Strike is an optional New Zealand Lotto game in which you try to match the first four Lotto numbers drawn, in their exact drawn positions. It is run by Lotto New Zealand and costs $1 per line, either added to a Lotto or Powerball ticket or played on its own. Because the order of the numbers matters, Strike is harder to win than the main Lotto game, but the top prize is a fixed jackpot that can grow into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. This guide explains how Strike works, the four prize divisions and their odds, how the jackpot grows and is capped, where to check each draw’s results, and the common mistakes players make.
Quick Facts
| Game | Lotto Strike (add-on or standalone) |
| Operator | Lotto New Zealand (Crown entity) |
| Cost | $1 per line |
| Numbers chosen | 4 numbers from 1 to 40 |
| How you win | Match the first four Lotto balls in their exact drawn positions |
| Draw days | Wednesday and Saturday (with the main Lotto draw) |
| Top division | Strike 4 — odds about 1 in 2,193,360 |
| Jackpot range | $200,000 minimum up to a $1.5 million Must Be Won cap |
| Where to check | MyLotto, the Lotto NZ app and authorised retailers |
| Minimum age | 18+ |
What is Strike in New Zealand Lotto?
Strike is a separate game that rides on the same draw as Lotto. Instead of choosing six numbers, you pick four numbers from 1 to 40, and your goal is to match the first four balls drawn in the main Lotto draw in the exact order they come out. Lotto New Zealand, the Crown entity that runs the country’s official lottery games under the Gambling Act 2003, introduced Strike in 1993 as a fast, high-variance add-on to the standard Lotto game.
The key word is order. In the main Lotto game you win by matching numbers in any order. In Strike, the position counts: your first number has to match the first ball drawn, your second number has to match the second ball, and so on. That single rule is what makes Strike both much harder to win and more rewarding when you do.
How does Strike work?
Strike works by comparing your four chosen numbers against the first four winning numbers from the Lotto draw, position by position. You can let the terminal pick your numbers at random with a Quick Pick, or choose them yourself. Each draw produces one set of “Strike winning numbers” — the first four balls drawn, in the order they appeared — and every Strike line is checked against them.
How are the winning Strike numbers decided?
The winning Strike numbers are simply the first four balls drawn in the Lotto draw, read in drawn order. Lotto draws are made with a certified mechanical draw machine, so each number is random and independent. There is no separate Strike draw; the game reuses the main Lotto balls, which is why a single draw can produce Lotto, Powerball and Strike results at the same time.
A worked example of a Strike result
Say the first four balls in a Lotto draw come out as 7, 22, 3 and 40, in that order. A Strike line of 7, 22, 3, 40 matches all four in position and wins Strike 4. A line of 7, 22, 9, 15 matches the first two positions only and wins Strike 2. A line of 40, 3, 22, 7 contains the exact same four numbers as the jackpot line but in the wrong order, so it matches no positions and wins nothing. That last case is the trap that catches players who are used to the main Lotto game’s any-order rule.
How much does it cost to play Strike?
Strike costs $1 per line. If you add Strike to a Lotto ticket, each Strike line is an extra $1 on top of the Lotto line price, so a single standard Lotto line with Strike added works out dearer than a plain line. If you want the full breakdown of what each component costs, see the guide to Lotto ticket prices in NZ, which covers lines, Powerball and Strike together.
Can you play Strike on its own?
Yes. Strike can be added to any Lotto or Powerball ticket, or bought as a standalone game for $1 per line without buying a Lotto entry. Playing Strike on its own still uses the same first four Lotto balls to decide the result, so a standalone Strike ticket is checked against exactly the same winning numbers as a Strike line added to a full ticket.
Strike prize divisions and odds
Strike has four prize divisions, numbered by how many of the first four numbers you match in the correct position. The more numbers you match in order, the higher the division and the larger the prize. The odds below are per line for a single $1 Strike entry.
