Lotteries in Australia

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Lotteries in Australia include various lotto related products licensed by Australian lottery companies, comprising mainly of state government-owned corporations - New South Wales Lotteries, Golden Casket, South Australian Lotteries and Lotterywest - plus one private-sector company, Tattersalls, which operates in the states not covered by the state-owned operators.

Although the organisations are predominantly state-based, Australia has a number of national lottery games. These games are typically administered by one of the above companies, and syndicated through the Australian Lotto Bloc - an umbrella organisation consisting of the above lottery operators - with prize pools combined between states. For example, Tattersalls administrates the Saturday Lotto (known as Tattslotto in its jurisdictions), Oz Lotto and Powerball games on behalf of the bloc. Similarly, South Australian Lotteries operate the Australian Soccer Pools, although the Soccer Pools bloc is technically related but separate. The bloc's member operators also market lottery games that run exclusively in its jurisdiction.

Australian lotteries are subject to many regulations, which generally vary from state to state. Lotteries products can only be bought by persons over the age of 18 years.

Contents

[edit] Tattslotto (Saturday Lotto)

Saturday Tattslotto Ticket (Victoria)
Saturday Tattslotto Ticket (Victoria)

Tattslotto is a product of Tattersalls. This section refers to the national Saturday night draw, syndicated to all Australian states and territories through the Australian Lotto Bloc. The game is marketed as "Tattslotto" in Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory; as "Gold Lotto" in Queensland; and as "Lotto" or "Saturday Lotto" in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.

Tattslotto's first draw was on June 22, 1972, televised on HSV-7 Melbourne, and it became a Lotto Bloc game in March 7, 1981 [1][2]. Saturday Lotto's draw numbers have only used odd numbers since Draw 233 on 1983-10-15 - this allowed some jurisdictions to use the even numbers for midweek games.

A player purchases a number of "games" by either marking numbers on a computer-scannable ticket or by requesting a random selection (known variously as a "Quick Pick", "Auto-Pick", "Easi-Pick" or "Slikpik"). Games where a player selects six numbers only is known as a Standard game, and these are often played in multiples of two. More than six numbers can be selected per game - known as a Systems entry (eg. 'System 7' is where seven numbers are selected) - but the cost of that game rises as the odds of winning increase. Some states also allow you to select only 5 or 4 numbers, with those numbers being combined with every combination of the remaining numbers (giving the equivalent of 40 and 780 standard games respectively). This is sometimes also referred to as a Systems entry - eg. 'System 5' - or as a 'With The Field' entry.

In a Tattslotto draw, six numbers and two supplementary numbers are drawn from a barrel of 45 numbers. (The second supplementary number was added starting from Draw 413 on 1985-07-06; prior to this, only one supplementary number was drawn.) The following prize divisions can be won:

  • First Division (Jackpot Average $700,000) - All six winning numbers in a game.
  • Second Division (Average: $12,000) - Five winning numbers and one supplementary in a game.
  • Third Division (Average: $1,000) - Five winning numbers in a game.
  • Fourth Division (Average: $50 ) - Four winning numbers in a game.
  • Fifth Division (Average: $24 ) - Three winning and one supplementary in a game.

At one point, Saturday Tattslotto used to have two draws; the "Second Draw" being a fresh selection of six winning numbers from 45, however no supplementary numbers were drawn. The prize pool, usually the same as the first draw's First Division prize, was shared only by those matching all six numbers, with no lower divisions. This "Second Draw" lasted from 1995-11-25 to 1997-01-25 (draws 1497-1619) [3] [4], when it was removed, partly to increase First Division prizes in the main draw.

Currently with a minimum First Division pool of $4 million increased from $3 million on the 18 March 2006[5]. This increase also saw a price increase from 45 cents a game to 50 cents per game (plus agent's commission). These pools increase dramatically approximately every two months, when a promotional Superdraw takes place.

