage.
Dunedin organisations receiving grants in the latest financial year include:
• Dunedin City Council, which received $138,000 towards the upgrade of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery's painting archive.
• Landscape Connections Trust, which received $55,319 towards the implementation of a three-year predator-control project.
SHAWN.MCAVINUE @thestar.co.nz
