UK National Lottery odds & prize statistics
UK National Lottery draws 6 numbers from 59. Below is every prize tier with its exact odds, the combinatorics behind the jackpot, and interactive tools to put those numbers in perspective.
UK National Lottery in plain English
A UK National Lottery line picks 6 numbers from 59. Match everything for the jackpot — there are several smaller tiers below it too.
After the main six balls are drawn, a bonus ball is drawn from the remaining 53 — it only matters for the Match 5 + Bonus tier. Lotto's lower prizes are fixed (Match 3 wins £30, Match 4 £140, Match 5 £1,750), the Match 5 + Bonus prize is a fixed £1,000,000, and Match 2 returns a free Lucky Dip. Only the jackpot is shared. Draws are Wednesday and Saturday.
That single number is where every odds figure on this page comes from: you choose 6 numbers from 59 (the bonus ball is then drawn from the remaining 53), giving 45,057,474 equally-likely outcomes. Exactly one of them is the jackpot line — which is why the jackpot odds are 1 in 45,057,474.
UK National Lottery prizes & odds
Every UK National Lottery prize tier with its exact odds, computed from the game's matrix.
| Match | Odds (1 in…) | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Match 6 | 1 in 45,057,474 | Jackpotshared if multiple winners |
| Match 5 + Bonus | 1 in 7,509,579 | £1,000,000 |
| Match 5 | 1 in 144,415 | £1,750 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 2,180 | £140 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 96.2 | £30 |
| Match 2 | 1 in 10.3 | Free Lucky Dipa free play, not cash |
Odds are exact and fixed by the 6/59 matrix. Match 3–Match 5+Bonus prizes are fixed amounts set by Allwyn; Match 2 returns a free Lucky Dip; only the jackpot is pari-mutuel (shared between Match-6 winners).
Interactive odds tools
Put 1 in 45,057,474 in perspective
Drag to see how the UK National Lottery jackpot chance stacks up against everyday long shots.
What's a ticket really worth?
UK National Lottery has fixed non-jackpot prizes, so we can compute the exact average return of the smaller prizes. Enter a jackpot to see the full picture. (Ignores tax & shared jackpots — read the note.)
Expected value is what an average ticket returns over the very long run — it is not a prediction and never exceeds the ticket price across a fair lottery. Real returns are lower after tax and any shared jackpots.
Simulate UK National Lottery draws
Every draw below is generated by your device's cryptographic RNG (crypto.getRandomValues) — the same fairness our SHA-256 generators are built on. Run a batch and watch how rarely the top tiers actually land.
UK National Lottery myths, busted
Every UK National Lottery draw is independent. A number that hasn't appeared in months is exactly as likely as any other — the balls have no memory.
Random picks and hand-chosen lines have identical odds. Quick picks only win more in total because more people use them.
A line like 1-2-3-4-5 is exactly as likely as any other. The only reason to skip popular patterns is to avoid sharing a prize if they come up.
Want provably-fair UK National Lottery picks?
Members get the SHA-256 version of every generator — seed it with your own entropy and verify the draw was never tampered with. Free picks stay free; provably-fair is the VIP upgrade.
See membership →How to play UK Lotto
Pick 6 numbers from 1 to 59. Lotto is the UK National Lottery's flagship Saturday and Wednesday draw.
You choose 6 numbers from 1 to 59. Six main numbers plus a bonus ball are drawn; matching all 6 main numbers wins or shares the jackpot, and the bonus ball affects the Match 5 + Bonus tier. Matching just 2 numbers wins a free Lucky Dip, so the odds of winning something are roughly 1 in 9.3.
Lotto moved to its current 6-from-59 format in October 2015 (it was previously 6 from 49), which lengthened the jackpot odds and added the Millionaire Raffle and rolldown mechanics. Any older 6/49 odds you find elsewhere are out of date.
When is the UK Lotto draw?
Lotto is drawn twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings.
Draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday evening, typically around 7:45–8:00pm UK time, with ticket sales closing at 7:30pm on draw night. Buy before the 7:30pm cut-off to be included in that night's draw.
Times are set by the operator and can shift around holidays; confirm the cut-off with an official outlet before playing.
The biggest UK Lotto jackpots
UK Lotto jackpots are famously capped by a 'must be won' rolldown rather than climbing indefinitely.
Unlike EuroMillions, a Lotto jackpot doesn't roll forever: after a capped run it becomes a 'Must Be Won' draw, and if nobody matches all six the prize rolls down to the next winning tier — which can turn a Match 3 into a much larger prize. The biggest single National Lottery Lotto jackpots have reached around £35 million on a rolldown, though EuroMillions (also run by the same operator) produces the UK's true nine-figure wins.
UK National Lottery odds, answered
What are the odds of winning the UK National Lottery jackpot?
Exactly 1 in 45,057,474, computed directly from the game's number matrix — every line is equally likely.
What are the odds of winning any UK National Lottery prize?
About 1 in 9.3, counting every prize tier together.
Can a generator or system improve my UK National Lottery odds?
No. Every combination is equally likely on every draw. A generator just gives you a fair, unbiased random line — it can't change the maths.
How much is a UK Lotto ticket?
A single Lotto line costs £2. The same ticket enters the Millionaire Raffle, which guarantees at least one £1 million winner every draw.
What time is the UK Lotto draw?
Lotto is drawn every Wednesday and Saturday evening, around 7:45-8:00pm UK time. Ticket sales close at 7:30pm on draw night, so buy before then.
How do you play UK Lotto?
Pick 6 numbers from 1 to 59. Match all 6 main numbers to win or share the jackpot; matching just 2 numbers wins a free Lucky Dip, so the chance of any prize is about 1 in 9.3.
What is a rolldown in UK Lotto?
After a capped run of rollovers, Lotto becomes a 'Must Be Won' draw. If nobody matches all six numbers, the jackpot rolls down to the next winning tier, which can massively boost lower-tier prizes like Match 3.
Did UK Lotto change format?
Yes — in October 2015 Lotto moved from 6 from 49 to 6 from 59, lengthening the jackpot odds to 1 in 45,057,474 and adding the raffle and rolldown mechanics. Older 6/49 odds are out of date.
Understanding UK National Lottery odds & your chances
Every official UK National Lottery draw is independently random and regulated. Each possible combination has exactly the same probability of being drawn, no matter how the numbers were chosen — birthdays, a generator, or last week's results. Lotteries are games of pure chance, and no tool, pattern, or hot/cold analysis changes the fixed mathematical odds on this page.