[edit] Oz Lotto

Oz Lotto was created as Australia's original national lottery game - at least, the first one based purely on chance (as the Soccer Pools existed some years prior) - played on Tuesday nights and administered by Tattersalls. It was created on February 26, 1994 [6], at a time when New South Wales did not take part in Saturday Lotto, making it the only national lottery game at the time - a distinction which lasted until the launch of Powerball in 1996, and New South Wales' subsequent joining of Saturday Lotto in 2000.

To begin with, Oz Lotto was exactly the same as "Tattslotto", where players selected six numbers from 45. Oz Lotto was more expensive (at $1 per game plus agent's commission), however it paid better dividends than Saturday Lotto.

However, starting from Draw 609 on 2005-10-18 [7], the game was restructured so players selected seven numbers from 45. This makes it more difficult to win Oz Lotto's first division, however there are now more prize divisions:

  • First Division (Jackpot) - All seven winning numbers in a game
  • Second Division (Average: ) - Any Six winning numbers plus one or both supplementary numbers
  • Third Division (Average: ) - Any Six winning numbers
  • Fourth Division (Average: ) - Any Five winning numbers plus one or both supplementary numbers
  • Fifth Division (Average: ) - Any Five winning numbers
  • Sixth Division (Average: ) - Any Four winning numbers
  • Seventh Division (Average: ) - Any Three winning numbers plus one or both supplementary numbers

After the October 2005 changes, Oz Lotto has become known under slightly different names in some areas. In the Tattersalls jurisdictions (Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory), it is now known as Super 7's Oz Lotto; in Queensland it is now called Oz 7 Lotto. In South Australia and Western Australia the name did not change, but new logos were introduced; Lotterywest including a "7" as part of the letter "z" of their new Oz Lotto logo. No major branding changes were made to Oz Lotto in New South Wales.

[edit] Powerball

Powerball is a lottery game modelled on the highly successful American Powerball game. The game is administered by Tattersalls, and syndicated to all states through the Australian Lotto Bloc. Draws take place on Thursday nights, with the first draw held on 1996-05-23. Each Powerball game costs 55 cents plus agent's commission, with most states requiring standard games be bought two at a time.

Powerball is very dissimilar from Saturday Lotto (Tattslotto) but is almost as popular. Five numbers are drawn at random from a barrel of 45 (standard winning numbers). Then one number is drawn at random from a separate barrel of 45 (this number being the Powerball). To win first division the player needs to have all five numbers in their game as well as select the correct Powerball. For coupon entries; the Powerball is selected in a separate box to the winning numbers. In an automated pick a computer randomly allocates you five numbers as well as a Powerball for each game line.

You can win the following divisions if you have:

  • First Division - (Jackpot usually between: 3 million and 12 million) - Five winning numbers and the selected Powerball in a game.
  • Second Division - (Average : $80,000 ) - All five winning numbers in a game.
  • Third Division - (Average: $6000 ) - Four winning numbers and the selected Powerball in a game.
  • Fourth Division - (Average: $100 ) - Three winning numbers and the selected Powerball in a game.
  • Fifth Division - (Average: $55 ) - Four winning numbers in a game.
  • Sixth Division - (Average: $24 ) - Two winning numbers and the selected Powerball in a game.
  • Seventh Division - (Average: $11 ) - Three winning numbers.

Note: The divisions vary depending on the number of people who win them.

Powerball compared to the most popular Saturday Lotto is considerably easier to win a prize, however winning the jackpot (first division) is substantially harder. Getting the five numbers is hard enough, but then selecting the right Powerball out of a new 45 is extremely difficult. Because of this Powerball frequently jackpots and has reached amounts such as $40 million. See "odds" in this article for more details.

System entries are available on Powerball, which are known under different names in some jurisdictions (eg. Tattersalls calls it "Powerplay") - however only one Powerball is selected for a standard system entry. Players can also purchase an entry that guarantees the Powerball for a game entry - this costs the same as playing 45 individual games. This is known by Tattersalls as a "Play the Field" entry, in New South Wales as "Power45", in Queensland as a "PowerHit", and in Western Australia as a "Powerpik". System entries and guaranteed Powerball options can sometimes be combined.

