UK Lotto: rules of the game and frequently asked questions
How UK Lotto is played, how the prize tiers work and what this site offers, in brief. Only the operator's official rules are binding.
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Rules of the game
How is UK Lotto played?
UK Lotto is the main game of The National Lottery (United Kingdom), drawn every Wednesday and Saturday at about 20:00 (London). You play 6 numbers from 59; a bonus ball is then drawn from the remaining balls and only counts for the 5 matches + bonus tier. Since June 2026 there are two draws per evening (round 1 and 2) for the same line; this site records round 1. One line costs £2. Statistics start with the 59-ball format on 10 October 2015. Data: lottery.merseyworld.com (unofficial archive of The National Lottery results). No guarantee.
How does the Bonus ball work?
The Bonus ball is drawn after the winning numbers from the remaining balls; it counts if it is among your own numbers.
Winning
What are the odds of winning?
The chance of the top tier (6 matches) is 1 in 45,057,474; the chance of winning anything is about 1 in 9. All tiers with their exact probability are on the Odds page.
This website
Where do the numbers come from?
Data: lottery.merseyworld.com (unofficial archive of The National Lottery results). No guarantee. The data covers 3216 draws from 19.11.1994 to 17.10.2026.
Do statistics help you win?
No. Every draw is independent of the previous ones and every combination is equally likely.