National Lottery Games – How do they work?

National Lottery games are games of chance, and winning a prize is not guaranteed. There is no skill required to win a prize and therefore, no matter how you play, you cannot influence the outcome that is based on chance.

Before playing, take your time to read the Game Rules and learn about odds. This will give you all you need to make an informed choice and you'll not only have a better understanding of how to play the game but have a better experience once you understand the odds.

What are the odds?

Odds are the likelihood of you winning a prize. The odds remain the same each time you play that game. The chance of you winning does not increase if you play the same game more than once or several times in a row.

 

Draw-based Games Odds

For games like Lotto, EuroMillions, Daily Million, Lotto 54321, and EuroDreams, the odds are determined by the number of balls in the draw machine and the likelihood that numbers you have chosen or are on your Quick Pick ticket will be drawn. Every draw is an individual event, it is completely random and unpredictable, it does not matter how many times a number has been drawn in the past as it is no more or less likely to be drawn again. For TellyBingo, odds vary depending on the number of balls called. TellyBingo involves matching numbers from our Quick Pick system printed on a ticket with those drawn during a televised broadcast. The odds of winning in TellyBingo are determined by the total number of possible combinations and the specific rules of the game. The chances of winning in Telly Bingo remain consistent as outcomes are determined by random draws. For Millionaire Raffle, odds vary depending on the number of tickets sold. The specific odds for all National Lottery Draw-Based Games can be found in the How to Play section on our website.

 

Scratch Card Games Odds

For Scratch Cards the outcome is predetermined before you play, and the overall odds show the likelihood that a single Scratch Card will result in a prize. Scratch Card overall odds are calculated by dividing the total tickets printed by the total number of winning tickets in the game. If the overall odds printed on the ticket back state “AVERAGE 1 IN 3 WINS CASH”, it means that you have a 1 in 3 chance of winning a prize on that single ticket. This does not mean that buying three Scratch Cards will guarantee a win. The prizes are randomly spread throughout an entire game, and winning a prize is purely a matter of chance.

You'll find the overall odds for each Scratch Card Game printed on the back of the card. The detailed odds are published in the Game Rules available on each individual Scratch Card Game landing page. Overall odds and the odds of winning the top prize are also accessed here.

 

 Instant Win Games Odds

For Instant Win Games, the outcome is predetermined before you play, and the overall odds show the likelihood that the Instant Win Game will result in a prize. For each game played an outcome is randomly determined from all possible outcomes and is set at the moment of purchase. With Instant Win Games, the prize pool is non depleting. As such, winning or losing on a play does not affect the odds of any subsequent games played in any way. For Instant Win Games you can see the overall odds and odds of winning a top prize displayed via the app or website before you play a game. The detailed odds are also published in the Game Rules available on each individual Instant Win Game landing page accessed here.

 Is it possible to improve your odds of winning a prize?

No, the odds remain the same regardless of the method of play or frequency and whether you are playing online or buying in-store. Whether using favourite numbers or following specific rituals such as using a special coin to scratch a Scratch Card, there is no way to influence the outcome or improve your odds of winning. Strategy or skill does not affect the outcome and it is important to keep in mind that the odds of winning a prize on any individual ticket or Scratch Card are not affected by the quantity you purchase. Results in Draw-Based Games are entirely random, and Scratch Cards and Instant Win Games have predetermined outcomes.

 

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