Ranked
Which UK lottery game has the best odds?
Lotto has the best overall odds of any UK draw game at 1 in 4.90, while Thunderball has the best jackpot odds at 1 in 8,060,598. Overall odds are the chance of winning any prize on one play; lower numbers mean better chances.
| Game | Price | Overall odds | Top prize odds | Current jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto | £2 | 1 in 4.90 | 1 in 22,528,738 | £9.5 million |
| Set For Life | £1.50 | 1 in 12.40 | 1 in 15,339,390 | £10,000 every month for 30 years |
| EuroMillions | £2.50 | 1 in 13 | 1 in 139,838,160 | £42.3 million |
| Thunderball | £1 | 1 in 13 | 1 in 8,060,598 | £500,000 |
Separate bets
UK games with separate bets
These games are made of separate bets, so they have no single overall odds number. The top prize odds are for the hardest bet.
| Game | Top prize odds | Easiest bet |
|---|---|---|
| Lotto HotPicks | 1 in 417,200 | Pick 1, match 1 number (1 in 5.20) |
| EuroMillions HotPicks | 1 in 2,118,760 | Pick 1, match 1 main number (1 in 10) |
Method
How these UK odds are calculated
Overall odds add up the chance of every prize tier in a game's published prize table, or use the lottery's stated overall odds when it publishes one. Top prize odds are the odds of matching every number. Draw-time versions of the same game (midday and evening) share the same odds, so each game appears once. Keno-style games are left out because their odds depend on how many spots you pick.
Better odds do not mean better value. Smaller games pay smaller prizes, and every game returns less than it costs on average.
UK Lottery Odds FAQ
Short answers about which UK games have the best and longest odds.
Which UK lottery game has the best odds?
Lotto has the best overall odds of the UK draw games at 1 in 4.90, meaning about one play in 5 wins some prize. Most of those wins are the smallest prizes.
Which UK game has the best jackpot odds?
Thunderball has the best top-prize odds of the UK draw games at 1 in 8,060,598. The longest jackpot odds belong to EuroMillions at 1 in 139,838,160.
What are the odds of winning Lotto HotPicks in the UK?
The hardest Lotto HotPicks bet has odds of 1 in 417,200. Other bets win more often but pay less; the easiest listed is Pick 1, match 1 number at 1 in 5.20.
Do Quick Picks change the odds?
No. Every valid combination has the same chance of being drawn. Choosing a game with smaller number pools is the only way to get better odds per play.
Next steps
What to check next
Keep going with UK games, jackpots.
Responsible play
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