Are you stupid enough to give away 45 cents of every dollar ?
Of course , we have to pay tax . We mostly dislike that . Same with GST . And no , I'm not adding 30% top tax , and GST . This actually has nothing directly to do with tax .
But would you knowingly give away 45 cents of every dollar you spent ?
This weekend , Lotto hits $50 million , so here is your chance to win $50 million ! Race out and buy a ticket . If you have more dollars than sense .
Have you read the Lotteries Commission glossy PR brochures ? You must be in to win . Safe , smart gambling . Blah , blah , BS .
Dig a bit deeper , behind the headlines , and you will never , ever by another Lotto ticket .
" In the 31 years that New Zealanders have been paying Lotto , over $4.6 billion in essential community funding has been contributed via the Lottery Grants Board " . Wow -- what a great community service . Yeah right .
WHERE YOUR LOTTO MONEY GOES ( per $1 ) --
22 cents -- Lottery Grants
12 cents -- operating costs ( yes , thats what Lotto NZ spends on itself ! )
6 cents -- retailer commissions ( including credit card fees )
5 cents -- taxes -- goes to Government
55 cents -- Prizes .
Yes , if you spent $1 million on Lotto tickets , you are likely to get around $550,000 back . Spend that next week , and you will be down to $302,500 next weekend . 'Reinvest' that , and by week 3 your $1 million will be down to $166375 . By the time you have been through 4 draws , you'll be down to $91506 ! Seriously ! So in 4 draws , you have lost over $900,000 of your original $1 million .
So who is buying a ticket for Saturdays draw ?
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.1% Human-centred experience and communication
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15.2% Critical thinking
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30.1% Resilience and adaptability
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2.6% Other - I will share below!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: Are you a Te Huia fan?
All three Hamilton MPs appear to be united behind the retention of the Te Huia passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, as well as potentially expanding it to Tauranga.
But whether Hamilton East’s Ryan Hamilton, Hamilton West’s Tama Potaka and soon-to-be Labour list MP Georgie Dansey have the combined power to shunt transport minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon onto their line of thinking remains to be seen.
Are you a Te Huia fan? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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80.7% Yes
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19.3% No
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