[edit] Keno

This section lists Keno games administered by lottery organisations only. Some casinos in Australia, as well as other locations (such as registered clubs in New South Wales) also play some form of Keno.

These Keno games share the same basic characteristics: 20 numbers drawn from a set of 80. Entries can vary in the number of selections made (known as 'Spots' - for example, selecting four numbers would be called a 'Spot 4'). The more numbers selected, the more numbers are required to win prizes, but the prizes for matching all numbers are higher. Small consolation prizes may also be won for matching no numbers on the higher Spot games.

[edit] Tatts Keno

Tatts Keno is administered by Tattersalls and played in most areas that offer their lottery products (Victoria, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory) - Tatts Keno cannot be played in the Northern Territory. Tatts Keno is a nightly game, and entries can vary from 3 to 10 spots.

Tatts Keno offers one jackpot prize, for matching all numbers from a Spot 10 ticket. The minimum jackpot prize is $250,000, however this often increases to over $1 million as it takes a large number of draws for the jackpot to be won. A consolation prize for matching zero numbers is offered on the Spot 10 game only.

[edit] South Australia

In South Australia, Keno is conducted by South Australian Lotteries on a continuous basis: draws are conducted on an automated basis every 3.5 minutes, with sales closing approximately 40 seconds before the draw. Results appear on monitors located at most lotteries sales outlets.

South Australian Keno can be played using all Spot entries from 1 to 10 numbers. It offers one jackpot prize, for matching all numbers from a Spot 10 ticket, with a minimum prize of $1 million (which was changed from a $1 million fixed prize to a jackpotting prize in February 2001). There are no consolation prizes for matching zero numbers in any games.

SA Lotteries's Keno is also played in the Australian Capital Territory, where it has been syndicated through the ACTTAB since November 1997 [8], and promoted as ACTTAB Keno. In the ACT, only the last four digits of the draw number are used.

[edit] Super 66

Super 66 is an Australian lottery game played in all states except New South Wales (which plays Lotto Strike instead). It is a product of Tattersalls and is played on a Saturday night, drawn just before the main Tattslotto draw. Super 66 costs $1 per game plus agent's commission.

Super 66 must be bought as a computer generated entry in all states except South Australia (where numbers can also be selected through an entry form). The most popular option for buying Super 66 is with another lotto ticket - in this case, the Super 66 entry is usually printed on the same ticket. (Some states offer the ability to buy Super 66 with a mid-week ticket, as well as with the Saturday draw.)

In the draw, six numbers from 0-9 are drawn from six separate machines, creating a six-digit "winning number". To win First Division, a player must match the six-digit number on their entry with the "winning number" exactly. For example, if your ticket number is 0 5 3 4 8 9, the winning number must be precisely 0 5 3 4 8 9 to win First Division.

Lower divisions are won by matching the either first or last digits of the number on your ticket with the drawn number. For example, if your ticket number is 0 5 3 4 8 9 and the drawn number is 0 5 3 4 3 6 (matching the first four digits), then Third Division is won. The divisions are:

  • First Division (Jackpot, minimum $16,666.00) - All six digits matched in order.
  • Second Division ($6,666.00) - Either the first five or last five digits matched in order.
  • Third Division ($666.00) - Either the first four or last four digits matched in order.
  • Fourth Division ($66.00) - Either the first three or last three digits matched in order.
  • Fifth Division ($6.60) - Either the first two or last two digits matched in order.

Note that unlike most Australian lottery games, all prizes have a fixed amount, with the balance of the prize pool divided among Division 1 winners, or jackpotted if there are none. This means that First Division prizes can be as high as $100,000 or more. However, if the First Division jackpot is not won for five consecutive weeks, the Jackpot pool is "rolled down" to the next highest division with winners in the fifth draw.

