The Saturday Megadraw: the $30 million event, explained
The Megadraw is the biggest Saturday Lotto event of the year. Held around Christmas and New Year, it lifts the Division 1 prize pool from its usual level of around $5 million to roughly $30 million. It is the same Saturday Lotto game (six numbers from 45), just with a much larger top prize and far more people playing.
The Megadraw is the most-shared draw of the year
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 winners sharing the pool. The Megadraw pushes those numbers higher: millions of extra entries pour in, most of them clustering on the same popular numbers — birthdays, lucky 7s, and tidy sequences.
The headline number is the total Division 1 pool, not what one winner necessarily takes home. When many entries share the same numbers and those numbers come up, the pool is divided among all of them. The Prize Division Simulator lets you model how sharing changes your expected payout at different entry volumes.
Why crowd-free numbers matter most at the Megadraw
Your odds of winning are fixed by the game and no selection changes them. What you can influence is how many people you would share with. The Megadraw draws the biggest, most casual crowd of the year, and that crowd leans hardest on birthdays, lucky numbers, and neat patterns. Picking numbers the crowd tends to skip is the one lever in your control, and it has the most impact on the night the most people are playing. The recurring Superdraw follows the same logic on a smaller scale.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Saturday Lotto Megadraw?
The Megadraw is the biggest Saturday Lotto event of the year. Held around Christmas and New Year, it boosts the Division 1 prize pool from the usual ~$5 million to around $30 million. The game format is identical to a standard Saturday Lotto draw — six numbers from 1 to 45.
When is the Saturday Lotto Megadraw?
The Megadraw is held in late December or early January each year. The exact date is announced by The Lott a few weeks in advance. It replaces that week's regular Saturday Lotto draw.
What is the difference between a Superdraw and the Megadraw?
A Superdraw runs every five to six weeks and boosts Division 1 to ~$20 million. The Megadraw runs once a year around Christmas and boosts Division 1 to ~$30 million. The Megadraw is the larger, rarer event. Both use the same Saturday Lotto format.
Is the Megadraw jackpot shared?
Almost always. Our analysis of 9,291 real Australian lottery draws shows Saturday Lotto Division 1 jackpots are shared in 96% of all draws. The Megadraw, which draws the largest casual crowd of any draw in the year, produces even more Division 1 winners than a typical week. The headline prize is the total Division 1 pool, divided among all winning entries.
Do I need to enter the Megadraw differently?
No. You enter a Megadraw the same way as any Saturday Lotto draw. Existing standing orders, System entries, and QuickPicks all carry over automatically to Megadraw weeks.
Generate crowd-free Megadraw numbers
Outnumber's optimised mode weights your numbers away from the most commonly picked combinations, so if you win the Megadraw you are less likely to share it.
Saturday Superdraw
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Real prize sharing data
Number choice does not change your odds of winning, only your expected share of a prize. Prize amounts are indicative and set by the operator. For entertainment purposes only. Play responsibly. 18+ only. Gambling Help Online: 1800 858 858.