Its contract with Scientific Games ends in mid-2022, with Lotto NZ now putting the job out for tender.

“The New Zealand Lotteries Commission (Lotto NZ) sells 40 to 45 instant scratch games under the Instant Kiwi brand each year,” the tender read. “Instant Kiwi is an iconic New Zealand brand, with tickets sold through our retail network of over 1,300 stores achieving NZ$136m (US$94m) revenue in FY21.

“The objective of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to seek a partner, or partners to execute the strategic development, design, programming, production, packing and shipping of games to our secure distribution centre in Auckland, New Zealand to ensure continuous supply to the New Zealand market.

“We require a partner(s) who value responsible gaming and can work with Lotto NZ to achieve our sales objectives whilst ensuring potential for harm is minimised.”

The Request for Proposal ends on 4 February 2022, with a supplier to be selected soon after. The Tender Coverage is Sole Agency, meaning an individual agency purchasing on its own behalf.

Spokesperson Lucy Fullarton, as reported by Stuff, said: “Under government procurement rules, we are required to go out to market when a contract like this comes to an end, and it is best practice to ensure we’re delivering the best product to customers for the best price.

“As a business that gives 100% of our profits to the community, it’s important we manage our costs carefully.”