[edit] Soccer Pools

The Soccer Pools (otherwise known simply as The Pools, or as 6 From 38 Pools in New South Wales) is an Australian Lotto Bloc game administered by South Australian Lotteries. Entries for the Pools close on Saturday afternoon or evening, and the numbers are released on Sunday or Monday, depending on the state. The closing time is 1:00 pm. Six numbers are selected out of 38, but with only one supplementary number.

Unlike other games where the numbers are drawn at random, the Pools is based on soccer scores in Australia - typically in state leagues - and in the United Kingdom and Europe (referred to collectively as Northern Hemisphere matches). A match list is drawn up every week, containing 38 games, numbered 1-38, and a number of reserve games which are numbered from 39 onwards (and currently up to 60). After all games' results are known, the games are then ranked in the following order, from highest to lowest [9]:

  • Score draws, with higher scoring draws ranking higher (eg. a 3-3 result will rank higher than 2-2);
  • Scoreless (0-0) draws;
  • Away team wins, with scores with a smaller goal difference ranking higher (eg. a 2-3 result will rank higher than 1-3), followed by total goals scored (eg. 2-3 will rank higher than 1-2); and
  • Home team wins, with scores with a smaller goal difference again ranking higher, followed by total goals scored.

The numbers of the first six ranked games are designated the winning numbers, and the seventh ranked game's number the supplementary number. At each ranking level, if all other tie-breakers have been exhausted, the final tie-breaker is match order, with game 38 ranking highest and game 1 lowest. This match order tie-breaker means that, in practice, lower numbers occur slightly less often than higher numbers [10].

If games are not played or are otherwise considered 'void', the reserve matches' results will substitute for the void matches, starting from match 39's result replacing that of the lowest-numbered void match, match 40 replacing the second lowest-numbered void match, and so on. State rules vary as to what happens if less than 38 games are played, or less than 7 results are declared (an almost impossible occurrence): in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, a separate drawing of the remaining numbers is made from a barrel to draw the remaining winning numbers, however Tattersalls and Lotterywest instead cancel the draw in their territory and re-enters all entries into the next Pools draw [11][12].

Players with a comprehensive knowledge of soccer have an advantage, however it is still very difficult to pick the correct six numbers in a game. For this reason many simply regard The Pools as a game of chance and automated computer picks are offered by outlets. The Pools is probably among the least popular of the national lottery games.

Prize divisions are the same as for Saturday Tattslotto. The Pools usually has a minimum first division prize of $75,000, but jackpots often.

[edit] State Lotto Draws

In addition to the Saturday Tattslotto draw, most states and territories' lottery corporations hold their own lottery draws, playable only in their state (or states, in the case of Tattersalls) of their jurisdiction.

[edit] Wednesday Tattslotto

Wednesday Tattslotto a product of Tattersalls and is played in their territories (Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory). Wednesday Tattslotto is like the Saturday version in that the six numbers are drawn along with two supplementaries. However these six numbers are drawn from a barrel of 40, making Wednesday Tattslotto is easier to win than Saturday Tattsotto (however the prizes pay less). It was hoped when it was released in February 2000 that Wednesday Tattslotto would become as popular as the main Saturday draw. However this hasn't occurred and Wednesday Tattslotto has been slow to "take off". Wednesday Tattslotto costs 50 cents per game plus agent's commission.

You can win the following divisions if you have:

  • First Division (Jackpot Average $570,000) - All six numbers are in a game.
  • Second Division (Average: $8,400) - Five winning numbers and one supplementary in a game.
  • Third Division (Average: $860) - Five numbers in a game.
  • Fourth Division (Average: $30 ) - Four winning numbers in a game.
  • Fifth Division (Average: $14 ) - Three winning and one supplementary in a game.

Note: The divisions vary according to the number of winners.

Like Saturday Tattslotto players can buy system entries which allow more numbers in a line.

