Lotteries Commission spokeswoman Emilia Mazur said there was a fault with the machine but said a draw went ahead off air - and there were no winners. Photo / File
A technical snarl hit the Lotto Powerball machine live on air last night with $9 million at stake.
The televised draw turned to farce when the Powerball machine refused to spit out a winning ball.
Lotteries Commission spokeswoman Emilia Mazur said there was a fault with the machine but said a draw went ahead off air - and there were no winners.
That draw was done under the watch of Audit New Zealand.
The Lotto draw, where the machine draws out six numbers, went ahead without a hitch.
"There was a technical issue with that machine because the number didn't get drawn," said Mazur. "The Lotto numbers are still absolutely valid. There was no Powerball drawn on air. It has since been drawn off air and that number is valid as it stands."
The second attempt at drawing the Powerball number was played on air at 9pm during the normal results update.
Two Lotto players, from Whangaparaoa and Napier, each won $500,000 last night.
Police could be seen cordoning off a street in the area.