A lotto odds calculator turns 6 from 59 into something you can picture. The UK Lotto jackpot is 1 in 45,057,474 per line. Matching three numbers is 1 in 96, and matching two, which wins a free Lucky Dip, is about 1 in 10. The free calculator above gives the chance for every result and over any number of lines and draws.
The Lotto is drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays, six numbers from 59, with a bonus ball drawn from the same drum.
Lotto odds calculator: every prize
| Match | Odds per line |
|---|---|
| 6 (jackpot) | 1 in 45,057,474 |
| 5 + bonus ball | 1 in 7,509,579 |
| 5 | 1 in 144,415 |
| 4 | 1 in 2,180 |
| 3 | 1 in 96.2 |
| 2 (free Lucky Dip) | 1 in 10.3 |
The bonus ball only matters if you’ve matched five. Because it comes out of the main drum, the calculator leaves that one tier aside and covers all the others.
Putting 1 in 45 million in context
For an even chance at the jackpot you’d need around 31 million different lines, about £62 million at £2 a line. If you bought one line a second, it would still take 17 months to cover every combination. Play two lines a draw for a year and your chance of the jackpot is about 1 in 217,000. Your chance of matching three at least once in that year is about 89%.
That’s the useful way to read the odds: the small prizes are regular, the big ones aren’t really part of the plan. For numbers, the UK Lotto number generator does Lucky Dips, and the lottery odds calculator compares Lotto with Thunderball, EuroMillions and the rest.
The Lotto is entertainment with very long odds. Play with spare change, not savings. BeGambleAware.org is free and confidential if it stops being fun.