[edit] NSW Lotto

NSW Lotto is a statewide lottery game played in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory on Mondays and Wednesdays, administered by New South Wales Lotteries and marketed simply as Lotto - the brand characterised by an oversized red "1" Lotto ball, which represented the marketing slogan of NSW Lotto throughout much of the early part of the 1990s: "The Big One". New South Wales was the last state to join the Saturday Tattslotto draw on 2000-12-16, with the Monday and Wednesday draws the most important lottery games before this (Oz Lotto and Powerball were also conducted here prior). These draws are also popular because of their relatively low cost (30 cents per game plus agent's commission).

Up to 2004, six winning numbers and two supplementaries were drawn from 44. (The second supplementary number was added from Draw 90/34 on 1990-08-20.) However, in major changes from April 2004, an extra ball was added to make the draw "6-from-45" - bringing it into line with the Saturday draw.

The Monday draw carries a First Division pool of $1,000,000, while the Wednesday draw has a First Division of $500,000. These used to jackpot, but as part of the 2004 changes the pools are now fixed. Also, A "double-up" option is also available for an extra cost (15 cents per game), which doubles any prizes won in minor divisions.

Prize divisions are the same five as for Saturday Lotto, with some differences in the prize levels. As part of the 2004 changes, winners of Divisions 4 and 5 win fixed prizes of $20.00 and $10.00 respectively, which represented a small increase on the average prize won in those divisions before the change (about $15 and $7). Also, if the First Division is not won for a draw, all prizes from Divisions 2 through 5 are doubled. If a "double-up" option was also bought, this "rolldown" does not apply to the "double-up" prize, and the total prize won is triple the standard divisional prize.

Starting with the Monday draw on 2006-05-01, the midweek games of NSW Lotto and South Australia's SA Lotto will merge, and will also be expanded to Western Australia. The jackpot system will return, replacing the "cash rolldown" and guaranteed Division 4 and 5 prizes - however, unlike the pre-2004 system, the jackpot will carry over from Monday to Wednesday and vice versa, rather than a separate jackpot being retained for each night's draw. The guaranteed first division pool will remain at $1 million on Monday, and Wednesday's first division pool will be increased to $750,000. [13]

[edit] Lotto Strike

Lotto Strike is a statewide companion game to NSW Lotto played in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory only, and administered by New South Wales Lotteries. Originally based on NSW Lotto's Monday and Wednesday draws, Lotto Strike also became available for play on Saturday Lotto after the midweek NSW Lotto changes in 2004. Lotto Strike can be played only when a standard Lotto ticket is also bought - ie. Lotto Strike cannot be bought separately. Lotto Strike costs $1 per game plus agent's commission.

It shares some similarities to Super 66, in that it involves matching numbers being selected in the correct order. However, unlike Super 66, Lotto Strike uses the same set of numbers as the main draw - the winning numbers of Lotto Strike are the first four winning numbers drawn in order. Also unlike Super 66, which is available in most states by computer auto-pick only, players can select their own Lotto Strike numbers on a separate entry form.

Players can "box" their chosen Lotto Strike numbers, allowing them to be matched in any order (at a cost of 24 games).

Prizes can be won for matching at least one number in the correct position. Prize divisions offered by Lotto Strike are:

  • Strike Four (Jackpot) - match all four numbers in the correct position
  • Strike Three (about $1,000) - match three of the numbers in the correct position
  • Strike Two (about $80-$100) - match two of the numbers in the correct position
  • Strike One (one free Lotto Strike game) - match one of the numbers in the correct position

The Strike Four jackpot starts at $100,000 and increases by about $30,000 (depending on sales) with each draw. Due to the relative unpopularity of Lotto Strike, jackpots occur often and it can often take many months for a Strike Four prize to be won. The Strike Four prize is capped at $2 million, with any further jackpots being added to the next Strike Four pool after it is next won.

Although New South Wales is the only state in Australia that plays Lotto Strike, the format is also played in New Zealand with their national Lotto game.

[edit] Wednesday Gold Lotto

Wednesday Gold Lotto is a statewide lottery game played in Queensland, and administered by Golden Casket, the Queensland lotteries corporation.

