UK Lotto — Rules & Prize Tiers

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Updated: 20 Apr 2026

Game Overview
CountryUnited Kingdom
OperatorCamelot / Allwyn
Draw DaysWednesday & Saturday
Draw TimeWed 20:00 / Sat 19:45 (GMT)
Ticket Price£2 per line

The UK National Lottery Lotto is the UK's flagship lottery game, launched in 1994. Players choose 6 numbers from 1 to 59. After the draw, 6 main numbers and 1 bonus ball are revealed from the same pool of 59 numbers. There are 6 prize tiers. Matching just 2 numbers wins a free Lucky Dip ticket for the next draw. Draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday evening on BBC One.

Prize Tiers: Winning Conditions & Odds
TierWinning ConditionOdds
JackpotMatch all 6 numbers1/45,057,474
2ndMatch 5 numbers + bonus ball1/7,509,579
3rdMatch 5 numbers1/144,415
4thMatch 4 numbers1/2,180
5thMatch 3 numbers1/97
6thMatch 2 numbers1/10.3
Exclude Numbers & Combination Check
Main Numbers · 1–59

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How to Buy

UK Lotto tickets cost £2 per line. You can play up to 7 lines on a single ticket.

RetailAvailable at thousands of newsagents, supermarkets, and post offices across the UK. Choose your own numbers or use Lucky Dip for a random selection. Minimum age: 18.
OnlinePurchase at national-lottery.co.uk or via the National Lottery app. You must be 18 or over and a UK resident to play online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Lucky Dip in UK Lotto?
A Lucky Dip is a randomly generated set of 6 numbers. At retail, you can request a Lucky Dip ticket instead of choosing your own numbers. Matching 2 numbers in a draw wins you a free Lucky Dip for the next draw.
What is a "must-be-won" rolldown draw?
If the jackpot rolls over for 5 consecutive draws without being won, the 6th draw becomes a "must-be-won" draw. If no single ticket matches all 6 numbers, the jackpot is shared proportionally among all winning tickets in the lower prize tiers — greatly boosting prizes for matching 2, 3, 4, or 5 numbers.
Are UK Lotto prizes tax-free?
Yes. All UK National Lottery prizes are completely tax-free for UK residents. The full prize amount is paid directly to winners.
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