Since 2013 the commission has been trading as Lotto New Zealand. The New Zealand Lotteries Commission was established in June 1987 and the existing Golden Kiwi lottery came under its authority. The New Zealand Cabinet approved the creation of Lotto in February 1986, the necessary legislation passing through Parliament in April that year with a 47–20 vote. The New Zealand Film Commission, Creative New Zealand, and Sport New Zealand are major recipients of lottery funding. Since its creation, Lotto NZ has contributed more than $4 billion to the Lottery Grants Board. Profits from the publicly regulated lotteries are passed to the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board to distribute as funding for recreation, arts, community projects and sports. Powerball and Lotto Strike are optional extras with every Lotto ticket. Instant Kiwi may only be played by persons 18 years of age or older, under the Gambling Act 2003. Other games include the four-draws-daily Keno, the daily Bullseye, and a variety of scratchcards and online games known as Instant Kiwi. Its oldest and most popular game is Lotto, which boasts a top prize pool of NZ$4 million. It was established in 1987 and operates under the Gambling Act 2003. The New Zealand Lotteries Commission, trading as Lotto New Zealand since 2013, is a Crown entity that operates nationwide lotteries in New Zealand.
