Saturday Lotto

About Saturday Lotto

Saturday Lotto is the granddaddy of Australian lottery games. It's been running since the early 1970s in various state-branded forms: Tattslotto in Victoria, Gold Lotto in Queensland, Lotto in South Australia, and so on. Regardless of what it's called locally, the game itself is identical across the country.

With Division 1 odds of 1 in 8,145,060, it offers the best top-prize chances among the major national games. That's still a long shot, obviously, but it's roughly 16 times easier than Powerball. The trade-off is smaller jackpots — though "smaller" is relative when you're talking about prize pools that regularly sit between $4 million and $20 million.

How to Play

Each game requires you to pick 6 numbers from 1 to 45. During the draw, 6 winning numbers plus 2 supplementary numbers are drawn from a single barrel of 45 balls.

The supplementary numbers only matter for Divisions 2 and 5. Division 1 is purely about matching the 6 main numbers.

Entry types include:

• Standard entry — select 6 numbers per game, either manually or by Quick Pick
• System entry — select between 7 and 20 numbers, covering all possible 6-number combinations from your selection
• Pick entry — lock in some numbers while the rest are randomly selected
• Syndicate entry — share a system entry across multiple shares, splitting costs and prizes

Draw Schedule

Saturday Lotto draws take place every Saturday at 8:30pm AEST. Entries close at around 7:25pm AEST. Results are usually available within 30 minutes.

Several times a year, The Lott runs "Superdraws" and "Megadraws" with boosted guaranteed jackpots — sometimes $20 million or more. These are announced in advance and tend to sell a lot of tickets.

Sample Recent Results

Illustrative results only. Confirm with your retailer or the official results page.

Prize Divisions

Saturday Lotto has 6 prize divisions. Division 1 requires all 6 main numbers. Here's how it breaks down:

Division	Match Required	Odds (approx.)
1	6 main numbers	1 in 8,145,060
2	5 main + 1 or 2 supplementary	1 in 678,755
3	5 main numbers	1 in 36,689
4	4 main numbers	1 in 733
5	3 main + 1 or 2 supplementary	1 in 297
6	1 or 2 main + 2 supplementary	1 in 144

Division 6 prizes are generally a fixed amount. Divisions 1 through 5 are calculated from the prize pool, which varies depending on ticket sales and jackpot accumulation.

Superdraws and Special Events

A few times each year, The Lott announces Saturday Lotto Superdraws with guaranteed jackpots of $20 million or more. These are boosted by injecting extra funds into the prize pool. Megadraws push that even higher.

The timing of these events isn't entirely predictable, but they often coincide with holidays or the end of financial year. You'll see them advertised at outlets and online when they're coming up.

Practical Tips

• The odds are the same for every combination. Choosing "lucky" numbers doesn't improve your chances — but it doesn't hurt them either.
• Avoid popular sequences like birthdays-only (1–31), since many people pick them and you'd share any prize with more winners.
• A 12-game marked entry costs about $9–$10 depending on your state. It's affordable enough to play weekly without stress.
• Syndicate entries are a solid way to play system entries without the full cost. Many newsagencies sell pre-made syndicates.
• Keep your tickets safe or buy online where results are checked automatically.
• Set a budget. Stick to it. No exceptions.