A new survey from Lotto NZ has highlighted the different ways New Zealanders imagine they would celebrate if they won big on Lotto.

The national survey of more than 30,000 Lotto players posed 10 different “Lotto dilemmas” about what they would do if they won big.

According to the results, Southlanders would be the most secretive about their win, Wellingtonians would be most likely to consider hiring a chauffeur, and Aucklanders would be the first to head off on a house hunt.

Some clear national trends emerged, with 94% of respondents declaring they would continue to call Aotearoa home, 97% ready to help their relatives out, and 95% predicting they would splurge on their dream set of wheels.

“It’s fascinating to get a snapshot of how New Zealanders imagine they would react to a life-changing win, and what they would prioritise,” said Lotto NZ head of corporate communications, Will Hine.

“A big part of buying a Lotto ticket is dreaming about the ways you’d spend your winnings. This survey provides an intriguing look at where those dreams line up and where they differ.

“While there are some things nearly all winners agree they’d spend money on, differences have emerged at a regional level around things like heading overseas or staying put.”

Hine said Lotto NZ created 64 millionaires last year, including 23 multi-millionaires, and paid out $924 million in prizes.

“We speak to all our big winners, and while the first reaction is usually shock, most are fairly pragmatic, which is also reflected in the survey responses.

“Almost all winners we talk to very quickly identify that they want to share their new fortune with family members, which is consistent with results from the survey.”

Hine said Lotto NZ also analysed the written responses of the 32,799 respondents to spot common themes.

“117 people reckoned they’d faint if they won the big one, 271 people mentioned screaming and 722 predicted tears would be shed.

“It was great to see that 2528 people mentioned they would help others, while references to charity showed up 1290 times.”

Southland appears to be New Zealand’s most tight-lipped region, with 85% of Southlanders saying they would keep a win secret, compared to the national average of 81%.

Conversely, 22% of Nelsonians said they would share the news, against a national average of 19%.

Just over three-quarters of those in Gisborne reckoned they would take a big crew away on holiday, while a third of West Coasters said they’d restrict their travel entourage to two.

Hine said a rural-urban split emerged when respondents were asked if they’d travel the world or trip around New Zealand.

“People in Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury were more likely to want to pack their bags and head to the international departure lounge, while those in the regions, notably Northland and the West Coast, were more likely to want to explore our beautiful backyard.”

True to their real estate-loving reputation, 77% of Aucklanders said they would begin the hunt for their dream house, compared to the national average of 71%, and far above the West Coast, where only 55% said they would trade up if they won.

With some of the world’s most famous ski fields just a stone’s throw away, survey respondents from Otago were most likely to opt for a ski chalet over a beach bach – at 24% compared to 16% nationally.

In contrast, 88% of Northlanders would plump for a bach, perhaps with the ease of not having to travel far to some of Aotearoa’s most stunning beaches.

Other interesting regional differences include 97% of people from Taranaki using winnings to splash out on a dream car – the highest percentage in the country, contrasting with just 93% of Wellingtonians - 7% of whom would instead opt for the on-call luxury of a private driver.