The Australian Powerball lottery has attracted more and more players in the last year and wagering group Tabcorp have singled out game changes specifically as a major factor.
In April 2018 Tabcorp made exciting chances to Aussie Powerball to improve the odds of winning a prize from 1 in 78 to 1 in 44 by asking players to pick seven numbers from a barrel of 35 balls as opposed to six from 40 as well as the introduction of a ninth prize division.
The new format has resulted in more Australian Powerball winners and bigger cash wins with the average jackpot up from $28.4 million in 2018 to $37.8 million this financial year.
“Powerball and Oz Lotto are our two jackpot games and in the first 10 months of this financial year they have already recorded 39 large jackpots of $15 million-plus. This is around the number of jackpots we would typically expect in a full year," Tabcorp chief executive David Attenborough said at a presentation to the 2019 Macquarie Conference on Tuesday.
“Our results in the current year are also benefiting from some favourable jackpot sequences - $45 million of revenue benefit in the first half, and at least another $45 million in the second half.
Naturally Aussie Powerball players were a little skeptical of the changes a year ago but Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association CEO Ben Kearney said many of the public's doubts have now been laid to rest.
"Our members were nervous about the changes initially. They always are because they are concerned about how customers will react," Mr Kearney said.
"But the jackpots lifted very quickly and we also had somebody win it very early. That put to bed most of those concerns.
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