How to Play Lotto

1. Lottery.co.uk
2. Lotto
3. How to Play

To play Lotto, simply select six numbers between 1 and 59. Draws take place on Wednesday and Saturday at 8.00pm, with two rounds on each draw night, so be sure to check what time ticket sales close so you don't miss out on a chance to win.

You can buy Lotto tickets from authorised retailers across the UK or enter draws online. However you choose to play, the main steps you need to follow are the same:

• Step1

  Choose your six numbers from 1-59. You can select your own numbers or have a random selection made for you by purchasing a Lucky Dip ticket or using a number generator.

• Step2

  Decide how many lines you want to play. Retailers allow you to select up to seven lines of numbers on a single play slip.

• Step3

  Purchase your entries before the cutoff time for that draw.

• Step4

  Relax and wait for the results! The Lotto results page will display the latest results immediately after each draw. Alternatively, you can watch live on YouTube at approximately 8.00pm.

How the Two Rounds Work

On each draw night, two sets of numbers (Round 1 and Round 2) are drawn. You do not need to select two sets of numbers – the same combination of numbers on your ticket is entered into both rounds. Here’s how it works:

Step 1

Pick your numbers and buy the ticket, then wait for the first round of the draw night.

Round 1

Six balls are drawn at random from 1 to 59, followed by a Bonus Ball

Win a prize if you match two or more of the main numbers

If you don’t win, there’s a second chance moments later…

Once Round 1 has finished, the Round 2 draw begins:

Round 2

A second set of six balls are drawn from 1 to 59, plus a Bonus Ball

It’s a separate draw, so some of the same numbers might appear in both rounds

If you match two or more numbers in the second round, you win a prize

Tonight's Mega Millions Jackpot

$392 Million

Time left to buy tickets:

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Direct Debit

National Lottery players can also choose to play via Direct Debit. This option allows you to enter draws automatically and continuously so you never miss out on a chance to win.

• Step1

  Fill in an online playslip Choose your numbers, decide how many lines you want to play with and then choose whether to enter Wednesday draws, Saturday draws, or both.

• Step2

  Select the ‘play continuously by Direct Debit’ option

• Step3

  Submit your bank sort code and account number

Once the Direct Debit is fully set up you will then be entered into your chosen draws. Entries will be made automatically, but if you want to update your numbers or make any other changes then you can do so by logging into your account.

How Many Numbers Do You Need to Match?

To win the Lotto jackpot, you must match all six main numbers drawn. However, other prizes are offered for matching two numbers or more. The jackpot is shared between all players who match six numbers on the same draw night. For example, if the jackpot is worth £10 million and two players match all the numbers, they receive £5 million each. It does not matter whether both players match all six numbers in the same draw round, or whether one matches the numbers in the first round and one matches them in the second round.

All the other prizes are fixed amounts, so each player wins the prize amount stated. All available prizes are listed below:

You cannot combine numbers from Round 1 and Round 2 to make a winning match. For example, matching three numbers in each round does not count as matching six. You must match all six from one round to win the jackpot.

In rare circumstances, the jackpot prize amount for each winner may fall below £1 million if there are multiple winners in the same draw. When this happens, the prize for each winner will be topped up to £1 million. For example, a £2 million jackpot split between four winners only works out at £500,000 each, so an additional £2 million would be added to the jackpot fund to top the individual prizes up to £1 million. The maximum amount that can be added to the jackpot fund in this way is £7 million, so in extremely rare circumstances, it may mean that jackpot winners receive less than £1 million each.

The Bonus Ball is the seventh ball selected in each draw and gives players who have matched five main numbers a chance to win the second-tier prize. It does not affect your chance of winning the jackpot or any other prize tiers. For more information on your chances of winning in each prize tier, visit the Lotto Odds page.

Lotto HotPicks

Although it uses the same winning numbers, HotPicks is not part of the main Lotto draw, so to play you must buy a separate ticket for £1. This exciting game lets you choose how many numbers you want to try and match, but you must match them all to win a prize. For example, if you buy a Match 4 entry, you only win anything if you match all four of the numbers you choose. You would not receive a prize for matching three or fewer numbers. Visit the HotPicks page for further details.

Ticket Sale Cutoff Times

Claiming Prizes

How to claim a Lotto prize varies depending on which method you used to play. For example, if you are part of an online syndicate then winnings will be deposited directly into your player account. Go to the Claiming Prizes page for a guide on what to do to receive your payment.