South Africa - Lotto

Lotto

Lotto is South Africa’s main national lottery game.

Lotto draws are held twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 20:56 local time, with results being published on national television and online shortly afterward. Ticket sales close at 20:30 local time and resume shortly after the draw.

Lotto tickets cost ZAR 5.00. To enter, choose six numbers between 1 and 52, or go for a Quick Pick for a set of randomly generated numbers.

Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 games are available for an extra ZAR 2.50 each. These options enter the same numbers into additional draws for a chance to win extra prizes.

Advance Play allows participants to enter multiple draws at once, maximizing their chances of winning by never missing a round!

Jackpot

Lotto has a minimum guaranteed jackpot of ZAR 2 million.

Lotto is a rollover lottery game with no jackpot or rollover cap, with the jackpot potentially rising to significantly higher values.

The biggest ever Lotto jackpots are:

• ZAR 110 million on January 27, 2018.
• ZAR 58.3 million on April 24, 2013.
• ZAR 44.7 million on February 15, 2003.

All of these record jackpots were won by multiple ticket holders, with the biggest winning jackpot by a sole ticket holder registered at ZAR 34.3 million on March 8, 2006.

Odds and Prizes

The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are 1 in 20,358,520. Although these are reasonable odds for a lottery game based on the prize, other lotteries such as South Africa Powerball offer much larger jackpots.

Lotto prizes can be won at eight different prize tiers.

Payout and Taxes

Players have up to 365 days to claim prizes, while those who play multiple South African lottery games should be aware of the different claim periods for each.

Lottery prizes in South Africa are paid out as lump sums only, as well as being 100% tax free; however, players from abroad should check local tax laws to find out if winnings need to be declared at home.

Who Can Play Lotto?

Players must be at least 18 years of age to buy lottery tickets in South Africa.

South African residents can buy Lotto tickets from authorized lottery retailers, via the official Lotto website or through the official app.

Lotto is also open to overseas players, who can enter online via selected Lottery Agent websites.

History of Lotto

The first Lotto draw took place on March 2, 2000, making this game the longest-running lottery in South Africa.

Draws were held once a week until 2001, when the second weekly draw was added. Lotto has kept its current format throughout its existence.