The luckiest places in New Zealand

Online slot wins

Microgaming’s Mega Moolah is a simple slot game, yet it attracts people due to the juicy jackpot it offers. The game is popular worldwide, with a habit of declaring Kiwi players as winners. In 2013, one NZ player struck gold during the bonus game, taking home NZ$943.971 as a prize. The New Zealand luck struck again in 2016 when Rawiri Paw, a humble Auckland KFC employee, tempted his luck at the game, and one simple spin landed him a jackpot win worth NZ$10,144.395.82.Another New Zealand player struck gold on the same slot machine in 2018 and walked away with a generous NZ$8 million pot prize.

Land Based Casino Wins

New Zealand offers many land casinos where 18+ players can enjoy both pokies and table games for the chance to win big. One lucky player visiting the Christchurch Casino Players Club landed a mega win, taking home a lucrative NZ$450,000 in a prize draw, another testament that gambling awards big, even if not playing jackpot games. Whilst we go to land-based sites for the free drinks and free canapes, Kiwis are indeed marking their territory in the landbased New Zealand scene.

Big Wins by split by Regions

Lotteries, jackpots or million-dollar powerballs, New Zealand players tempt their luck via anything. The good news is that New Zealand gambling legislation allows players to bet on sports, online, landbased and even lotteries.

Through the years, many Kiwis have been graced with some major wins, wins that could see you upgrade your humble apartment into mega mansions, with even some extra millions available for renovations.Here are some of the biggest gambling wins in New Zealand gambling history, potentially mapping your next gambling destination. Auckland? Christchurch? You choose,we’ll follow.

Auckland

Auckland is sometimes dubbed the ‘City of Sails’ for having an abundance of sailing boats. Apart from having boats, the city seems to be one of the luckiest places to be if you happen to love gambling. In 2013, one super lucky Aucklandlander won a hefty NZ$33 million at a lotto draw, turning Auckland into one of the luckiest places to be in New Zealand. In recent years, that record was toppled by one lucky Hibiscus Coast couple who hit the Powerball and won a whopping NZ$44,066,667.

Luck was bestowed on Auckland again in 2017 when two winning tickets hit a NZ$38 million jackpot. The amount was split between 2 punters, with both taking home NZ$19 each. Not bad for a random November Powerball!

Auckland is also home to some of the most visited and celebrated land-based casinos in the world: SkyCity Casino (also online). The casino offers weekend experiences to players, with a variety of leisure and gaming packages available. One lucky poker player who visited SkyCity with her husband turned a NZ$35 Poker wager into a NZ$1.1 million payout. Luck or skill?Can we agree that it is a blend of both?

And finally, fast forward to 2025, where the Auckland luck strikes again. Another lucky duo taking home a cool NZ$1 million on a Wednesday. Whilst another hopeful, received a call from Lotto NZ, advising that a lost ticket won her NZ$500,000. Good thing the winning ticket was tucked away in a handbag at home! Potentially, that winning ticket could buy one a sailing boat and join the elite of Auckland's City of Sails phenomenon.

Masterton (Wairarapa Region)

Imagine going to work on a Wednesday morning and becoming a millionaire in the evening. Would you quit your job, or would you report to work as usual the next day?These are the questions we envision one super lucky Masterton player asked himself when winning a NZ$36.9 million via the Big Wednesday jackpot.

Christchurch

Christchurch is deemed as one of the most mesmerizing places in New Zealand. This is the place where Lord of the Rings was filmed after all. Whilst the gem of a city is always remembered fondly for its beauty, it is also regarded as one of the luckiest gambling cities in the world.

In 2020 a super lucky punter placed a bet on the Melbourne Cup (Horse Racing). Little did he know that his NZ$30 wager would earn him a $1.16 million win. This translates into a whopping NZ$38,939.50 for each dollar that he bet. How cool is that?

Luck did not end there for Christchurch players, with one lucky family also scoring big in 2025. The fortunate Kiwis spent a small NZ$5 on their very first lotto ticket. Hopes of starting a future, building on dreams and paying off debt. The family won a chunky NZ$18.3 million, and we are pretty sure their future is indeed sorted, at least money wise.

Greyhound bets turned into a million dollar win...

Going to races is a pastime for many punters across the world. Horses and greyhounds gather ample eyeballs on races, with many players wagering on top racers. One punter placed a modest NZ$30 bet at a local betting outlet in Howick, resulting in an astonishing NZ$776,315.80 win. The bet was placed on various greyhounds with a combined odd of 25,887.19x. This meant that his winning bet would have been multiplied by 30x making his stake of one the biggest wins in New Zealand greyhound betting history. Go Greyhounds!

Other punters are not so lucky when it comes to beautiful dogs. An Arlington local placed NZ$40,000 on 3 dogs, with a potential win of NZ$260.000. Unfortunately, one of the greyhounds in the betting slip placed second, turning one’s potential dreams into smoke. Another reason we advocate for knowing your betting arena, building a betting strategy and always keeping a close eye to you well-earned bankroll.

Luckiest place to win in New Zealand

The current gambling arena in New Zealand is a promising one. Races and lotteries happen weekly, with many land based sites also available for punters to enjoy top table games and more. Still, we envisage that the introduction of new gambling sites will offer a wider platform for gamblers to enjoy. Let’s just hope luck is on their side, just like the lucky winners we mentioned in this article.

From our fieldwork and digging deep into the biggest wins and luckiest locations to live and win, Waikato has made it to the top of our list.From lotto wins, to powerballs to Wednesday jackpots, it is the place to be. Online, landbased or Wednesday glued to the TV for national jackpots, Waikato is a gamblers nirvana, and we are all in! Check out our map below corrected per capita.

This report compiled data from official sources and news reports, including the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (gambling expenditure reports), Lotto New Zealand communications and reputable news outlets (NZ Herald, 1News, RNZ, ODT) that have reported on regional gambling statistics and notable wins.

Final Thoughts...

A recent study commissioned by the Gaming Machine of New Zealand shows that New Zealanders gamble around NZ$650 and NZ$1,070 per annum. Not much compared to other countries. This figure is split with a portion of Kiwis enjoying the buzz of pokies, whilst others binge on lotteries and races. Online gambling in New Zealand is still a work in progress, with 15 new onlinecasinos expected to be offered a license to operate in the country. This new initiative is a stepping stone into the future, where pokies, table games and live gambling will be available to New Zealand locals.