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The Odds of winning the UK Lotto have decreased - what other options do I have?
Note: *The following article is purely for fun. It is based on individual opinions and does not constitute advice. The drawing of lottery numbers is entirely random. Please always gamble responsibly. #Ad. Find out more on our How Our Site Works page.
Camelot - what is your game?
You may have switched on your television to watch the Saturday night UK Lotto draw and thought the ball drawing machine Lancelot or Merlin had malfunctioned. Where have these extra 10 balls come from, you might have asked?
Well following on from the Irish Lotto changes, Camelot have tried something similar to the UK Lotto with the biggest changes in its 21 year history.
The reason for the change? In simple terms, they think bigger jackpots will make you buy more tickets.
Ticket Buyers
So if you're someone who plays the lotto the traditional way (there are other ways to play) - then you'll be wondering how your chances of winning might have changed.
The simple fact is that the odds of winning the UK Lotto jackpot have got worse (much, much worse!) and you have now got much less chance to win when buying a ticket.
What are the big differences?
- There are 10 extra balls, so you now have to pick 6 from 59
- There will be a guaranteed millionaire in every draw
- There will be 20 guaranteed prizes of £20,000
- Matching 2 numbers will now win you something
How does that impact your chances?
Reading the above changes sounds ok, right? Camelot have tried to spin this as 'exciting changes'. Well unfortunately if you dig a little deeper, the picture isn't so rosy.
Odds of winning
| You Match | Odds of Winning (before change) | Odds of Winning (after change) |
| 3 Numbers | 57/1 | 97/1 |
| 4 Numbers | 1033/1 | 2180/1 |
| 5 Numbers | 55,491/1 | 144,415/1 |
| 5 Numbers + Bonus | 2.3M/1 | 7.5M/1 |
| 6 Numbers (Jackpot!) | 14M/1 | 45M/1 |
And when you wrap everything up into one and ask the simple question: What are your chances of winning any prize overall?
Well Camelot are claiming that the overall odds of winning a prize have improved from 54/1 to 9/1. How can that be? Well above we mentioned that matching 2 balls will now win you a prize... so here is the little bit of smoke and mirrors from Camelot. What is this 'prize'? You get a lucky dip entry for the next draw!
So the Compare the Lotto honest answer is that your odds of winning any cash prize is now actually over 90/1 from 54/1 before.
What are my Lotto options to get a better deal?
Judging by the reaction on Camelot's Facebook page, there are some unhappy Lotto players out there considering their options.
We're continuing to see a massive surge in people betting on the Lotto - with the Irish Lotto the most popular option.
- Rather than having to pick 6 balls, you simply choose to bet on between 1 and 5 balls being drawn.
- For example - At Betfred you can bet on just 3 balls being drawn in the Irish Lotto and if you're right, you'll win a juicy £675 for every £1 you bet!
Quick Pros
- Much better value for money than buying a ticket the traditional way
- Much more flexibility - you can bet on just one number if you want
- The 49s lotto is drawn twice a day so more regular action if you don't want to wait
- Fantastic welcome offer for our new customers
Quick Cons
- No contribution to good causes - but you could just choose your own charity to donate to
- You aren't playing for the jackpot when betting - although the chances of a jackpot are 45 million to 1 anyway now... so you could say betting is for the smarter player!
If you haven't tried it before, why not register with Betfred today and benefit from our cracking welcome offer.
Claim Offer
