Lotteries and scratchies
And all the rest. Each ticket is an entry to a game of chance. The odds of winning vary a lot depending on the game - and so does the size of the prizes.
A lot of games of chance fall into the lotteries and scratchies category. They include Lucky Lotteries, Powerball, Oz Lotto, 6 From 38 Pools and Keno. It's one form of gambling that's a source of harmless entertainment for most people. Just don't get too attached to the idea of winning.
Can you improve the odds?
Because winning numbers are drawn at random, every ticket has the same chance of winning, except in 6 From 38 Pools. Some games have very big prizes and very little chance of winning. Lotteries and scratchies give you a greater chance to win a very small prize. These games are strictly controlled by the NSW Government to make sure they're fair and follow the rules.
Lotto
Every state holds its own Lotto draws on Monday and Wednesday. There’s a national draw on Saturday.
There are 45 balls, numbered 1 to 45. 8 balls are drawn randomly by the machine. The first 6 are the winning numbers, and the last 2 are the supplementary numbers. You have to play at least 4 games on each Lotto card.
Odds of matching 6 winning numbers in a single game
8,145,060 to 1
Lotto Strike
Lotto Strikeis an add-on game for players of Lotto. Players choose 4 numbers from 1 to 45. Prizes depend on how many players match the first 4 Lotto numbers drawn in the correct order.
Odds of matching 4 numbers in the correct order
3,575,880 to 1
Powerball
There are 40 balls, numbered 1 to 40. 6 are randomly drawn. A seventh ball, the Powerball, is drawn from another machine with 20 balls numbered1 to 20. Powerball prizes are usually bigger than Lotto, but about 9 times harder to win. You must play at least 4 games in a draw.
Odds of matching 6 winning numbers + Powerball in a single game
76,767,600 to 1
Oz Lotto
There are 45 balls,numbered 1 to 45. 9 are drawn randomly. The first 7 are the winning numbers, and the last 2 are the supplementary numbers.
Odds of matching all 7 numbers in a single game
45,379,620 to 1
Instant Scratch-Its (scratchies)
With scratchies, you scratch to reveal numbers, symbols or pictures on a ticket. The odds differ depending on the kind of game played.
Odds of winning the top prize on a $2 ticket
825,000 to 1
Lucky Lotteries
Super Jackpot
- The Super Jackpot lottery has 270,000 tickets, so your chance of winning the first prize with a single ticket is 1 in 270,000.
- There are over 10,000 other prizes in each draw, so the chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24. Most prizes are very small, like free tickets in another draw.
- The Super Jackpot is an additional prize won about once every 70 draws.
Mega Jackpot
- The Mega Jackpot lottery has 200,000 tickets, so your chance of winning the first prize with a single ticket is 1 in 200,000
- The chance of winning some prize is 1 in 17.
- The actualMega Jackpot is an additional prize won about once every 47 draws.
Odds of winning Super Jackpot with a single ticket
18,385,876 to 1
Odds of winning Mega Jackpot with a single ticket
9,483,167 to 1
Keno
You can play Keno in many registered clubs, hotels and casinos. In each game, 20 numbers are randomly drawn from 80, and prizes are based on how many of the numbers you selected match the ones drawn. You can choose1 to 10, 15, 20 or 40 numbers in each game. If you choose to play 7, 8, 9 or 10 numbers, part of your bet is added to a jackpot that you have a chance of winning.
Odds of winning the 10-number jackpot
8,911,711 to 1
6 From 38 Pools
Players select 6 numbers from 1 to 38. Instead of a random draw, winning numbers are based on results of soccer matches across Europe and Australia. The 6 highest-scoring draws determine the 6 winning match numbers. The seventh highest-scoring draw is the supplementary number. You have to play at least two games at a time.
Odds of picking 6 winning match numbers on one game
2,760,681 to 1
