Across New Zealand lottery spending has been on the rise, thanks to the number of large jackpots that have been offered over the course of the past few months. According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, pokies spending may be down but lottery spending is way up.
The report cites research conducted by Roy Morgan which has found a 4% increase in lottery buyers over the course of one year. The statistics show that 56% of adults over the age of 18 bought lottery tickets in 2011 while just 52% bought lottery tickets the year before.
While the local lottery is considered to be less harmful than poker machines and other forms of casino gambling, the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand is concerned about the behaviour of lottery ticket buyers. While numbers are on the rise, the organization is not concerned about the population of lottery players; rather, they are focused on the number of players who purchase lottery tickets but cannot afford to do so.
The most growth for the local lottery has been seen when jackpots hit more than $15 million. It is at this point that lottery sales surge, as more individuals buy multiple tickets for their chance to win big.
