Lotteries generate billions for good causes, but that impact can be surprisingly hard to communicate to stakeholders, and even harder to make it the first thing players associate with a ticket. In recent years, Lotto New Zealand (“Lotto NZ”) and Mifal Hapais, Israel’s national lottery, have offered two different models by stepping up during national emergencies and then turning that response into lasting proof of value.
Lotto NZ
Cyclone Gabrielle ripped through northern and eastern New Zealand in February 2023. It was the costliest tropical cyclone on record in the Southern Hemisphere, with total damage estimated to be NZ$14.5 billion (US$9.2 billion). It was also the deadliest cyclone and weather event in more than 50 years. In its wake, the national lottery came to the rescue.
“Under New Zealand’s Gambling Act 2003, the Minister or the Department of Internal Affairs can direct Lotto NZ to hold a special purpose lotto to benefit a specific community cause,” says Prachi Makwana, former Communications Advisor, Community, Lotto NZ, who was quoted prior to leaving the Lottery.
That mechanism shaped Lotto NZ’s response after Cyclone Gabrielle. Once a plan was in place, the Lottery submitted its recommendation to the government, which approved the initiative. The Prime Minister led the announcement about the special draw. With only 14 days before the draw, the Lottery had to drive a mass marketing campaign.
“Our marketing team ensured creative assets went live within days on MyLotto.co.nz, social media, and the live Lotto draw on TVNZ1. Around 900 retail stores with digital screens displayed the campaign immediately, while printed materials were distributed to the wider network,” says Makwana. There was also significant media interest in the draw during this phase; the Corporate Communications team managed in-house.Despite the limited timeframe, the Lottery’s earned and owned media were highly effective. “Unprompted awareness of the special draw reached 73%, with almost every player recalling the purpose of the draw and 37% noticing the responsible play message,” says Makwana. Compared to a similar jackpot draw in January 2023, sales for the special draw were up 60%. Nearly a third of New Zealanders played more than they normally would at that jackpot level, and 60% reported feeling more positive about the Lotto NZ brand.
“On average, we reach 46% of New Zealanders aged 25+ for each Saturday draw. Following our media investment and the support of our media suppliers, we were able to increase the reach to 86% for the special draw,” she adds.
By the close of sales, the Lottery had generated NZ$11.77 million. Given that the campaign was created in-house, their production costs were minimal. For every $1 spent, the Lottery contributed $81.72.
The agile approach to marketing, together with operational preparation, showed that this special draw was significantly better. In fact, sales were more than the two previous draws that were campaigned. “Operationally, the experience validated the strength of our contingency planning and retailer readiness. From a brand perspective, it showed Lotto NZ’s genuine commitment to benefiting communities, as over 60% of players reported the draw made them feel more positive about Lotto NZ,” says Makwana.
As soon as sales were reconciled, the proceeds were passed to the Lottery Grants Board, maintaining Lotto NZ’s governance chain. The money was then passed from the Lottery Grants Board to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, a Crown-sponsored body established to disburse funds quickly. The Trust invited applications until May 2024 and finished allocating funds by October 2024.
A few months ago, the Trust reported that it spent every cent. More than 560 local groups have received grants that focus on the practical. Solar panels and battery packs now sit atop 21 marae in Tairāwhiti. Lifeguards in Northland have generators stout enough to power coastal hamlets during outages. Volunteer firefighters in Ruatōria keep fresh water on hand in new tanks. Each project carries a small plaque noting that the money came from players who bought an extra lotto ticket.
Mifal Hapais
Over the past five years, Mifal Hapais has earmarked millions in direct grants for municipalities hosting evacuees. Last year, it provided emergency gear for local volunteers. During the COVID pandemic, it earmarked millions to support hospitals. Before that, it set up 600 remote defibrillators at lottery kiosks for emergency use. Taken together, those actions raise a bigger question: how did a lottery become a reliable part of an emergency response?
It starts with structure. Unlike New Zealand, Mifal Hapais does not run one off special draws designed to support a national emergency. Instead, its emergency support comes out of its normally generated revenues. But the money is generally allocated into two buckets: 1. Education (particularly scholarships), and 2. Grants. The latter’s flexibility matters because it lets the Lottery move fast when local communities need help.
“We are not looking for ‘flashy projects,’” says Benyamin Driefuss, Chief Executive Officer, Mifal Hapais. “Most of our projects are born from the municipal authorities themselves. We respond to their needs. We collaborate with them, visit them, even in times of crisis. When you are connected, you hear the demands that arise directly from them, and they reflect the immediate and clear needs of their communities.”
Most recently, Mifal Hapais allocated up to 20 million shekels in emergency funding to help municipalities hosting evacuees, giving local councils breathing room while broader support mechanisms caught up. “Our great advantage is the ability to act quickly and without too much bureaucracy. Unlike government agencies, we have a rapid response mechanism—an independent budgetary framework—and the ability to implement projects within a few days,” Driefuss says.
Driefuss also points to the Lottery’s scholarship program as another lever Israeli municipalities can utilize. Recipients are expected to volunteer in their local municipalities. The more than 40,000 recipients active across the country creates a ready-made network that can be redirected in a crisis to support local response efforts—from logistics and evacuations to cleanup and community support. The Lottery provides local governments with funding and manpower to help address crises quickly.
It puts the Lottery in an almost unique position in the industry, which raises the question of how they promote themselves to their players. “We communicate the good causes that Mifal Hapais is doing for the Israeli society through advertising, digital, social media, internal spokesman, and public relations,” Driefuss says. “But for us, the most effective way to deliver the message is to simply ’just do it.’ When the people of Israel see a new youth center in their neighborhood, or a new sports center, or a new school, or a new cultural project in their own town that are all established by the Lottery, they understand that the Lottery is obligated only for them.”
That emergency role also forces a different kind of measurement. Mifal Hapais tests whether a project provided value, whether it was relevant to the public, and whether it improved the Lottery’s image. Alongside standard indicators such as satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, scope of impact, and adherence to deadlines, it also tracks response speed, how far the support reached (especially where needs are acute), and whether the work created real change during a crisis.
“We invest in welfare, education, health, culture, communities, people with disabilities, youth, and more. Wherever we can reduce gaps in society and strengthen the social fabric in Israel, we strive to be present,” says Driefuss. “Our identity is built not only on budgetary scope, but on the ability to identify a human need, act quickly, and make real change in the life of the Israeli society.”
Lotteries’ Potential
Lotto NZ and Mifal Hapais show that lotteries can be used in unconventional ways, and used effectively. As Dreifuss puts it, “We believe that a public institution like a lottery should stand up and invest according to real needs and act flexibly, and these are precisely our strengths.” Whether it’s backing a national emergency or funding local projects, visibility matters. It sticks. The Lottery becomes a conduit for goodwill, giving people an easy way to turn play into practical help. People don’t forget who kept the lights on in a sacred Māori marae or helped a family find shelter. When done correctly, it deepens trust in the brand and strengthens the Lottery’s place in society.