For the most part, the game is the same as the Saturday draw: six winning numbers and two supplementary numbers drawn from 45, and the prize divisions are also the same five as used in Tattslotto. However, Wednesday Gold Lotto is marketed on its unusual First Division system: if one, two or three players win First Division, they win a minimum fixed $1 million prize - something that is not guaranteed on Saturday draws; if the prize pool is higher they share the total pool. If there are more than three winners of First Division, they instead share a $3 million pool. Games cost 50 cents plus agent's commission. Wednesday Gold Lotto is also the only Lotto game in Australia not to have jackpots. If first division is not won, the pool is not carried to the next week. Instead it gets used for the promotional series they have - triple dividends for Divisions 2-5, for example.

[edit] SA Lotto

SA Lotto, previously known in the state as Cross Lotto or X Lotto, is a statewide lottery game played in South Australia, and administered by South Australian Lotteries, played twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. Games of SA Lotto cost 30 cents plus agent's commission.

The draw format is the same as for the Saturday draw, with six winning numbers and two supplementary numbers drawn from 45. The divisions differ slightly from the Saturday Tattslotto draw however, in that the division where four winning numbers are won is split into two, creating a total of six divisions:

  • First Division (Jackpot, minimum $400,000) - match all six winning numbers
  • Second Division - match five winning numbers and either supplementary number
  • Third Division - match five winning numbers
  • Fourth Division - match four winning numbers and either supplementary number
  • Fifth Division - match four winning numbers
  • Sixth Division - match three winning numbers and either supplementary number

The First Division pool was last increased, from $300,000 to $400,000, in November 2003, at the same time as the re-introduction of a mid-week draw on Wednesdays, which had previously been replaced by Powerball [14].

Note that while First Division has a minimum guaranteed prize pool of $400,000, it does not jackpot immediately, due to the small number of players (in keeping with the small size of the state) - it often takes a few weeks without a First Division winner for the jackpot to increase above $400,000.

Starting from the draw on 2006-05-01, SA Lotto will be replaced by an expanded version of NSW Lotto, which is also being expanded to Western Australia. As such, jackpots will increase to a guaranteed $1 million on Monday and $750,000 on Wednesday, and the six SA Lotto divisions will be replaced with five, as played in Saturday Lotto. In South Australia the expanded game is currently being promoted under the name Lotto - Monday and Wednesday, which suggests the SA Lotto name will be dropped. [15]

[edit] Tatts Two

Tatts Two is a Tattersalls product played only in its territories. It is one of the simplest games that can be played. A player selects 2 numbers from (1-99) in each game; which costs 55c. Each night at about 7:00 two numbers from (1-99) are drawn.

Those players matching either number win a fixed prize of $3. Those matching both numbers then share the remainder of the prize pool, with a minimum prize of $500. In some draws (usually once a week), both the 1 Number prize and the 2 Number minimum prize are doubled.

There is the provision for a jackpot for the 2 Number prize, which can jackpot for five weeks before being rolled down into the 1 Number dividend. However jackpots very rarely occur.

[edit] Cash 3

Cash 3 is a lottery game played in Western Australia and administered by Lotterywest. The Cash 3 format is also used in several places in the United States. It is drawn every night of the year and the numbers telecast on Channel Seven in Perth, and on GWN in regional Western Australia.

Players select three digits, and may choose to bet on those three digits being drawn in any order, in that specific order, or both. Games can be played for either 50 cents or $1.00, and can be bought up to seven days in advance. Prizes are fixed according to the probability of winning, with the highest possible prize being $500 for a $1 wager.

[edit] Draw Lotteries

This section refers to 'traditional' draw style lotteries offered by Australian lottery organisations. In this type of game, a set number of tickets - typically in the low six figures - are offered for sale in each draw. A set of numbers are then drawn (these days by a random number generator) and are awarded prizes, with many consolation prizes often offered.

[edit] New South Wales: Lucky Lotteries

Lucky Lotteries is the current brand name given to draw lotteries administered by New South Wales Lotteries. Currently, two lotteries are run under this name: the $2 Jackpot Lottery and the $5 Jackpot Lottery. (Both denominations exclude agent's commission, so a $2 Jackpot Lottery ticket in fact costs $2.15; a $5 ticket costs $5.30.)

