45 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wel ington 6011
PO Box 805, Wel ington 6140
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Email:
[email address]
25 May 2026
Websit
e www.dia.govt.nz
Alan Riley
[FYI request #34606 email]
Tēnā koe Alan,
Your Official Information Act 1982 request OIA2526-1155
Thank you for your email of 4 May 2026 to the Department of Internal Affairs, requesting
the fol owing information under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
•
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the fol owing information relating
to recent decisions by Brooke van Velden regarding the structure of Lottery
Distribution Committees:
•
A copy of the Minister’s final decision approving changes to the Lottery Distribution
Committees, including any decision papers, briefings, or reports provided to the
Minister.
•
All advice, analysis, or recommendations provided by officials that informed this
decision, including options considered.
•
Any Cabinet papers, Cabinet minutes, or briefings relating to this matter.
•
Any implementation plans, transition documents, or communications plans relating to
the move to fewer Committees.
•
Any correspondence (including emails, letters, and aide-mémoires) between the
Minister and officials relating to this decision, from 1 January 2026 to the date of this
request.
Extension of your request
Under section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, the timeframe to respond to your request has been
extended by 10 working days from 2 June 2026 to 16 June 2026. This is because the
consultations necessary to make a decision on your request are such that a proper response
to the request cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit.
I will endeavour to provide you with a response earlier if possible.
Accessing the Ombudsman
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of my decision by the Office of the
Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Penny Langley
Director Branch Performance
Partnerships and Commissions - Te Aukaha
Department of Internal Affairs - Te Tari Taiwhenua
Appendix A
I request the fol owing information under the Official Information Act.
This request is being made to both Lotto New Zealand and the Department of Internal
Affairs. Each agency is expected to respond in respect of the information it holds, and
its respective role in relation to Powerball design, decision-making, and regulatory
oversight.
For clarity, I do not expect this request to be transferred in full between agencies. If any
specific part of the request is more closely connected with the functions of the other
agency, that part may be transferred under section 14 of the Act. However, the
receiving agency should stil respond to the remainder of the request. This request has
been structured so that each agency holds distinct but complementary information.
This request relates to both:
•
The 2026 Powerball structural changes, and
•
Any previous structural (“matrix”) changes to Lotto/Powerball since 1 January 2015,
including changes to draw frequency
1. Decision-Level Documents (Primary Focus)
Al final Board papers, executive papers, or formal decision documents that:
•
Recommended or approved changes to Powerball structure
•
Set out the reasons for those changes
Including any material addressing:
•
Expected changes in ticket sales, revenue, or returns
•
Expected changes in player behaviour or participation
•
Any identified or anticipated gambling harm risks
2. Key Evidence Relied On (Decision-Critical Only)
The core analysis or evidence relied upon by decision-makers (not general background
material), including:
•
Any model ing or analysis showing relationships between:
o
Jackpot size
o
Rollover frequency
o
Draw frequency
o
Odds of winning
o
Player spending or ticket sales
•
Any conclusions drawn that:
o
Changes to these features are expected to increase participation or
expenditure
3. Relationship Between Game Design, Spending, and Harm
Any documents provided to, or relied upon by, decision-makers that:
•
Identify or analyse the relationship between:
o
Game design features (including jackpot size, rol over frequency, draw
frequency, and odds of winning)
o
Player spending or participation
And:
•
Any material that considers or acknowledges that:
o
Increased spending or participation may result in increased, or be associated
with increased, gambling harm
Including any documents that:
•
Explicitly or implicitly link:
o
Increased revenue or returns
o
With increased player expenditure or intensity of play
4. Harm Awareness and Risk Identification
Any material provided to decision-makers that:
•
Identifies, assesses, or acknowledges risks of gambling harm arising from:
o
Increased jackpot sizes
o
Increased rol over frequency
o
Increased draw frequency
o
Reduced odds of winning
Including any reference to impacts on:
•
Financially vulnerable individuals
•
High-frequency or high-spend players
5. Trade-Offs Between Revenue and Harm
Any documents that:
•
Discuss, assess, or acknowledge that:
•
Changes expected to increase revenue or ticket sales may increase, or be associated
with increased, gambling harm
And:
•
Any material that records how those competing considerations were:
o
Weighed
o
Balanced
o
Or deemed acceptable
6. Prior Change Reviews (Outcome Evidence)
Any post-implementation reviews or evaluations of previous Powerball changes that
assess:
•
Whether those changes resulted in:
o
Increased player spending
o
Increased frequency of play
o
Changes in participation levels
o
Any indicators of gambling harm
7. Frequency of Play (Draw Changes)
Any decision-level documents or key evidence relied upon that assessed or identified
the impact of:
•
Increasing draw frequency (including the move to two weekly draws)
on:
•
Player participation
•
Frequency or intensity of play
•
Player expenditure
•
Any gambling harm risks
8. External Expert or Regulatory Input (If Relied Upon)
Any formal expert advice or regulatory input relied upon in decision-making, including:
•
Gambling harm or public health advice
•
Feedback from relevant government agencies or regulators
9. Scope Clarification
To ensure focus on substantive material, this request is limited to:
•
Final decision documents
•
Key supporting evidence relied upon
This request does not seek:
•
Drafts
•
Routine operational communications
•
General background material
10. Timeframe
1 January 2015 to present
11. Withholding and Public Interest
If any information is withheld, please provide:
•
The specific grounds under the Act, and
•
The public interest balancing analysis supporting that decision
There is strong public interest in understanding:
•
Whether structural changes to a government-owned gambling product were
designed in a way that:
•
Increases revenue through increased player spending
•
While potentially increasing gambling harm
Recent reporting indicates that the upcoming changes wil :
•
Reduce the odds of winning the top prize
•
Increase jackpot sizes and rol over frequency
These design changes raise legitimate questions about the relationship between game
design, revenue generation, and gambling harm.
My intention is to share the information with the public via the media hence the higher
public interest weighing that I ask be applied to this request.
