Lottery and Number Draw Games

Overview

In a number lottery, a player picks numbers from a fixed range and wins prizes if they match numbers drawn at random. Jackpot odds are very long (for example 1 in 13,983,816 for pick 6 of 49), and typically only about 50% to 70% of sales is returned as prizes, so the average ticket loses money.

A lottery is a form of gambling in which numbers are drawn at random for a prize. In a typical number lottery the player picks (or is assigned) several numbers from a fixed range, called the matrix, for example 6 numbers from 49. Machine-drawn balls or a certified random number generator then select the winning numbers, and prizes are paid according to how many of the ticket's numbers match the draw. Because the numbers are drawn randomly, every combination has exactly the same chance of being drawn.

The earliest recorded signs of a lottery are keno slips from the Chinese Han dynasty between 205 and 187 BC. The first recorded lotteries to sell tickets for money prizes were held in the Low Countries in the 15th century, with a record from 1445 at L'Ecluse that mentions raising funds for town walls. Italy contributed the numbers format: in Genoa, people bet on which of 90 candidates would be drawn for the city council, and the candidates' names were later replaced by numbers. The Dutch state-owned Staatsloterij (1726) is described as the oldest running lottery, and the first official English lottery was chartered by Queen Elizabeth I in 1566.

Today lotteries are usually run or licensed by governments, and a share of sales goes to public purposes. Modern games include national and state lotteries such as pick-6 formats, multi-country draws such as EuroMillions (launched in 2004), multi-state draws such as Powerball (started in 1992 in the United States), daily pick-3 and pick-4 games, and instant or fast-draw games. Tickets can be bought in shops, at terminals and, where it is legal, online. The same maths applies to all of them: a huge number of possible combinations, a small number of winning combinations, and a fixed share of sales returned as prizes.

Earliest record

Keno slips from the Han dynasty, China, 205 to 187 BC

First ticket lotteries for money prizes

Low Countries, 15th century (record from 1445)

Pick 6 of 49 jackpot odds

1 in 13,983,816

EuroMillions jackpot odds (5 of 50 + 2 of 12)

1 in 139,838,160

Powerball jackpot odds (5 of 69 + 1 of 26)

1 in 292,201,338

Pick 3 straight odds

1 in 1,000

Share of sales returned as prizes

Typically about 50% to 70%, depending on the lottery

Average ticket

Negative expected return: the lottery keeps the remainder

How to play Lottery

1. 1Find the game's format. The format says how many numbers you pick and from what range, for example 6 from 49, or 5 from 50 plus 2 'star' numbers from 12.
2. 2Pick your numbers on a slip or screen, or choose a quick pick, where the terminal generates a random selection. Both have exactly the same chance of being drawn.
3. 3Pay for the ticket. The price is fixed for each line of numbers, and optional extras (such as a multiplier or an extra draw) cost more.
4. 4Check the draw date and time and the cut-off for buying tickets. Draws usually take place on fixed days of the week.
5. 5At the draw, the winning numbers are selected at random by balls drawn from a machine or by a certified random number generator.
6. 6Compare your numbers with the winning numbers. The number of matches, and in some games the matching extra ball or star numbers, decides the prize tier.
7. 7Prizes are paid according to the game's rules: some prizes are fixed amounts, while others are shared equally among all winners in that tier.
8. 8If nobody wins the jackpot, it commonly rolls over into the next draw; check the game's rules for caps and for how long a prize can be claimed.

Rules

• Matrix formats: a player picks a fixed number of values from one pool (for example 6 of 49), or from two pools (for example 5 of 69 plus 1 of 26, or 5 of 50 plus 2 of 12).
• The draw is without replacement: the same ball cannot be drawn twice, and the order of the numbers does not matter in most games.
• Every combination of numbers is equally likely to be drawn, so a ticket picked from birthdays, a pattern or a quick pick all have the same chance.
• Prize tiers are defined by the number of matches. A jackpot requires all numbers; lower tiers require fewer matches, and the odds of winning a lower prize are much shorter.
• Prizes may be pari-mutuel (a fixed share of the prize fund divided among winners in that tier) or fixed (a set amount for each winner, such as in pick-3 and pick-4 games).
• If several tickets win the jackpot, it is divided equally among them, so a larger jackpot does not mean a larger individual prize.
• A jackpot with no winner usually rolls over to the next draw, and some games cap the jackpot and move the excess into lower prize tiers.
• Prize fund: lotteries set a fixed share of sales for prizes. For EuroMillions, the prize fund is 50% of main draw sales; for US state lotteries as a whole, about 67% of ticket sales were paid out as prizes in fiscal 2024.
• Some jackpots can be taken as an annuity (paid over many years) or as a smaller lump sum; Powerball, for example, offers both choices.
• Tax on prizes, the time allowed to claim a prize, and rules for sharing a ticket (such as a group or syndicate) depend on the country or state.
• Players must be adults; the legal age for buying lottery tickets is 18 in many places and higher in others.
• Tickets must be bought before the cut-off time and from an authorised seller; the printed ticket or digital record is what is used to claim a prize.

Bets, payouts & house edge

Payouts, commissions and side bets differ between providers and casinos. Always read the rules shown at the table or in the game before anything else.

Tips for playing sensibly

Common myths

Variants

Glossary

Matrix

The format of the game: how many numbers must be picked and the range they come from, such as 6 from 49.

Jackpot

The top prize in a draw, won by matching all of the required numbers.

Rollover

When no ticket wins the jackpot, it is added to the jackpot of the next draw.

Prize tier

A prize level defined by how many numbers match, for example match 3 or match 5 plus a extra number.

Pari-mutuel prize

A prize whose size depends on sales and on the number of winners, because a fixed share of the prize fund is divided among them.

Prize fund

The share of ticket sales that is set aside for prizes.

Quick pick

A set of numbers chosen at random by the terminal or website instead of by the player.

Extra ball or star number

An extra number drawn from a separate pool; matching it can move a ticket into a higher prize tier.

Annuity

A jackpot paid in yearly instalments over many years instead of as one lump sum.

Lump sum (cash option)

A one-off payment of a smaller amount than the advertised jackpot, offered as an alternative to the annuity in some games.

Combination

A set of numbers where order does not matter; the number of combinations is what sets the jackpot odds.

Syndicate

A group of people who pool money to buy tickets and share any prize.

Lottery FAQ

Related reading

Games · 8 Aug 2026

Understanding lottery odds, prize shares and rollovers

Jackpot odds for common lottery formats, how much of sales is returned as prizes, and why a rollover does not improve the chance of a single ticket.