Lotto is the main game. From July 30, 2017 onward, you now have the option of playing Lotto Plus 1 and the new Lotto Plus 2. To play Lotto Plus 1, you first have to play the Lotto game, and to play Lotto Plus 2, you have to play Lotto and Lotto Plus 1. So, with your chosen numbers (six from a pool of 1 to 52) you have not one, not two, but three chances of winning the big jackpot.
Using data from all of the past Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 draw results, we’ve estimated the amount that you can expect to win when you match 2 plus the Bonus (according to new rules) or more numbers on the Lotto Plus 1 draw. These amounts are averages, so bear in mind that actual payouts can vary.
| Numbers Matched | Average Payouts |
|---|---|
| 6 | R 1,233,928 |
| 5 + Bonus Ball | R 259,878 |
| 5 | R 6,510 |
| 4 + Bonus Ball | R 2,123 |
| 4 | R 130 |
| 3 + Bonus Ball | R 97 |
| 3 | R 25 (Fixed) |
| 2 + Bonus Ball | R 15 (Fixed) |
Lotto Plus 1 offers players who enter the main Lotto draw a second chance of winning a prize. So if you entered the Lotto game but didn't win, Lotto Plus 1 introduces a second set of numbers that are revealed shortly after the main Lotto draw. However, after the rule changes that took place on May 22, 2016, the Lotto Plus 1 jackpot will now keep rolling over until someone wins the big prize.
The rule changes in May 2016 also mean that players can now use a Quick Pick option to play Lotto Plus 1. This is a faster way of filling out a play slip with random numbers, instead of picking them manually.
The cost of entering Lotto Plus 1 is just R 2.50, which does mean that the prize pool tends to be smaller than the main Lotto draw, but it’s not unusual for the jackpot to hit R 2,000,000+. The odds of winning Lotto Plus 1, and the share of the prize pool that is put aside for each combination of numbers matched, are as follows:
Since July 30, 2017, players can now choose to take part in the new Lotto Plus 2 game. This means Lotto Plus 2 participants now have a third chance of hitting the jackpot. Choosing to play Lotto Plus 2 will cost you an extra R 2.50, which will bring the total cost of your ticket for one line - with all three games played - to R 10. The Lotto Plus 2 draw will take place after the Lotto Plus 1 draw. The game format is the same: seven balls are drawn from a pool of balls ranging from 1 to 52.
| Numbers Matched | Odds Of Winning | Share Of Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 in 20,358,520 | 53% |
| 5 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 3,393,087 | 8.1% |
| 5 | 1 in 75,402 | 5.4% |
| 4 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 30,161 | 6.7% |
| 4 | 1 in 1,371 | 13.4% |
| 3 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 1,028 | 13.4% |
| 3 | 1 in 72 | R 25 (Fixed) |
| 2 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 96 | R 15 (Fixed) |
Despite having a smaller prize pool than the original Lotto game (on average just over R 4,000,000 per draw compared to Lotto’s R 15,000,000), the Lotto Plus 1 draw creates an extra 13,000 winners every draw. So, for just R 2.50 extra, you’re increasing your chances of winning something, and now with the new Lotto Plus 2, those chances grow even higher.Playing the Lotto game, the Lotto Plus 1 or Lotto Plus 2 each player has a 1 in 38 chance of winning a prize.
Like Lotto, 45% of all Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 ticket sales go towards prizes, while the rest goes to a variety of national charities and good causes.