Lotto Bonus Number
You can win a huge jackpot in every Lotto draw if you match all six of the main numbers, but you might not be sure what role the Bonus Ball plays. Find out exactly how it works here.
No Bonus Number on Tickets
One question that some players raise is why there is no Bonus Number on their ticket. The reason is that you do not choose a Bonus Number when you play.
To play Lotto, you select six numbers from 1 to 59. These are the numbers shown on your ticket. When the draw takes place, six main numbers are selected at random.
You win prizes by matching the numbers you pick to the six that are drawn. The Bonus is an extra number, taken from the 53 balls that are left after the main six have been selected.
It is therefore impossible for the Bonus to be the same as one of the six main balls, or to match six main numbers plus the Bonus. The top prize is won if you match all six main balls.
How it Works
The Bonus is exactly what its name suggests – a bonus, or a booster that can increase the value of your prize if you match five of the six main numbers.
If the last number on your ticket (the one that hasn’t matched any of the main six), is the same as the Bonus, you win a larger payout. Here’s an example:
- Your Numbers - 1, 11, 22, 33, 44, 55
- Numbers Drawn - 1, 11, 22, 33, 44, 49
In this scenario you have matched five of the six numbers, but you haven’t picked 49. This means that you miss out on the jackpot, but you’re still guaranteed a Match 5 prize. If the Bonus Number turns out to be 55, you win an even bigger prize. If it’s any other number, you stay in the Match 5 prize level.
The Bonus Number is only relevant if you match five of the six main numbers, otherwise you can ignore it. There are no other prize levels involving the Bonus Ball.
Remember that the Bonus Ball is not interchangeable with the main numbers. For example, if you match two main numbers and the Bonus, this does not count as having three numbers.
Odds and Prizes
The following table shows the differences between the odds and payouts for the top three prize levels.
| Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Prize Fund Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 in 45,057,474 | Jackpot + 75% |
| 5 + Bonus | 1 in 7,509,579 | 7.25% |
| 5 | 1 in 144,414 | 5.50% |
While the Lotto jackpot is always worth at least $2 million, and often considerably more, the Match 5 prize is typically around $1,000, perhaps $2,000 to $3,000. The Match 5 + Bonus prize, by contrast, is considerably higher - sometimes even more than $100,000.
Go to the Odds and Prizes page to see all the payouts you can win in Lotto.