Lotto Payouts and Odds
6 numbers are drawn from 1 to 52, plus a bonus ball taken from the numbers left in the same pool. That makes 20,358,520 possible combinations, so the odds of taking the Lotto jackpot with one ticket are 1 in 20,358,520.
Odds by division
Worked out from the board itself, so these are exact rather than rounded estimates.
| Division | You need | Odds per ticket | Typical payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Match 6 | 1 in 20,358,520 | R21,818,893.70 R20,082,439 to R23,555,349 |
| 2 | Match 5 + Bonus | 1 in 3,393,087 | R436,778.55 R187,113 to R535,959 |
| 3 | Match 5 | 1 in 75,402 | R37,792.70 R17,670 to R103,892 |
| 4 | Match 4 + Bonus | 1 in 30,161 | R4,000.00 fixed |
| 5 | Match 4 | 1 in 1,371 | R200.00 fixed |
| 6 | Match 3 + Bonus | 1 in 1,028 | R200.00 fixed |
| 7 | Match 3 | 1 in 72 | R20.00 fixed |
| 8 | Match 2 + Bonus | 1 in 96 | R30.00 fixed |
Adding every division together, 2.61% of all possible tickets win something, which is roughly 1 in 38.2. Payout figures are what each division has actually paid across the draws in our database, not advertised estimates: the median is shown, with the range where it varies. Divisions marked fixed have paid the same amount every time we have recorded them.
How much does each Lotto match pay?
The same figures as the table above, division by division, starting with the one you are most likely to win. Payouts are what Lotto has actually paid in the draws we hold a prize breakdown for, not advertised estimates.
How much do you win for 2 numbers plus the Bonus on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 2 numbers and the Bonus is Division 8 and pays a fixed R30.00. Every one of the 24 draws we hold a prize breakdown for paid exactly that, which is why it counts as a set amount rather than a share of the pool. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 96.
How much do you win for 3 numbers on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 3 numbers is Division 7 and pays a fixed R20.00. Every one of the 24 draws we hold a prize breakdown for paid exactly that, which is why it counts as a set amount rather than a share of the pool. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 72.
How much do you win for 3 numbers plus the Bonus on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 3 numbers and the Bonus is Division 6 and pays a fixed R200.00. Every one of the 24 draws we hold a prize breakdown for paid exactly that, which is why it counts as a set amount rather than a share of the pool. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 1,028.
How much do you win for 4 numbers on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 4 numbers is Division 5 and pays a fixed R200.00. Every one of the 24 draws we hold a prize breakdown for paid exactly that, which is why it counts as a set amount rather than a share of the pool. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 1,371.
How much do you win for 4 numbers plus the Bonus on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 4 numbers and the Bonus is Division 4 and pays a fixed R4,000.00. Every one of the 24 draws we hold a prize breakdown for paid exactly that, which is why it counts as a set amount rather than a share of the pool. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 30,161.
How much do you win for 5 numbers on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 5 numbers is Division 3. Across the 24 draws we hold a prize breakdown for it has typically paid R37,793, ranging from R17,670 to R103,892. It is a share of the prize pool rather than a set amount, so it moves with ticket sales and with how many people win it. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 75,402.
How much do you win for 5 numbers plus the Bonus on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 5 numbers and the Bonus is Division 2. Across the 8 draws we hold a prize breakdown for it has typically paid R436,779, ranging from R187,113 to R535,959. It is a share of the prize pool rather than a set amount, so it moves with ticket sales and with how many people win it. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 3,393,087.
How much do you win for 6 numbers on Lotto?
On Lotto, matching 6 numbers is Division 1. Across the 2 draws we hold a prize breakdown for it has typically paid R21,818,894, ranging from R20,082,439 to R23,555,349. It is a share of the prize pool rather than a set amount, so it moves with ticket sales and with how many people win it. The odds of hitting it with a single ticket are 1 in 20,358,520.
Why the jackpot figure moves
The top divisions are paid from a prize pool funded by ticket sales, so they are not fixed amounts. More tickets sold means a bigger pool, and if two people match everything they share it. That is why an advertised jackpot is always an estimate and why the amount actually paid can differ from the number on the billboard.
When nobody wins the top division the money rolls over into the next draw, which is how jackpots climb week after week. The lower divisions behave differently: several of them pay a set amount regardless of how many people win, which is why they show as fixed above.