Prize Divisions
| Division | What you must match | Odds (per line) | Typical prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strike 4 | All four numbers in exact position | 1 in 2,193,360 | Jackpot: $200,000 up to $1.5 million |
| Strike 3 | Any three numbers in exact position | 1 in 15,232 | Around $668 on average |
| Strike 2 | Any two numbers in exact position | 1 in 274 | Around $67 on average |
| Strike 1 | Any one number in exact position | 1 in 11 | A fixed bonus line (free play) |
Odds and average prize values are per $1 line. Jackpot figures reflect Lotto New Zealand’s published Strike 4 minimum and $1.5 million cap.
A crucial detail that older guides get wrong: every Strike division is decided by position, not just by how many numbers appear somewhere in the first four. Strike 3, for example, means three of your numbers sit in the same positions as three of the first four drawn balls — not simply that three of your numbers turn up anywhere among them. The same position rule applies all the way down to Strike 1.
How the Strike 4 jackpot grows and the $1.5 million cap
The Strike 4 jackpot starts at a minimum of $200,000 and rolls over to the next draw whenever nobody matches all four numbers in order. Each rollover adds to the prize, so the jackpot climbs draw by draw until it is either won or reaches its ceiling. The maximum is $1.5 million, a cap Lotto New Zealand raised from $1 million in July 2024.
Because Strike 4 is a fixed jackpot rather than a share of a pool, the published figure is what a single winning line takes home. When two or more tickets match Strike 4 in the same draw, the jackpot is shared equally between them. The long odds mean rollovers are common, which is why Strike 4 frequently sits in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What is a Strike “Must Be Won” draw?
A Strike Must Be Won draw happens when the jackpot reaches the $1.5 million cap and still has not been won. In that draw the full amount must be paid out: it is offered first in Strike 4, and if no single line matches all four numbers in order, the money flows down to the next division that does have winners. The odds of actually matching Strike 4 do not change in a Must Be Won draw — only what happens to the prize money if nobody hits the top division.
How to check the latest Strike results
You can check Strike results within minutes of each Lotto draw through Lotto New Zealand’s official channels. The fastest options are the MyLotto website and the Lotto NZ app, both of which show the winning numbers, the number of winners in each division and the prize amounts. Authorised Lotto retailers can also scan and check tickets in store.
Where are Strike results published?
Official Strike results appear on MyLotto and in the Lotto NZ app straight after the draw, alongside the Lotto and Powerball results from the same draw. For a step-by-step look at scanning tickets and viewing past draws on your phone, see the guide to the MyLotto app. Only results confirmed by Lotto New Zealand are official — third-party results sites can lag or contain errors, so always verify against an official source before assuming you have won.
When are Strike draws held?
Strike is drawn with the main Lotto draw twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Sales for each draw close before the draw time on the night, so a late ticket rolls into the next draw rather than the current one. If you want exact cut-off and broadcast times, the guide to Lotto draw times in NZ sets out when each draw takes place and where to watch.
How long do you have to claim a Strike prize?
Strike prizes follow the same claim rules as other Lotto New Zealand games. Smaller prizes can be collected from retailers or paid into a MyLotto account automatically, while larger prizes are claimed directly from Lotto NZ. Tickets have a claim deadline, so do not sit on a winning ticket. Prize winnings from Lotto games in New Zealand are tax-free, as explained in the guide to whether you pay tax on Lotto winnings in NZ.
Strike numbers, patterns and the role of chance
Strike winning numbers are random because they are the first four balls of a random Lotto draw. No combination is “due” and no sequence is more likely than another; each draw is independent of the last. The odds of hitting Strike 4 stay fixed at about 1 in 2.19 million no matter what has happened in previous draws.
Some players still like to look at which numbers come up often in the main Lotto draw, since Strike relies on those same balls. Frequency data can be interesting to review — the breakdown of the most common Lotto numbers in NZ shows how often each ball has been drawn historically — but it cannot predict the next result or improve your odds. Position matters even more in Strike, and no amount of past data tells you which ball will land first.
How does Strike compare with Lotto and Powerball?
Strike, Lotto and Powerball all draw from the same set of balls but reward very different things. The main Lotto game pays out across divisions for matching numbers in any order and is the easiest of the three to win something on. Powerball adds an extra number for a much bigger jackpot. Strike sits apart: it ignores the “any order” rule entirely and pays a fixed jackpot for an exact-order match of the first four balls.
