Australian Christmas lotto draws 2026: dates, jackpots and what to know
Every major Australian lottery game draws over the Christmas and New Year period. Saturday Lotto holds its annual $30 million Megadraw, Powerball draws on Christmas Eve, and Weekday Windfall and Set for Life run daily throughout the holidays. Here is a breakdown of every draw, what the jackpots look like, and why the crowd angle matters most at this time of year.
Christmas 2026 draw schedule
Saturday Lotto (Megadraw)Biggest event
Late December / early January
The biggest Saturday Lotto event of the year. Prize pool is roughly 6× a normal week. The Megadraw is routinely shared across many Division 1 winners because it attracts the largest casual crowd of any draw in the calendar.
Powerball
Thursday 24 December 2026 (Christmas Eve)
Powerball draws every Thursday without exception — including Christmas Eve. If the jackpot has been rolling through December it could be very large by the 24th.
Oz Lotto
Tuesday 22 December and Tuesday 29 December 2026
Oz Lotto draws every Tuesday. Two draws fall squarely in the Christmas-to-New-Year window, making it one of the most active games of the festive period.
Weekday Windfall
Every weekday through December and January
Draws Monday to Friday, including the weekdays around Christmas and New Year. The guaranteed $1 million prize does not change regardless of ticket sales.
Set for Life
Every single day, including Christmas Day
The only daily draw that runs 365 days a year without exception. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day all have Set for Life draws.
Christmas is when prize sharing is worst
Christmas draws attract millions of casual players who do not normally buy tickets, and most of them pick the same numbers: birthdays, the popular 7 and 3, and neat sequences. The numbers 1 to 31 are heavily over-picked because they correspond to calendar days; numbers above 31 are often barely chosen at all.
Our analysis of 9,291 real Australian lottery draws shows Saturday Lotto Division 1 jackpots are shared in 96% of all draws, with an average of 6.9 winning entries per Division 1 result. At Christmas, with a $30 million Megadraw pulling in record ticket sales, the crowd is bigger than at any other point in the year. The headline prize is larger, but so is the number of people you might split it with.
The Prize Division Simulator lets you model how sharing affects expected payout at different entry volumes. Picking numbers the crowd tends to skip is the one lever you control, and it matters most at Christmas when the crowd is at its peak.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a lotto draw on Christmas Day 2026?
Yes. Set for Life draws every single day of the year, including Christmas Day. Weekday Windfall draws on weekdays — in 2026 Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so there is also a Weekday Windfall draw. Saturday Lotto's annual Megadraw typically falls in the final week of December or early January, not on Christmas Day itself.
Is there a Powerball draw on Christmas Eve?
Yes. Powerball draws every Thursday. In 2026, Christmas Eve (24 December) is a Thursday, so there is a Powerball draw that night. If the jackpot has been rolling through December it could be very large.
What is the Christmas Megadraw?
The Saturday Lotto Megadraw is a once-a-year event held in late December or early January where the Division 1 prize pool is boosted from the usual ~$5 million to around $30 million. It is the largest Saturday Lotto event of the year and draws the biggest crowd. The Outnumber Megadraw guide covers it in full.
Why is prize sharing worse at Christmas?
Christmas draws attract millions of casual players who do not normally buy tickets. Almost all of them pick the same numbers — birthdays, lucky numbers such as 7 and 3, and neat sequences. Our analysis of 9,291 real Australian lottery draws shows Saturday Lotto Division 1 jackpots are shared in 96% of draws on average. At Christmas, with a $30 million Megadraw pulling in record ticket sales, the sharing risk is higher than at any other point in the year.
When do ticket sales close for Christmas lotto draws?
Ticket sale cutoff times vary by state and retailer. For Saturday Lotto and Powerball, entry typically closes around 7:30 pm AEST on draw night. For draws on or around Christmas Day, sales may close slightly earlier. Check with your retailer or the official operator for exact times.
Can I check Christmas lotto results on Outnumber?
Yes. Outnumber publishes draw results for all five games as soon as they are available after each draw. Visit the results page for Saturday Lotto, Powerball, Oz Lotto, Weekday Windfall, or Set for Life.
Generate crowd-free Christmas lotto numbers
Outnumber weights your numbers away from the combinations the crowd over-picks — most useful when the crowd is at its biggest.
Saturday Megadraw guide
The $30M year-end event explained
Saturday Superdraw guide
The $20M recurring event explained
Lottery Transparency Report
Prize sharing across 9,291 real draws
Full draw schedule
When every game draws, every week
Draw dates and jackpot amounts are indicative. Special events are announced by the operator. Number choice does not change your odds of winning, only your expected share of a prize. For entertainment purposes only. Play responsibly. 18+. Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858.