Which Lotto is Best Game to Play?
IMPORTANT: While Australian Lotteries are used as an example, the Findings are applicable to any Lotto Game in the World
In looking at the Odds for First Prize in Australian Lotteries, the Saturday Lottery gives you a far better chance of winning First Prize, as shown below.
Odds of Winning First Prize
Odds of Winning Saturday Gold Lotto: 8,145,060 to 1
Odds of Winning Oz Lotto: 62,891,499 to 1
Odds of Winning Powerball Australia: 134,490,400 to 1
Odds of Winning ANY Prize
However, if you look at the Odds of winning ANY Prize, the Saturday Lottery still comes out on top BUT the Odds of Winning Any Prize in Powerball Australia leapfrogs the Odds of Winning Any Prize in Oz Lotto. In addition, Powerball pays out on 9 different combinations.
Odds of Winning Any Prize in Saturday Gold Lotto: 53 to 1 (6 Divisions)
Odds of Winning Any Prize in Oz Lotto: 71 to 1 (7 Divisions)
Odds of Winning Any Prize in Powerball Australia: 66 to 1 (9 Divisions)
Average First Prize
So – does this make the Saturday Lottery the Best Game To Play? Yes and No – It depends on the size of the relative Jackpots.
– Saturday Lottery: Estimated Weekly $5 Million Division 1 prize pool. Also Superdraws every 6 weeks or so which offer a Division 1 prize pool of $20 Million and over.
– Oz Lotto: Jackpots from minimum $3 Million each week until won. Jackpot has reached $100 Million in the past.
– Powerball Australia: Jackpots from $4 Million each week until won. Jackpot has reached $150 Million in the past.
Draw Progression
Below you can see how First Prize Progresses:
| Saturday Lottery* | Oz Lotto | Powerball |
| $5 Million | $3 Million | $4 Million |
| $5 Million | $5 Million | $8 Million |
| $5 Million | $10 Million | $20 Million |
| $5 Million | $20 Million | $40 Million |
| $20 Million * | $30 Million | $60 Million |
* Saturday Lottery is $5 Million most weeks, with an occasional $20 Million or even $30 Million Superdraw and there may be boosts to lower Divisions from time to time, while Oz Lotto starts at $3 Million and jackpots each week if not won.
Powerball also jackpots every week if not won BUT starts at $4 Million and progresses much more quickly than Oz Lotto; if Powerball is not won for 2 weeks the Jackpot is twice the size of Oz Lotto and 4 times the size of the Saturday Lottery if there is no Superdraw that week.
By now you might be coming to the Conclusion that there is no easy answer to the question of Which is the Best Lotto Game to Play? And you would be right! But there are a couple of other questions we still need to ask…
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Cost To Play a Single Game
Saturday Lottery: $0.83 ($3.30 for Min 4 Games)
Oz Lotto: $1.45 per game
Powerball Australia: $1.22 ($4.85 for 4 games)
While the Saturday Lottery is the cheapest, note that Oz Lotto is more expensive than Powerball; 10 games of Oz Lotto cost you $14.40, while 10 games of Powerball cost you $12.15 (Note: it is not 10 x the individual game price above, because the cost reduces marginally as you play more games).
Some other factors to consider …
What is the Minimum Required To Win Something
Saturday Lottery: 3 winning numbers (HALF of the 6 main numbers drawn). Saturday Lotto draws from 45 6-number balls (plus supplementaries) – and you need AT LEAST 3 main numbers to win.
Oz Lotto: Requires 3 winning numbers + 1 supp to win, drawn from 47 balls plus supplementaries.
Powerball Australia: You can win with as little as 2 winning numbers and the Powerball number. These are drawn from 35 Main numbers plus 20 Powerballs.
Number of Winners
The final factor is the number of Winners each week.
Most Powerball Jackpots have a Single Winner, although two winners have happened more than once. In September 2019, the record $150 million Jackpot was shared by three winners, winning $50 million each.
Again, in Oz Lotto the norm is for a Single Winner, with occasionally two winners. However, there were four division one winning entries in the record-breaking 2012 $100 Million Oz Lotto draw.
The Saturday Lottery is interesting. For 2022, up to Aug 2022 there have been 195 First Division Winners, sharing almost $257 Million – BUT only 110 Lotto Millionaires have been created! Sometimes First Prize is below $1 Million.
So, Which is the Best Lotto Game to Play? My answer is that it varies from week to week. If Powerball has jackpotted to $60 Million – and the Saturday Lottery and Oz Lotto are at their Minimum Starting Prizes – I concentrate on Powerball that week.
If the Saturday Lottery is a Superdraw of $20 Million – and Powerball and Oz Lotto are at their Minimum Starting Prizes – I concentrate on the Saturday Lottery for that week.
If Oz Lotto has jackpotted to $50 Million – and the Saturday Lottery and Powerball are at their Minimum Starting Prizes – I concentrate on Oz Lotto that week.
My Suggestion? Check the Prizes each week and make a decision based on a combination of the above factors.
Of course, it is your choice – And Good Luck! There is nothing to stop you playing all three every week, but I personally alter the amount I allocate to each game every week based on the above factors. I DO play each game but the funding for that week might be allocated as 25% / 25% / 50% with the 50% going to the game I think offers the best value for this week.