In practice this means Strike has worse odds of winning its top prize than a standard Lotto line but a simpler, fixed payout. It is an add-on rather than a replacement — most players buy it alongside a Lotto or Powerball entry. For context on how the main game’s prize structure works, the guide to Lotto divisions in New Zealand and the breakdown of the odds of winning Lotto in NZ put Strike’s chances in perspective.
Common mistakes players make with Strike
The most common mistake is misunderstanding the order rule. Many players assume Strike works like Lotto, where any-order matches win, and are surprised when four correct numbers in the wrong positions pay nothing. Keeping the position rule front of mind avoids disappointment.
- Thinking any-order counts: Strike only pays when your numbers match the drawn positions, not just appear among the first four balls.
- Confusing Strike with the Lotto result: Strike uses only the first four balls in drawn order, so the Strike result can differ completely from your Lotto result in the same draw.
- Chasing rollovers: A larger Strike 4 jackpot does not improve your odds — they stay fixed at roughly 1 in 2.19 million regardless of the prize size.
- Relying on “hot” numbers: Past frequency has no bearing on which ball is drawn first, so number-picking systems do not change the maths.
- Not checking tickets on time: Prizes must be claimed before the ticket’s deadline, and unchecked tickets are a common way winnings go unclaimed.
Who is Strike suited to?
Strike suits players who want a small, fixed-cost flutter with the chance of a large one-off payout and who understand that the odds of the top prize are long. At $1 a line it is inexpensive to add, and the fixed jackpot appeals to people who prefer a clear headline prize over the many small divisions of the main game. It is not a strategy game: there is no skill, no pattern and no way to improve your chances beyond buying more lines, which also increases what you spend. Treated as entertainment with a set budget, Strike is a simple extra; treated as an investment, it is a losing proposition for the overwhelming majority of players. A useful rule of thumb is to decide how much you are willing to spend before you buy, count it as the cost of the entertainment rather than a stake you expect back, and stop there regardless of whether the jackpot has rolled over.
Responsible Gambling
This article is for information only and is not advice to gamble. Lotto Strike is a game of chance with a fixed house edge; no system, number-picking method or pattern analysis improves your odds, and the top prize remains roughly a 1 in 2.19 million chance every draw. You must be 18 or over to buy Lotto products in New Zealand. Only ever play with money you can afford to lose, and never try to chase losses.
If gambling is causing harm to you or someone you know, free, confidential support is available in New Zealand. Contact the Gambling Helpline on 0800 654 655 or text 8006, or reach out to the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you win Strike in New Zealand?
You win Strike by matching the first four Lotto numbers drawn in their exact drawn positions. Matching all four in order wins Strike 4, the jackpot. Matching three, two or one number in the correct position wins Strike 3, Strike 2 or Strike 1 respectively. Numbers in the wrong position do not count.
How much is the Strike jackpot in NZ?
The Strike 4 jackpot starts at a minimum of $200,000 and rolls over each draw it is not won, up to a maximum of $1.5 million. When it reaches that cap and is still not won, a Must Be Won draw pays the full amount out, either to a Strike 4 winner or down to the next division with winners.
What are the odds of winning Strike 4?
The odds of winning Strike 4 are about 1 in 2,193,360 per line. The lower divisions are easier: roughly 1 in 15,232 for Strike 3, 1 in 274 for Strike 2 and 1 in 11 for Strike 1. These odds are fixed and do not change with the jackpot size.
Can you play Strike without buying a Lotto ticket?
Yes. Strike can be played on its own for $1 per line without a Lotto entry, or added to any Lotto or Powerball ticket. Either way, the result is decided by the first four balls of the same Lotto draw, read in drawn order.
Do you pay tax on Strike winnings in NZ?
No. Strike prizes, like other Lotto New Zealand winnings, are tax-free in New Zealand. You keep the full prize amount. Any income you later earn by investing those winnings, however, is taxable in the normal way.
