Lotto NZ counters in dairies and convenience stores are able to open under Alert Level 3, with the remaining stores needing to stay closed until Alert Level 2.

'By safely re-opening some of our retail stores this week we can continue to generate funding for New Zealand communities, many of which will need it now more than ever,” says Chris Lyman, Lotto NZ CEO.

'We have seen a big increase in customers purchasing their tickets online during the lockdown, which has been fantastic, but sales have decreased which ultimately means less community funding. We're really pleased to be able to re-open Lotto counters in some of our stores this week, giving our customers an option to buy their tickets in open stores if they wish.”

Dairies and convenience stores make-up around 45 per cent of Lotto NZ's retail network, which accounts for around 700 stores nationally.

'The health and safety of retailers and customers will be a priority during this time, therefore stores re-opening their Lotto counters under Alert Level 3 will need to provide a high level of assurance that they are meeting the required health and safety guidelines,” says Chris.

'It may take a few days for the stores to get their Lotto counters back up and running, and in the meantime, customers can continue to purchase their tickets online at MyLotto.co.nz.”

Lotto NZ will be working with each store individually over the next few days – and it is expected that most of the stores will have re-opened their Lotto counters by Saturday.

To avoid making unnecessary trips, customers can call their local store to check that their Lotto counter is open, before they visit.

'The reason approval has been granted to re-open dairies and convenience stores only in Alert Level 3 is because they are smaller stores already open under Alert Level 4, and many are operating on a 'one in one out” basis. This means re-opening their Lotto kiosks will only require minor changes,” says Chris.

Re-opening all other stores, including supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations, is more suitable at Alert Level 2 as the higher volume of customers means health and safety will be easier to manage.

Claiming a prize

With some retail stores re-opening customers with winning paper tickets can claim if they wish to.

'We understand that some people will prefer to wait until the country is at lower alert levels before claiming their prize in-store. For those customers, we recommend they write their details on the ticket and put the ticket in a safe place – they will need the physical ticket to claim their prize when they are ready,” says Chris.

Prize payments will continue as normal for tickets purchased online through MyLotto.co.nz

Where to find out more

Customers who need more information can visit www.mylotto.co.nz/covid-19

'The most important thing is that we keep everyone safe during this time, which means following the Government's advice on COVID-19. Never has there been such an important time for Kiwis to help other Kiwis,” says Chris.