The Irish Lotto, which replaced the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes in 1988, is one of the best lottery games in the world as far as the odds of winning are concerned. Of course, no lottery game is easy to win, but the chances of you landing the top prize in the Irish Lottery are an impressive 1 in 8,145,060. The game requires players to select six numbers from 1 to 45. Seven numbers are drawn in the lottery itself, comprising six main numbers and one “bonus” number. To win the top prize the player’s selections must match all six main numbers.
Draws take place twice a week, every Wednesday and Saturday, and there are seven prize levels – referred to as “divisions” in all. The prize fund for Division 1 is guaranteed to be worth a minimum of €2 million, but rollovers generate jackpots of €5 million or more on a fairly regular basis. The complete details of all seven prize divisions, including how to win, are presented in the table below. Note that all Irish lottery prizes are paid out as a lump sum and are tax-free.
DIVISION |
HOW TO WIN |
PRIZE |
1 |
Match 6 main numbers |
€2,000,000 |
2 |
Match 5 main numbers + bonus |
€25,000 |
3 |
Match 5 main numbers |
8.17% of total prize pool |
4 |
Match 4 main numbers + bonus |
2.54% of total prize pool |
5 |
Match 4 main numbers |
14.29% of total prize pool |
6 |
Match 3 main numbers + bonus |
8.62% of total prize pool |
7 |
Match 3 main numbers |
€5 |
If a player does not want to select their own numbers, they can have six numbers picked at random by taking advantage of a Quick Pick option.
A significant proportion of the money raised from Irish Lotto ticket sales is used to fund projects in the fields of recreation, culture, arts, sport and the promotion of the Irish language.