14 April 2026 
 
[FYI request #34040 email] 
 
 
 
 
Dear Brandon 
 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST  
 
 
Thank you for your reply to our response to your original Official Information Act request, which we received on 
Friday 10 April 2026. 
 
Your correspondence was as follows: 
 
Dear Communications, 
 
Thank you for your response, I feel your refusal to disclose numbers is incorrect as you have previously done this 
for past requests, please see 
https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffyi.org.nz%2Frequest%2F31394%2Fres
ponse%2F127641%2Fattach%2Fhtml%2F2%2F2506%2520OIA%2520Response%2520Ryan%2520Smith.pdf.ht
ml&data=05%7C02%7CLeah.Sutton%40lottonz.co.nz%7Cbd6a9f31cec74f6ca01508de969b31ee%7Cdff8a010
ef704ac1aeaea642ca78eb99%7C0%7C0%7C639113790459107084%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB
0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C
%7C%7C&sdata=o0JhTYv5mBS7DjcavEgKKKTkjqp5jgWUlvR%2BWqbA7B0%3D&reserved=0 
 
I look forward to you to you providing the requested information. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Brandon Lancastle 
 
_________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
Please find our response below: 
 
You are correct that in the past we have shared number of remaining tickets for Instant Kiwi games. However, 
we’ve recently reassessed our position, taking into account the implications of releasing this information in 
relation to Lotto NZ’s statutory obligation to minimise the risk of gambling harm. Following careful consideration 
internally, we’ve determined that releasing this information is not in the public interest and is not consistent with 
that obligation. 
 
Accordingly – and in line with the withholding grounds outlined in our initial response – we will not be releasing 
this information going forward. 
 
We appreciate that this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, but this approach is important for ensuring 
fairness for all players and for meeting our statutory responsibilities as a Crown Entity. 
 
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about 
how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602. 
 
 

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Kind regards, 
 
Leah Sutton 
Communications Advisor 
Lotto NZ 
 
 

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