Last night's $33-million Lotto jackpot has earned one lucky ticket holder a fortune, while $22.6 million remains unclaimed from last week's Big Wednesday jackpot.

Five numbers - plus the crucial Powerball number four - was all it took for one person to take home last night's must-win $33 million jackpot.

Gaming trusts would be forced to return more pokie machine profits to sports teams and community groups under proposed gambling reforms.

Kiwi punters have jumped ship and are backing Oracle to win the America's Cup.

Lotto players are spending thousands in the hope of hitting a jackpot that could give them enough money to buy 150 new Lamborghini sports cars.

A Lotto-winning couple who struck it big with a $15.7 million jackpot earlier this year have some simple advice for anyone who wins tonight's enormous Powerball prize - get good financial advice and keep the win quiet.

Lotto Powerball has jackpotted again, meaning this week's draw will match the $27million mark struck by supermarket worker Trevor Cooper in April last year.

More Asian people will lose their jobs and businesses if the SkyCity convention centre deal goes ahead, MPs have been told.

The Government's convention centre deal with SkyCity could see the taxpayer saddled with millions in cost overruns before building even begins, claims Labour.

We're a nation of brilliant rugby players. Champion yachties. World-beating stone throwers. but we wouldn't be any of that without being a nation of gamblers.

"Since I've stopped I've never had so much money in my pocket. The freezer is full. The pantry is full of food. I bake and I give it away. Things do come right."

'It's like you've farted really badly in the room." An expert who's studied the impact of using gambling proceeds in communities says raising the issue's not appreciated.

In a little over nine months Xiao Lu and her former boyfriend Zhou Zhao defrauded Hamilton's SkyCity casino of more than $50,000 .

"It's heaven. It's better than sex. Then you lose, and lose big. And it's 'oh my God, what have I done'?" John tells his story about gambling addiction.

A Chinese woman involved in a gambling scam with her ex-boyfriend and a casino worker that stole more than $50,000 has avoided a jail sentence but will be deported.

Once a blip on the national sports scene, baseball has grown its player base to about 6000. And its emergence has been funded entirely with gambling money.

Alicia sobs as she recalls the moment she realised her life had to change. She was spending up to 20 hours a week at the pokies, losing between $300 and $400.

"If Basketball NZ didn't receive TAB income I shudder to think." Basketball has become the country's betting sport of choice, with $46.8m wagered last year.

The All Blacks head to Australia tomorrow as heavy favourites with the TAB for a weekend win over the Wallabies despite losing star playmaker Dan Carter.

The profits and boom in visitor numbers from SkyCity's proposed convention centre have already been built into Auckland Council's accounts.

Approval for a VIP smoking area at Auckland's SkyCity casino has prompted a High Court challenge over testing methods.

First, it was stud poker. Like Texas Hold 'em but with nine cards, more face-down, fewer face-up, so the chance of killer hands was pretty high.

Pokie numbers in pubs and clubs across Auckland will drop under a new unified Super City policy.

What do racing and retail sales have in common? Both industries are suffering unfair competition from offshore websites.

The gambling mecca of Macau now handles more wagers than all US-based commercial casinos put together.

SkyCity says it has been "victimised" in the debate over the Convention Centre deal, but a law change to allow increased gambling has the potential to go ahead.

Editorial: The SkyCity convention centre project is a gamble for all involved. But the die is cast, so let's back the country to get it right.