The Probability of Winning the Lottery

Table of Contents:

• WHAT’S THE PERCENTAGE CHANCE OF WINNING THE LOTTERY?
• THE ODDS OF WINNING POPULAR LOTTERIES
• IRISH LOTTO ODDS
• EUROMILLIONS ODDS
• UK LOTTERY ODDS (FOR COMPARISON)
• WHAT AFFECTS LOTTERY ODDS?
• WANT BETTER CHANCES? PLAY SMART
• UNDERSTANDING LOTTERY ODDS IN CONTEXT
• FINAL THOUGHTS
• READY TO PICK YOUR GAME?
• FAQS ABOUT LOTTERY ODDS

What’s the Percentage Chance of Winning the Lottery?

You already know winning the lottery is a long shot—but how long, exactly?

Whether you’re chasing a £100M jackpot or eyeing a game with better odds, it helps to understand the real probabilities behind the numbers. Let’s break down your chances—and how you can play smarter.

The Odds of Winning Popular Lotteries

Here’s a snapshot of the odds for some of the most popular lotteries available at Lottoland:

Probability of Hitting the Jackpot
Lottery	Jackpot Prize	Odds of Winning
EuroJackpot	Max. £250 Million	1 in 139,838,160
Powerball	Min. $20 Million (£15.8M)	1 in 292,201,338
MegaMillions	Min $50 Million (£38.6M*)	1 in 290,472,336
Christmas Lottery	Max. $4 Million (£3.4M*)	1 in 100,000*
Irish Lotto	Min. €2 Million (£1.7M*)	1 in 10,737,573
SuperEnaLotto	Min. €1 Million (£800,000*)	1 in 622,614,630
Austrian Lotto	Min. €1 Million (£800,000*)	1 in 8,145,060
Mini Lotto	£100,000	1 in 850,668
South African Lotto	Min. Approx R1Million (£42,000*)	1 in 20,358,520
Polish Lotto	Min. £360,000	1 in 13,983,816
Cash4Life	£1,000 a day for life	1 in 21,846,048

Irish Lotto Odds 

Positioned amongst the top lotteries with the best jackpot odds along with a substantial jackpot prize of €18.9 million (approximately £15.7 million*), the Irish Lotto is a great all-round lottery and one of the most popular with our UK customers here at Lottoland. 

Let's have a look at the breakdown of the odds of winning the well-loved Irish Lotto:

Irish Lotto Odds
Prize Tier	Average Payout	Probability
6 numbers (Jackpot)	€2 million (min)	1 in 10,737,573
5 numbers + Bonus	€100,000	1 in 1,789,596
5 numbers	€1,500	1 in 44,740
4 numbers + Bonus	€150	1 in 17,896
4 numbers	€50	1 in 918
3 numbers + Bonus	€50	1 in 688
3 numbers	€9	1 in 54
2 numbers + Bonus	€3	1 in 72
Any Prize		1 in 29

EuroMillions Odds

EuroMillions’ popularity is as high as ever, thanks, in no small part, to its consistently high jackpots. Of course, with high jackpots come high jackpot odds. But just how high are the odds of EuroMillions? 

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer bets on EuroMillions at Lottoland, although we do offer exciting alternatives such as our exclusive Lotto Betting Game Millionaire, which offers the same odds and prizes as EuroMillions. Let's have a look at the odds of winning each prize:

Millionaire Odds
Prize Tier	Average Payout	Probability
5 numbers + 2 Stars (Jackpot)	£200 Million (Max)	1 in 139,838,160
5 numbers + 1 Star	£228,000.00	1 in 6,991,908
5 numbers	£24,000.00	1 in 3,107,515
4 numbers + 2 Stars	£2,400.00	1 in 621,503
4 numbers + 1 Star	£125.00	1 in 31,076
3 numbers + 2 Stars	£80.00	1 in 14,126
4 numbers	£45.00	1 in 13,812
2 numbers + 2 stars	£15.00	1 in 985
3 numbers + 1 star	£11.00	1 in 706
3 numbers	£9.50	1 in 314
1 number + 2 stars	£8.00	1 in 188
2 numbers + 1 star	£6.50	1 in 49
Any Prize		1 in 13

P.S. Want to supercharge your win? Lottoland’s DoubleJackpot feature lets you bet twice the jackpot amount. So if the top prize is £100 million, you could be in the running for £200 million instead! Just activate DoubleJackpot when placing your bet—it’ll cost double your usual line, but the potential prize is doubled too.

UK Lottery Odds (For Comparison)

While you can’t bet on UK Lotto through Lottoland, many players are curious how it compares to international games:

These odds sit between larger global games and smaller regional lotteries—highlighting how format and prize structure affect your chances.

What Affects Lottery Odds?

The probability of winning is based on the number of possible combinations in a game. For example:

• EuroMillions: Pick 5 numbers from 1–50, plus 2 Lucky Stars from 1–12.
• That’s 139,838,160 possible combinations—and only one will match the jackpot exactly.

It’s not about luck or superstition. It’s just maths.

Want Better Chances? Play Smart

While you can't change the odds of a single line, you can improve your chances overall with these strategies:

• Join a syndicate: More tickets = more chances to win (but prizes are shared).
• Pick lower-odds games: Mini Lotto and Cash4Life offer better statistical chances than the big jackpots.
• Play—but gamble responsibly: Consistency helps, but never spend more than you can afford.

Understanding Lottery Odds in Context

Winning a massive jackpot may seem impossible—but the same could be said for many rare events. Here’s a comparison that puts things in perspective:

🎲 Bottom line: Even the smallest odds still mean someone, somewhere, will win. Could it be you?

Final Thoughts

So, what is the percentage chance of winning the lottery? It depends on the game—but usually ranges from 0.0000007% for MegaMillions to 0.0001% for smaller lotteries.

Yes, the odds are long. But someone has to win eventually. If you play, do it for fun, with your eyes open and your expectations in check.

Ready to Pick Your Game?

From global jackpots to games with better odds, explore all your options at Lottoland.

FAQs About Lottery Odds