Changes Are Made To Irish Lotto and Lotto Plus
Last Updated: Thursday 28th January 2021, 16:09 pm
2020 Update: The National Lottery is currently considering changes to the Lotto Plus games.
The Irish National Lottery has rolled out a number of changes to help create more winners and more millionaires in its Irish Lotto and Lotto Plus games. The first draws under the new rules will take place this Saturday, 1st September, and will see the overall odds of winning improve from 1 in 17 to 1 in 10.
What is Changing?
The Irish National Lottery is introducing a number of new ways to win. Players in the ‘Match 2 + Bonus’ tier in both Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 will receive two free lines for the Daily Million game. In Lotto Plus 2, another new prize tier will reward anyone who matches three main numbers with €3.
The Lotto Plus 1 jackpot is being increased from €500,000 to €1 million, while the prize for matching three main numbers will be €3 in cash rather than a €3 scratchcard. The Lotto Plus Raffle prize will also go up from €300 to €500 for anyone who matches the winning four-digit number.
A new Lotto Plus Million Euro Raffle will take place a few times a year and offer €1 million per event. The main Irish Lotto game will stay largely the same, although the prize for matching two main numbers plus the Bonus Ball will now be two free lines of Daily Million with Daily Million Plus, rather than a scratchcard.
To pay for the all the extra prizes that will be available, the cost of Lotto Plus will increase from €0.50 to €1 per line. You need to play at least two lines, so the minimum cost of Lotto with Plus will now be €6 rather than €5.
Why Are The Changes Being Made?
The changes are being made to keep the games exciting and maximise returns to good causes. It is anticipated that they will result in an average of 16 new millionaires every year, and National Lottery bosses are confident that players will enjoy the changes.
“The reality is nobody likes to pay more for any product, but we really believe when players see the value that they are going to be getting for the small price increase, that they will be very happy,” said the lottery’s Miriam Donohoe. “There are new options to win, particularly the idea of creating new millionaires."
What is Staying The Same?
The process of playing the game will stay exactly the same despite the changes to the prize structure. You will continue to select six numbers from 1 to 47 on the main Lotto game and then have the option to add Lotto Plus to your ticket. The numbers you choose in the main game will then be entered into the Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 draws to give you more opportunities to win. The odds of winning the jackpots will remain the same for each game.
In Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, you are awarded the specified top prize regardless of how many other players also match six main numbers. In Irish Lotto, the jackpot is shared between ticket holders if there are multiple winners. The jackpot in Irish Lotto starts at €2 million and will be back at its minimum amount for Saturday’s draw after someone from Co. Meath won €4.7 million on Wednesday evening.
