Saturday Lotto: Complete Guide
Saturday Lotto is Australia's most established weekly lottery. It draws every Saturday night and typically starts at $4 million for Division 1, rolling over when there is no winner. The game has produced some of the largest prizes in Australian lottery history.
How to play
- 1Pick 6 numbers from 1 to 45 on your game entry.
- 2The draw selects 8 balls total: 6 winning numbers and 2 supplementary numbers.
- 3Match all 6 winning numbers to win Division 1.
- 4Lower divisions reward matching 5, 4, or 3 numbers, sometimes with the help of supplementary numbers.
- 5Draws take place at approximately 8:30pm AEST on Saturday nights.
- 6Buy tickets at any registered lottery retailer or online at thelott.com.
Prize divisions
Prize amounts for pari-mutuel divisions vary by draw. Set prizes are fixed regardless of winner count. Check thelott.com for current prize pool amounts.
| Div | Match | Odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 winning numbers | 1 in 8,145,060 | Jackpot (starts at $4M, shared pool) |
| 2 | 5 winning + 1 supplementary | 1 in 678,755 | Shared pool (~$6,000+) |
| 3 | 5 winning numbers | 1 in 36,689 | Shared pool (~$400) |
| 4 | 4 winning numbers | 1 in 733 | Shared pool (~$25) |
| 5 | 3 winning + 1 supplementary | 1 in 297 | Shared pool (~$15) |
| 6 | 1 or 2 winning + 2 supplementary | 1 in 144 | Shared pool (~$10) |
Your overall chance of winning any prize in Saturday Lotto is approximately 1 in 85. The Division 1 odds of 1 in 8,145,060 are among the best for a major Australian jackpot game. By comparison, Powerball is 1 in 134 million for Division 1.
Tips for this game
Avoid birthday clustering
Saturday Lotto runs from 1 to 45. The upper 14 numbers (32 to 45) are consistently under-picked because players lean on birthdates. If these numbers come up, you are competing with fewer other tickets for the prize.
Watch out for arithmetic sequences
Combinations like 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 are popular choices because they look patterned and intentional. They are also picked by many other players. Avoid them.
High rollovers are worth watching
Saturday Lotto jackpots can roll over several times. When the jackpot climbs significantly above the starting $4 million, the expected value per ticket improves. The game is still negative expected value overall, but the prize-to-cost ratio becomes more favourable.
System entries spread your numbers
A System 7 entry covers all combinations of 7 numbers taken 6 at a time, which is 7 lines. It costs more but gives you multiple chances without picking duplicate numbers.
Free tool
Generate Saturday Lotto numbers
Use the Outnumber generator to get a set of numbers weighted towards less-picked combinations. Same odds of winning, better odds of not splitting the prize.
Outnumber does not improve your probability of winning any lottery. All lottery games are games of chance. Prize divisions and prize amounts shown are approximate and may change. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858.