When the National Lottery was first introduced in South Africa in March, 2000, it was operated by Uthingo and Lotto was one of the first games to be rolled out by the operator. Three years later, in November 2003, Uthingo launched Lotto Plus, a supplementary weekly lottery that could be played when purchasing a primary lottery ticket. This was after the SA Trade and Industry Minister rejected Uthingo’s bid to offer daily lotteries to supplement the weekly draw.

Today, players can play Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 – giving them a second and third chance to hit the jackpot. Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 & Lotto Plus 2 are three different games among the eight offered by the South African Lottery and its current operator, Ithuba.

Lotto, Lotto Plus and all SA lottery games are regulated by the National Lottery Commission.

Lotto and Lotto Plus 1 & 2 in a Nutshell

• The draws for Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 take place twice a week – on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Draws are streamed live on these evenings from 20:56 on SABC2.
• It costs just R5 per Lotto ticket.
• Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 cost extra to play (R2.50 a game) and increase the player’s chance of winning.
• You must be 18 years old or over to play any SA lottery game.
• You can buy your ticket in person at approved lottery retailers or online (see “Play Lotto and Lotto Plus 1 & 2 Online” below).

Basic Rules of Lotto

Playing Lotto and its supplemental Lotto Plus 1 & 2 involves choosing six different numbers between 1 and 52. During the draws on these three games, six numbered balls are drawn from a set for balls, each numbered 1 through to 52.

In addition, a Bonus Ball is drawn, although this is only relevant if players are lucky enough to match five numbers.

Players who match at least three numbers will win a prize. Prizes will increase according to how many numbers are matched (the maximum being six).

Players will win the big jackpot if they match all six drawn numbers. If there is more than one winner, the main prize is shared equally. All players who match all six numbers are given equal parts of the jackpot.

If the big jackpot isn’t won in a draw, the prize is added to the next Lotto draw. This is known as a Rollover.

Basic Rules of Lotto Plus 1

You will play Lotto Plus 1 in the same way as you would Lotto, except that you are presented with a second chance of winning. If you want to play Lotto Plus 1, you should indicate this when buying a Lotto ticket and pay an extra R2.50 per game.

The price is slightly lower, which effects the size of the prizes (slightly lower); however, the odds are the same as the Lotto draw.

Basic Rules of Lotto Plus 2

Play Lotto Plus 2 in the same way as you’d play Lotto and Lotto Plus 1, the only difference being that you’ll buy yourself a third chance to win. You’ll pay an extra R2.50 per game to enter the draw. Again, the odds remain the same although the prizes are slightly lower.

❓ How to Play Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2

Quick Pick Option:

This is the quickest way to play the Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2. The Lottery processing system essentially chooses six lucky numbers randomly for you.

Manually choose your lucky numbers as follows:

• Get hold of a valid Lotto betslip.
• Choose six numbers from 1 – 52 by using a pen or pencil. Mark your choice of numbers,
• Head to an approved Lottery retailer and hand your betslip to a teller.
• Make your payment
• Write your name on the back of the receipt.
• Watch the next Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 draw on TV on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 20:56 (on SABC 2) or check the results online.

 

By SMS

You can enter a selection of six numbers between 1 and 52 through SMS play or select a Quick Pick through SMS.

Play Lotto and Lotto Plus 1 & 2 Online

You can buy tickets for all three games online by registering at the South African National Lottery website. You need to be a resident of South Africa to play online. You can also purchase tickets online if you have an ABSA, FNB, Nedbank or Standard Bank account. Simply send your name and ID number via SMS or via the USSD string.

When you sign up online, you will have a virtual wallet created and you will be asked to transfer funds into this wallet to facilitate the purchase of lottery tickets. You’ll be asked to choose a password which will keep your funds safe and allow ease of access. Upon completing the sign-up process, make a deposit, choose your numbers and buy a ticket for the upcoming draw/s.

Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 Terms & Conditions

• There is no limit to the number of boards you can purchase in these games.
• If you want to play Lotto Plus 1, mark off this option on your betslip.
• If you want to play Lotto Plus 2, mark off this option on your betslip
• To play Lotto Plus 2, you must have played Lotto and Lotto Plus 1.
• You can choose a Multi-Draw option which allows you to play the same lottery numbers over multiple draws.
• A single Lotto card costs R5, including VAT.
• A single Lotto Plus 1 game costs R2.50 including VAT.
• A single Lotto Plus 2 game costs R2.50 including VAT.
• Tickets can be bought every day of the week, however ticket sales close at 8.30 pm on the day of a draw.
• The maximum price for a bet is limited to R2,000 per participant.

Lotto Prize Divisions

Depending on how many numbers you manage to match, you will win according to the prize divisions determined by the National Lottery. If there are no winners in Division 1, then the prize is rolled over to the next draw. If there are no winners in Division 2 – 6, the prize pool rolls down to the lower division.

• Division 8: Match two numbers from the six drawn numbers and the bonus number. The guaranteed prize for a win in Division 8 is R20.
• Division 7: Match three numbers from the six drawn. The guaranteed prize for a win in Division 7 is fixed at R50.
• Division 6: Match three numbers from the six drawn and the bonus number.
• Division 5: Match four numbers from the six drawn.
• Division 4: Match four numbers from the six drawn and the bonus number.
• Division 3: Match five numbers from the six drawn.
• Division 2: Match five numbers from the six drawn and the bonus number.
• Division 1: Match all six numbers drawn.

???? Odds of Winning Lotto Prize

The following are the odds for winning a prize in a Lotto draw:

• Division 1: 1 in 20,358,520
• Division 2: 1 in 3,393,087
• Division 3: 1 in 75,402
• Division 4: 1 in 30,161
• Division 5: 1 in 1,371
• Division 6: 1 in 1,028
• Division 7: 1 in 72
• Division 8: 1 in 96

How to Claim Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 Prizes

You’ve won the lottery! Now what? The way to go about claiming your prize depends very much on how much you won.

If you won anything up to R2,000, you can simply head to a licensed lottery retailer anywhere in the country and ask for your payout. Don’t forget to bring along the signed Lotto ticket.

If your prize is higher than R2,000 but less than R50,000, this calls for a visit to an authorized lottery payment centre, which could be as convenient as your own neighbourhood post office. The lotto centre will pay you out your winnings via EFT or cheque, and it should take between 3 and 10 business days to get your money.

Prizes up to R50,000 can also, theoretically, by claimed by mail. You need to send the signed lottery ticket to the National Lottery’s head office (14A Charles Crescent, Eastgate Ext. 4, 2031 Sandton). Our recommendation is to avoid this method since the postal system is not fool proof.

Ithuba proceeds with caution when it comes to big wins over R50,000 (and rightly so). Step 1 is to go to your local post office and apply for an official Prize Claim Form. Next, fill out the form and take it to one of the operator’s regional offices. Once your win is validated by Ithuba, you’ll be paid out by EFT. You can expect to the see the money transferred to your account with three days.

If you bought your lotto ticket online, claiming your prize will be much quicker and safer. All wins up to R50,000 are automatically credited to your online lottery account. Anything over R50,000 requires that you fill out the Prize Claim Form and take it to one of the operator’s regional offices to make the claim in person.

Tickets bought by phone (USSD) are not common practice but if you win anything up to R50,000, you’ll see the prize credited to your mobile account. An SMS will be sent to you if the prize is over this amount. You can then apply for your prize in the same way as any winner who has won over R50K (ie, in person, at an Ithuba regional office).