Tickets are only available via a "Auto Pick"-style allocation (ie. individual numbers cannot be selected), although those buying multiple tickets have the option of buying a sequential run of numbers or a random selection. Due to the high demand for draw lottery tickets (and the $2 Jackpot Lottery in particular), it is often the case that a ticket bought today will be for a draw a week or so from today, rather than for the next day. (This has led to New South Wales Lotteries adding disclaimers in recent years stating that any jackpot advertised may have been won by the time your lottery is drawn.) Draws are conducted at the New South Wales Lotteries offices in the morning, and winning numbers are published in some major papers and are available to claim the day after the draw.

In each draw, a first, second and third prize is drawn, as well as a number of smaller prizes down to $10. One-off prizes are awarded to tickets that are one ticket number either side of each cash prize, with a $1,000 cash prize for being one-off first prize, and a number of free tickets for an advance draw of the same lottery for being one-off any other cash prize. (Free tickets are always awarded as a sequential run of numbers.)

A jackpot ticket number is then drawn, separately from the main draw. If the ticket number drawn matches a winning number exactly (one-offs do not count), then they win the jackpot; otherwise, that number wins 10 free tickets for an advance draw and the jackpot increments by a certain amount. In recent years the $2 Jackpot - which is statistically more difficult to win than the "6-from-45" Tattslotto-style games - has reached more than $10 million more than once through continued jackpotting; the record jackpot was in July 2003 when a $13,700,000 prize was won [16].

The differences between the $2 and $5 Jackpot Lotteries can be summarised by the following table (current as to 2006-01-28):

Characteristic $2 Jackpot Lottery $5 Jackpot Lottery
Draw Frequency Typically once a day* On average, once every 2 weeks
Maximum Number of Tickets 200,000 160,000
Total Number of Prizes* 10,147 12,880
First Prize $100,000 $200,000
Minimum Jackpot $500,000 $1,000,000
Jackpot Increment $75,000 $170,000
Odds of Winning Jackpot 1 in 11,827,321 1 in 5,963,195
Odds of Winning Cash Prize 1 in 59.1 1 in 37.3
Odds of Winning Any Prize 1 in 19.7 1 in 12.4
  • Draw Frequency: Multiple draws of the $2 Jackpot Lottery may be conducted on the same day if ticket sales demand it, such as during periods with a high jackpot.
  • Total Number of Prizes: includes one-off prizes and one prize for a non-winning jackpot ticket number.

[edit] Former Games

New South Wales Lotteries have also conducted a number of $10 draw lotteries in the past, although none are currently conducted. The most recent $10 lottery conducted was called Lucky 7, which replaced the Million Dollar Lottery (a non-jackpotting draw lottery that was otherwise similar to the $2 and $5 games) before it in 1996 and continued until 2001. [17] Each $10 ticket was entered for five consecutive weekly draws.

Three separate numbers were drawn, named after the number of digits in each winning number: Lucky 7 (with numbers ranging from 1000000-1999999), Lucky 6 (100000-449999) and Lucky 3 (000-999). Prizes were awarded in a similar manner to Super 66, with a $1 million prize offered for matching the Lucky 7 number exactly, while consolation prizes were awarded for matching the last digits of the other numbers - as few as three digits for the Lucky 6, or two digits for the Lucky 3 number.

[edit] Queensland: Casket

Casket (or the $2 Casket) is the name given to the draw lottery administered by Queensland's lottery operator, Golden Casket. The name of the game dates back to the first Queensland draw lotteries - with cash prizes originally prohibited by law, the first prize was awarded as a casket of gold valued at a certain amount, which was then immediately bought back from winners for its cash value [18].

Draws usually take place every six weeks approximately (the draw dates of which are fixed in advance), and a maximum of 110,000 tickets (at $2 each) are sold for each draw. Specific numbers can be selected by the player when buying a Casket ticket (as long as the number has not already been selected), or otherwise automatically allocated through a Quick Pick.

