The gambling industry in New Zealand is among the most well-developed in the world. There’s no denying the fact that Kiwis like to spin the reels of pokies and sit at a table where they can play blackjack or poker.
Although they’re major fans of pokies, NZ players are no strangers to trying out other games. Throughout the years, some have had more luck than others as they managed to snatch massive prizes. With that being said, we’ll share some of the biggest casino wins in the history of the country and see which people managed to have a life-changing experience.
NZ$943,971 in 2013 – Mega Moolah
We’ll start with the third biggest win, which occurred in May 2013. Interestingly enough, this marked the first time a player has won a jackpot by playing from their mobile phone. The New Zealander, who decided to remain anonymous, was playing the world’s most popular jackpot game – Mega Moolah.
After landing the Major Jackpot prize in the bonus round, he ended up snatching almost NZ$1 million. The Major Jackpot is the second-biggest jackpot in this progressive pokie. So, although he didn’t manage to suck out the biggest prize in the game, we believe that NZ$943,971 is more than enough for a life-changing experience.
NZ$8 Million in 2018 – Mega Moolah
Mega Moolah as a game takes the second spot as well. Again, the winner chose to remain anonymous, but they managed to win a whopping NZ$8 million back in 2018. This happened while playing Mega Moolah online.
There’s no information on the player himself because the platform where he managed to win the jackpot was actually an offshore online casino. And just like that, New Zealand ended up with another millionaire.
NZ$10 Million in 2016 – Mega Moolah
The number one spot in casino winnings goes to a player named Rawiri Pau, an Auckland KFC employee. He’s the only player on the list whose identity isn’t hidden. While playing Mega Moolah in June 2016, he couldn’t believe it when the screen showed that he snatched the biggest win in New Zealand’s casino history.
After winning the Mega Jackpot in the game, Pau ended up with a total of NZ$10,114.395.82. The funny thing about this story is that while he was playing Mega Moolah, he originally won NZ$1,500. He contemplated leaving and cashing out those NZ$1,500, but something made him go for a few more rounds. And good thing he did because he managed to turn those NZ$1,500 into NZ$10 million.
Of course, after winning the NZ$10 million, the Department of Internal Affairs investigated the matter to make sure that everything wasn’t out of place.
What About Lottery Wins?
Throughout the years, Kiwi players were able to win major rewards while gambling. Two additional notable mentions in this category are:
- NZ$450,000 at Christchurch Casino Players Club
- NZ$180,000 in sports betting in 2016 by Papatoetoe Welder
However, what happens to the list if we take lotteries into consideration? They too are games of chance and deserve a mention. You may find it surprising, but historically looking, lottery winnings are much higher than casino winnings.
Don’t believe us? Let’s break down the biggest lottery wins in New Zealand’s history to show you what we mean.
The first and second spots go to two separate parties that won NZ$50 million in prize pools. The first party consisted of 10 players in August 2020. This happened after nobody managed to win the First Division Powerball. So, 10 players labelled as Second Division winners managed to split the NZ$50 million pool. Five out of the 10 tickets were actually purchased in Auckland.
As for the second party, the NZ$50 million prize was split between two players. Both of them managed to win NZ$25 million apiece. They won the reward in the Powerball draw. The tickets were bought from the MyLotto app by a player in Auckland and at the Countdown Manukau City Mall.
Next, we have NZ$44.06 million won by a couple in November 2016. They bought their ticket at Dairy Flat Food Mart and Liquor. The prize came in clutch. While speaking about the unbelievable development, the husband shared that at the time, they wanted to purchase a home, but weren’t in a perfect financial situation. All of a sudden, the jackpot managed to twist their lives and give them the house of their dreams.
Two Aucklanders also won the Powerball jackpot in October 2019 and managed to split NZ$38 million. This is also a rather fascinating story in which a husband and a wife watched the draw on television. Minutes before the draw, the husband told his wife that they should’ve bought a ticket for the draw.
The wife decided to go in a race against time and managed to purchase a ticket via the MyLotto online platform. She stated that she purchased the ticket two minutes before the deadline and it turned out to be one of the biggest wins in history.
Conclusion
There’s nothing greater than finding out that you’ve just won a major prize in a casino game. However, you must remember one very important thing. All casino and lottery games are games of chance.
That means that nobody can guarantee you a certain outcome. Every outcome is random and your chances of winning are the same as every other player. That’s why you must remember to play responsibly and for fun. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks and chase after losses or wins.