Lotto is the nation’s favourite game that gets millions playing every week. The jackpot gets bigger as more people play but all other prizes are fixed.1 Lotto can roll over 5 times. The 5th Rollover Must Be Won!
You can play up to 4 weeks in advance.
If no one matches 6 main numbers in a Must Be Won draw, the jackpot will roll down. This means all winners matching 2 or more main numbers could share a win of the jackpot!**
**See the Lotto Game Procedures (contained in this Players' Guide) for the rolldown mechanic.
If your Lotto Entry matches two or more of the first six numbers randomly chosen in a Lotto Draw (the ‘Main Numbers’) you will win a Prize in the highest relevant Lotto Prize category (Match 2 to Match 6) providing the requirements of the Rules and these Game Procedures are met.
If your Lotto Entry matches two of the Main Numbers you will win a Lotto Lucky Dip Ticket. To claim your Prize you will need to present your winning Lotto Ticket to a Retailer. Your Retailer will give you the option of receiving a Lotto Lucky Dip Ticket for the next Wednesday or Saturday Lotto Draw. You cannot cancel a Lucky Dip that has been awarded to you as a Lotto Prize.
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Prize table
| Prize categories |
Approximate Odds of Winning |
Prize (subject to Prize capping, see further on for more information) |
Match 6a / Jackpot |
1:45,057,474 |
Jackpot 9.79% of sales for a Lotto Draw is allocated to the Jackpot. All of the amount available for the Jackpot in the previous Lotto Draw may also be added to the allocation for the Jackpot if there are no winning Lotto Entries in the Jackpot category in that previous Lotto Draw (subject to the maximum number of Rollovers set out further on, and Prize capping) |
Match 5a + Bonus Ball (being the number selected immediately after the Main Numbers have been drawn) |
1:7,509,579 |
£1,000,000 |
Match 5a |
1:144,415 |
£1,750 |
Match 4a |
1:2,180 |
£140 |
Match 3a |
1:96.2 |
£30 |
Match 2a |
1:10.3 |
One Lotto Lucky Dip Ticket |
Any Lotto Prize |
1:9.3 |
|
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On average, 50% of sales for a Lotto Draw will be available to be paid out in Prizes, with 8.78% of that 50% being put into a reserve fund (the 'Reserve Fund').
The Reserve Fund can be used for any Lotto Draw promotions, for example increasing the Prize available in any or all of the Prize categories or doubling all Prizes (except Match 2 and the Jackpot). It can also be used in very limited circumstances agreed with the Gambling Commission to top up certain Lotto Prizes.
The Jackpot can roll five times. If the jackpot is not won in the Must Be Won Draw it will be distributed in the following way:
- Each winning Lotto Entry in the Match 2 Prize category will receive £5 in addition to their usual Lotto Lucky Dip.
- Any money left over after paying all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 2 Prize category £5 will be distributed to the remaining cash Prize categories in the percentages set out in the following table, provided there are winning Lotto Entries in all of those cash Prize categories. If there are no winning Lotto Entries in any of the Prize categories listed in the following table, the Jackpot in the Must Be Won Draw will be distributed amongst those cash Prize categories in which there are winning Lotto Entries, in the percentages agreed by Allwyn and the Gambling Commission.
Table showing the allocation of Jackpot by Prize category
| Prize categories |
Allocation of Jackpot by Prize category |
Match 5 + Bonus Ball |
3%
|
Match 5 |
5% |
Match 4 |
7% |
Match 3 |
85% |
If there is a Lotto promotion on the same day as a Must Be Won Draw, the Lotto promotion mechanic will be applied first.
Allwyn can designate any Lotto Draw a Must Be Won Draw for promotional purposes. Allwyn will advertise details of any such Must Be Won Draw in advance of it taking place.
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Prize capping takes place in very rare circumstances – for example, when popular number combinations are drawn resulting in there being more winning Lotto Entries than Allwyn is able to pay Prizes for. If Prize capping takes place, the actual Prizes won for matching 3, 4 and 5 Main Numbers, and 5 Main Numbers + the Bonus Ball may be less than stated. The Jackpot Prize per winning Lotto Entry may also be capped. How Lotto cash Prizes may be capped is now explained in more detail.
Match 3 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize Capping: Prizes in these Prize categories will be capped in very rare cases and only if the 'Capped Prize Fund' (which is an amount equal to 35.82% of the sales for a Lotto Draw, plus an amount agreed by Allwyn and the Gambling Commission (currently being £35 million)) is not enough to award winning Lotto Entries in the Match 2 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize categories the Prizes stated in the Prize table.
In these circumstances, all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 2 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize categories will be awarded a Prize of £2 or its equivalent in the form of a Lotto Lucky Dip Entry for Match 2 Prize winners. This means that whilst the number of Match 2 Prizes in a Lotto Draw forms part of the capping calculation, Match 2 Prizes will never be capped and will always be awarded in full.
If there is any money left in the Capped Prize Fund after paying the £2 Prizes (or its equivalent) to all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 2 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prizes categories, the remaining money in the Capped Prize Fund will be used to pay up to a further £28 to all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 3 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize categories. If there is any money left in the Capped Prize Fund after paying the further £28, the remaining money will be used to pay up to a further £110 to all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 4 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize categories. If there is any money left in the Capped Prize Fund after paying the further £110, the remaining money will be used to pay up to a further £1610 to all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 5 to Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize categories. If there is any money remaining in the Capped Prize Fund following that payment, the remainder will be divided equally amongst the winning Lotto Entries in the Match 5 + Bonus Ball Prize category.
Jackpot Prize capping: The amount of money available to top up each winning Lotto Entry in the Jackpot Prize category to £1 million is limited to £7 million. In the very unlikely event that £7 million is not sufficient to top up each winning Lotto Entry to £1 million then the amount available for distribution amongst winning Lotto Entries in the Jackpot Prize category will be the Jackpot plus £7 million, and the Prize per winning Lotto Entry in the Jackpot Prize category will be less than £1 million.
The amount available to fund Lotto Draw promotions may also be capped, as agreed with the Gambling Commission. Details will be available on the National Lottery website (www.national-lottery.co.uk) before the relevant promotion.
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Where Allwyn considers it reasonable to do so, it may postpone a Lotto Draw for as long as it considers to be appropriate in the circumstances. In that case (by way of example only, where there has been a significant disruption to the sale of Lotto Tickets) Allwyn may continue to sell tickets for that Lotto Draw beyond the normal Draw break for that Lotto Draw.
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If Allwyn becomes aware that the Lotto Draw after the next Lotto Draw may be cancelled because Allwyn's licence to run The National Lottery or promote The National Lottery games has expired, been suspended, or been withdrawn, then if there is no Jackpot winner in that next Lotto Draw (before the cancelled Draws), the Must Be Won Draw mechanic explained in the section headed "What is the maximum number of Rollovers?" will apply (as appropriate). Lotto Lucky Dips will be awarded to all winning Lotto Entries in the Match 2 Prize category.
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