Each draw has a first prize of $100,000, and consolation prizes are drawn to as low as $5. There is no jackpot component. One-off prizes are also drawn, although unlike New South Wales these are paid in cash, with the most common prize being $2 for being one-off any the numbers outside the first three prizes. There are 7,089 prizes awarded in each $2 Casket draw (including one-off prizes), making the odds of winning any prize around 1 in 15.5.

[edit] Instants (Scratchies)

Most Australian lottery companies offer "Scratchies" or instants which can be purchased at outlets. Player scratch and try to match numbers, complete puzzles or reveal codes to obtain a prize. Instants come in many varieties, usually at $1, $2, $3, $4, $5 and $10 prize levels. Although games are often shared between lottery companies, scratchies purchased in one Australian state are not often exchangeable in another.

[edit] Superdraw

A Superdraw is the term given to a Saturday Lotto draw with a much larger guaranteed jackpot pool than usual. Members of the Australian Lotto Bloc use part of their revenue from normal weekly draws to fund these special draws, which occur seven times a year. In the days of the "Second Draw", Superdraw pools - like regular first division pools - were split evenly between the two draws (usually $8 million each at the time), however now all the funds are pooled into the one draw, resulting in a higher headline figure.

In recent years Superdraws have seen guaranteed First Division prize pools of around $20 million. Since 1999, the last Superdraw of each year is often known as a "Megadraw" - its guaranteed First Division pool is larger still, with the 2005 draw's First Division pool amassing $32 million. The end-of-year Megadraw - which began as a "Millennium Megadraw" on 1999-12-31 - is conducted on the last Saturday of the year, or on New Year's Eve if it falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

A Superdraw is supposedly better value for money; because the prize pool is greater than the relative odds and cost of entry. However on saying that it is still extremely hard to win and many people buy more lotto on Superdraws because they feel the odds are better when they are actually the same.

[edit] Statistics (Odds)

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Division Chance Saturday Tattslotto Chance Wednesday Lotto
1st Division (All Six Numbers) 1 in 8,145,060 1 in 3,838,380
2nd Division (Five Numbers and one supplementary) 1 in 678,755 1 in 319,864
3rd Division (Five Winning Numbers) 1 in 36,690 1 in 19,992
4th Division (Four Winning Numbers) 1 in 733 1 in 456
5th Division (Three Winning and one supplementary) 1 in 298 1 in 188
Any Prize 1 in 210 1 in 132
  • Wednesday Gold Lotto (Queensland) follows the same format as Saturday Lotto and therefore the odds are the same as what is listed here.
  • 99.8% of winning games are 4th, 5th, 6th divisions.
Tattslotto Frequency Wednesday Lotto Frequency Tuesday Oz Lotto Frequency
Least Frequent Number 27 162 16 51 - -
Most Frequent Number 8 225 15 73 - -


Division Chance of Winning (Powerball)
1st Division (Five Numbers + Powerball) 1 in 54,979,156
2nd Division (Five Numbers) 1 in 1,249,526
3rd Division (Four Winning + Powerball) 1 in 274,896
4th Division (Three Winning + Powerball) 1 in 7,048
5th Division (Four Winning) 1 in 6,248
6th Division (Two Winning + Powerball) 1 in 556
7th Division (Three Winning) 1 in 160
Any Prize 1 in 120
Division Odds of Winning Oz Lotto
1st Division (All Seven Winning Numbers) 1 in 45,379,620
2nd Division (Six Winning + Supplementary) 1 in 3,241,401
3rd Division (Six Winning) 1 in 180,078
4th Division (Five Winning + Supplementary) 1 in 29,602
5th Division (Five Winning) 1 in 3,430
6th Division (Four Winning) 1 in 154
7th Division (Three Winning + Supplementaty) 1 in 87
Any Prize 1 in 55
  • It is not un-common for divisions one and two to have no winning entries.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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