A National Lottery ticket with two sets of numbers for the main
Lotto draw, and an unused 'Dream Number' generated by '
lucky
dip'.
Several games operate under the National Lottery brand:
1, Lotto
Six numbers are drawn from a set of individually numbered balls
with numbers in the range 1–49, as well as a further bonus ball.
Balls, once drawn, are not returned to the draw machine, therefore
each ball (including the bonus ball) can only be drawn once per
Lotto draw. Players choose six different numbers by a method of
their own choosing at the time they purchase a ticket. Ticket
issuing machines can generate a random set of play numbers as a
so–called
Lucky Dip. Prizes are awarded to players who match
at least three of the six drawn numbers with increasing prize value
for matching more of the drawn numbers. In addition to the six
drawn numbers, an additional number is drawn as the
Bonus
Ball. The bonus ball is only relevant to those players who
match five of the six drawn numbers, whereby those players matching
exactly five of the drawn numbers who also match the bonus ball
receive a larger prize than those matching just 5 of the drawn
numbers. Anyone matching all six drawn numbers wins a share of the
jackpot; the chance of
doing so is 1 in 13,983,816. For players matching at least four of
the drawn balls the prize value is dependent on the total number of
players also matching the same number of balls in that the prize
fund is divided equally between all players matching that number of
drawn numbers. In the event that no player matches all six of the
drawn numbers the jackpot is accumulated into the next Lotto draw,
a so–called
Rollover. This accumulation is limited to three
consecutive draws. Rollover is a common occurrence, happening once
every few draws, though a 'treble roll-over' is a rather less
common occurrence having happened only twice to date.
The entry fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board.
The draw is conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Saturday draws
started on
November 19,
1994,
under the name 'National Lottery'. The first Wednesday draw was on
February 5,
1997. All draws
are shown live on
BBC One in the UK, with
the Saturday draw shown as a segment in a range of different
Lottery branded gameshows throughout the year.
The game was rebranded 'Lotto' in 2002.
The Lotto prize fund is 45 percent of draw sales in a normal week.
However, the long-term average percentage is almost exactly 46
percent due to an occasional Super Draw paid for from a Super Draw
reserve fund, set aside each draw. The three-ball prize winners are
calculated first, these receive £10 each; the remaining prize fund
is then divided as shown in the table below and split equally with
the number of winners for each selection:
| Matching Numbers |
Prize |
Odds of winning |
| 3 numbers |
£10 per winner |
55.65593 to 1 |
| 4 numbers |
22% of remaining fund |
1,031.397 to 1 |
| 5 numbers |
10% of remaining fund |
55,490.33 to 1 |
| 5 numbers and bonus ball |
16% of remaining fund |
2,330,635 to 1 |
| 6 numbers |
52% of remaining fund |
13,983,815 to 1 |
The overall odds of winning any prize is 52.65514 to 1. The 6/49
mentioned above also had an optional add-on game known as Extra
which could be played for an additional £1. However, its only prize
was for matching all six regular numbers drawn for the 6/49 jackpot
(there were no lower-tier prizes; a perfect match was required.) It
was discontinued in 2006.
Lotto
Hotpicks
Lotto Hotpicks uses the main Lotto draw for its numbers but is a
different game. The player chooses both the numbers
and the
number of draw balls they want to try and match (up to a maximum of
five balls). However, if the player does not match
all the
numbers chosen, it is not a winner. The National Lottery describe
Hotpicks as 'Five games in one', because the player has a choice of
five ways of playing the game, each offering different odds and
payouts.
The entry fee to the Lotto Hotpicks draw is £1 per board
The odds and payouts are as follows:
| Match |
Prize |
Odds of winning |
| 1 number |
£5 |
1: 9 |
| 2 numbers |
£40 |
1: 79 |
| 3 numbers |
£450 |
1: 922 |
| 4 numbers |
£7,000 |
1: 14,126 |
| 5 numbers |
£130,000 |
1: 317,814 |
2,
Thunderball
The first Thunderball draw was on
June 12,
1999. Players pick
five main numbers from 1 to 34 and one 'Thunderball' number from 1
to 14, for an entry fee of £1. initially only held on Saturdays,
draws currently take place every Saturday and Wednesday. The first
mid-week Thunderball was on
October 23,
2002. The entry
fee to the Lotto draw is £1 per board
| Match |
Prize |
Odds of winning |
| 1 + Thunderball |
£5 |
1: 33 |
| 2 + Thunderball |
£10 |
1: 107 |
| 3 numbers |
£10 |
1: 74 |
| 3 + Thunderball |
£20 |
1: 960 |
| 4 numbers |
£100 |
1: 2,067 |
| 4 + Thunderball |
£250 |
1: 26,866 |
| 5 numbers |
£5 000 |
1: 299,661 |
| 5 + Thunderball |
£250 000 |
1: 3,895,584 |
3, Dream
Number
Dream Number was launched on
July 15,
2006. Dream Number
involves generating a random seven digit number for entry into the
draw. It can be played independently of
Lotto, or if played
with
Lotto one Dream Number is generated per ticket, not per
lotto entry. The cost of entry is £1. A dream number is
automatically printed on every lotto ticket bought, whether the
player has chosen to enter it into the draw or not. Unlike other
Lotto games, it is not possible to choose the number
entered, and the order that the numbers are drawn is important,
since the numbers must be matched
in order for the player to
win. All money raised for good causes from Dream Number will go
towards the
2012 Summer
Olympics and
2012 Summer
Paralympics in London.
| Match |
Prize |
Odds of winning |
| 1st number only |
£2 |
1: 11.12 |
| 1st 2 numbers |
£10 |
1: 111.12 |
| 1st 3 numbers |
£100 |
1: 1,111.2 |
| 1st 4 numbers |
£500 |
1: 11,112 |
| 1st 5 numbers |
£5 000 |
1: 111,112 |
| 1st 6 numbers |
£50 000 |
1: 1,111,112 |
| all 7 numbers |
£500 000 |
1: 10,000,000 |
The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 10.
Source: National Lottery Players Guide
4,
Scratchcards
As well as draw tickets, the National Lottery sells (through
newsagents, supermarkets, and so on)
scratchcards.
These are small pieces of card where an area has been covered by a
thin layer of opaque (and usually designed according to