HOW DOES LOTTO WORK IN SOUTH AFRICA?
Lotto is the most popular type of gambling in South Africa, and for good reason too. It is offers two weekly draws, with good odds of winning a prize, and jackpots that roll over. Entry into the draw is R5 per board, and you need to choose six different numbers between 1 and 52. Draws are conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
To play Lotto and other lottery-type games in South Africa, players need to be 18 years old or older. Tickets can be bought at approved retailers, handheld partners or participating banks in South Africa. To purchase Lotto tickets online, you need to be registered on the National Lottery website or selected SA banks.
HOW TO BUY YOUR LOTTO TICKET ONLINE
Besides buying their lottery tickets at thousands of retailers around the country, South Africans also have the opportunity to purchase their tickets online. This is a safe, secure and highly convenient way of playing the lottery. Choose your numbers or use the Quick Pick option that will generate a random selection of numbers.
Register through the National Lottery website and open an account to buy your tickets online. If you haven’t registered on the website, you can also buy tickets online if you have an account at ABSA, FNB, Nedbank or Standard Bank.
If you’re the lucky winner of a prize up to a certain amount, it will be credited to your National Lottery account and you can withdraw it immediately. If your prize is a high one, you will need to go through a validation process before you can claim your jackpot.
TYPES OF SOUTH AFRICAN LOTTERIES OFFERED BY THE ITHUBA NATIONAL LOTTERY
Ithuba, the National Lottery operator, offers a great range of games for South Africans to enjoy. Some of them have daily draws, while others are weekly. Some of them require a selection of random numbers, while others are geared towards sports fans who can bet on their favorite teams. Here’s a list of some of the most popular local lottery games available to South African players.
DAILY LOTTO
- Pick five numbers (or use the Quick Pick option) from a grid of 1 – 36 numbers
- The cost of a single board is R3
- You can play as many boards as you want per draw
- You cannot bet more than R150 per betslip
- The Daily Lotto draw takes place every night of the year except Christmas Day
- Each draw presents five winning numbers
- Prizes are awarded according to how many correct numbers you have matched from the drawn numbers, with the highest being a Division 1 prize for matching all five numbers.
- When the top jackpot is not won, it is rolled down to the next level.
LOTTO, LOTTO PLUS 1 & LOTTO PLUS 2
- Pick six numbers (or use the Quick Pick option) from a grid of 1 – 52 numbers
- The cost of a single LOTTO play costs R5.
- A single play of LOTTO PLUS 1 costs R2.50
- A single play of LOTTO PLUS 2 costs R2.50
- To play LOTTO PLUS 1 and/or LOTTO PLUS 2, mark this option on your betslip
- To play LOTTO PLUS 2, you need to also play LOTTO and LOTTO PLUS 1
- You can pick the Multi-Draw option to play the same number over multiple draws.
- Draws take place twice a week and are streamed live on Wednesday and Saturday nights from 20:56 on SABC 2.
- For more information about Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, read our
POWERBALL & POWERBALL PLUS
- Pick six numbers (or use the Quick Pick option): Five from a grid of 1 – 45 and an extra number from a grid of 1 – 20.
- A single play of Powerball costs R5
- You can also choose the additional Powerball Plus for R2.50
- Powerball Plus is played in the same way as Powerball, except that it offers you a second chance to win a prize. The odds are the same, although Powerball Plus prizes are slightly smaller.
- Draws take place every week, twice-weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9 pm.
- Play as many boards as you wish
- For more information about Powerball and Powerball Plus, read our review of this lottery.
SPORTSTAKE 8
- Test your knowledge of football by predicting the outcome of fixtures from South African leagues and international competitions.
- An exciting, interactive game that allows you to follow eight matches from around the globe.
- Make 16 predictions on one betslip, relating to eight matches.
- The minimum cost of a board is R2.
- You can play multiple boards and bet up to R2,000 at a time.
- A new fixtures list is announced every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Matches end on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Results are announced on respective Wednesdays, Saturdays and Mondays.
- 50% of the net sales of the tickets are contributed to the prize pool.
- Prize money can be rolled over, depending on number of winners in the divisions.
SPORTSTAKE 13
- Predict the outcome of 12 predefined football matches from South African and global fixtures.
- The minimum bet per board is R2.
- The maximum prize of a wager is R2,000.
- You can also play Sportstake 13 using the ProPick function which helps you select 13 outcomes.
- Buy tickets at lottery retailers or online on Mondays to Fridays between 6 am and 11 pm. Draws are conducted every Monday and Friday.
- 50% of the net total sales make up the Sportstake 13 prize pool.
- Prizes are awarded in 4 divisions.
- The top jackpot can roll over to the next division or other draws.
- Read more about Sportstake 13
LOTTO DRAW TIMES PER LOTTERY
| Name of Lottery | Draw Days | Draw Times |
| Daily Lotto | Every day (except Christmas) | 9 pm |
| Lotto, Lotto Plus 1, Lotto Plus 2 | Every Wednesday & Saturday | 9 pm |
| Powerball & Powerball Plus | Every Tuesday & Friday | 9 pm |
| Sportstake 8 | Mondays, Wednesdays, Friday/Saturday | 9 am |
| Sportstake 13 | Mondays and Fridays | 9 am |