Australia’s Oz Lotto is the premier lottery game in Australia. This lottery is held every Tuesday, and first appeared in 1994. The Oz Lotto was the very first national lottery game in Australia, even though New South Wales did not originally take part.
When it was first launched, the lottery was known as the Saturday Lotto, and required players to pick 6 numbers out of a total of 45. However, in 2005 it changed to include a seventh number. This was initially an unpopular decision, though it has since come to be accepted overall.
Despite this standardised format, the Oz Lotto was still known by several other names until 2012. It was called the Super 7s Oz Lotto and Oz 7 Lotto in various parts of the country, especially in Queensland. At present, this lottery also holds the record for the biggest ever prize to be paid out to multiple Australian lottery players, with four winners sharing over AUD$111 million in 2012.
How to play the Oz Lotto
The Oz Lotto is played with a total of 45 numbers. A total of 7 numbers are drawn from the pot, as well as 2 bonus balls. A guaranteed division one prize pool of AUD$2 million is available for each drawing of the Oz Lotto.
Prizes
Each of the prizes in the Oz Lotto is broken down into divisions. If players wish to win the Oz Lotto jackpot (first division prize), then they will need to land all 7 numbers. Players have roughly a 1 in 45 million chance of doing this.
Second division prizes are awarded when players land 6 numbers and a bonus ball, whilst third division prizes are paid out to players with just the 6 numbers. Fourth and fifth division prizes are awarded for 5 balls and one or both bonuses, and 5 balls, respectively.
Players can also win sixth and seventh division prizes, with either 4 balls, or 3 balls and one or both bonuses, respectively. Sometimes, it is also possible to win a prize with less balls, though this is rare.
Lotto Atlas recommends playing the Oz Lotto on The Lotter
Normally, you would have to reside in Australia to play the Oz Lotto, although if you take the advice of Lotto Atlas and join The Lotter, you can play wherever you live in the world.
After signing up at The Lotter, players can select the Oz Lotto option from the list of lotteries. Tickets normally cost AUD$1.10 for the Oz Lotto, although you will have to pay a little bit more for tickets via The Lotter, since they are purchasing your tickets for you. They will then send you those tickets via e-mail.
Keep a tab on the winning numbers, and if yours come up, any winnings you pocket will be paid out to you via your Lotter account.
And finally…
Although the inclusion of the seventh ball means that your chances of winning the Oz Lotto are now a lot lower than they used to be, you still have a reasonable chance of success, when compared with our major lotteries around the world.
If you are going to be playing an Australian lottery game, then Lotto Atlas would always recommend playing the Oz Lotto, since it offers larger prizes than any other Australian lottery.