UK Lotto odds: jackpot, bonus ball and Lucky Dip
A UK Lotto line wins the jackpot 1 in 45,057,474: six numbers from 1 to 59. Any prize, including the free Lucky Dip for two numbers, comes 1 in 9.2.
Odds of every prize
| You match | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| 6 numbers | 1 in 45,057,474 | 0.000002% |
| 5 numbers + Bonus Ball | 1 in 7,509,579 | 0.000013% |
| 5 numbers, without Bonus Ball | 1 in 144,415 | 0.00069% |
| 4 numbers | 1 in 2,180 | 0.046% |
| 3 numbers | 1 in 96.2 | 1.04% |
| 2 numbers | 1 in 10.3 | 9.75% |
After the six main numbers, one more ball is drawn: the bonus ball. It only matters to a line that matched exactly five, where it lifts the prize from "5" to "5 plus bonus", 1 in 7,509,579. The bonus ball can only match the one number you missed, which is why that tier is so much rarer than five without it.
Matching two numbers wins a free Lucky Dip, a new line in a later draw, rather than cash. It is by far the most common prize: 1 in 10.3.
How long a jackpot takes
| Tickets a week | Years | Tickets in all | Chance of ever hitting the jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 520 | 0.0012% |
| 1 | 50 | 2,600 | 0.0058% |
| 10 | 10 | 5,200 | 0.0115% |
| 10 | 50 | 26,000 | 0.0577% |
| 100 | 10 | 52,000 | 0.1153% |
| 100 | 50 | 260,000 | 0.5754% |
Even a hundred tickets every week for fifty years leaves the jackpot far more likely missed than won. Buying more changes how much you spend much faster than it changes the odds; do more tickets help? works through it.
Questions
What are the odds of winning the UK Lotto jackpot?
1 in 45,057,474 per line, since the pool grew from 49 to 59 numbers in October 2015.
How rare is 5 numbers plus the bonus ball?
1 in 7,509,579. Five without the bonus ball is 1 in 144,415.
Odds are exact for one standard ticket and come from the game's published format; prize amounts and ticket prices change and are not shown here. See the methodology. Playing should stay fun: free help.