Irish Lotto
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Irish Lotto

The Irish Lotto is a lottery organization that gives back to their community through charitable causes!
Pros
  • Supports charities
  • Anyone can play
  • Gives you several payout options
  • Easy to play online
Cons
  • Ticket prices can be expensive for some players
  • Doesn’t offer annuity options
Next Draw:

Saturday, Apr 27, 2024

Jackpot:

EUR 2.5 Million
  • 1 :
  • 4
  • : 22
  • : 18

Latest Irish Lotto Results and Stats

Irish Lotto was launched in 1986 and the organization’s aim was to support various charitable causes. This lottery’s mission was to raise funds for cultural, health, and sports organizations. Now, the Irish Lotto is one of Europe’s most popular lotteries. It’s operated by Primary Lotteries Ireland and raises over €4 million a week!

If you’d like to try your hand at playing the Irish Lotto then you’ll find everything you need to know in my review below. I’ve given a guide on how to buy Irish Lotto online, what your odds of winning are, and ticket prices. Read on to find out more.

Irish Lotto Highlights

  • Ticket price: €4 for a minimum of two lines
  • Starting jackpot: €1.269 million
  • Record jackpot: €175 million
  • Jackpot odds: 1 in 10.7 million
  • Any prize odds: 1 in 54
  • Who Can play Irish Lotto: Anyone
  • Irish Lotto drawings: Wednesday and Saturday at 7:57 pm

How to Play (and Buy) Irish Lotto Online

Playing Irish Lotto online is easy whether you’re an Irish local or playing from another country. To begin, visit the Irish Lotto website. Then pick six numbers between 1 and 47. You can pick your numbers manually on the site or you can choose the quick pick option.

There are other options when you play the Irish Lotto online such as the Plus option. This feature automatically enters you into the Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2 draws. You can also decide how many draws you want to be entered into before you pay for your ticket. There are 1, 2, 4, and 8 draws available. When you pick this option, the same numbers you choose on your ticket will be entered into the number of draws you’ve chosen.

Irish Lotto Rules

Irish Lotto tickets cost €2 per line but you must buy a minimum of two lines. Therefore, the minimum cost of your Irish Lotto ticket will be €4. To win the Irish Lotto jackpot, all six of your numbers must match the ones that are drawn. To win the lowest prize you only need to match two numbers plus the bonus ball.

Additionally, to play the Irish Lotto you must be 18 years or older. If you win a prize you must claim it within 90 days of the draw. You must play a minimum of two lines to play this lottery. Ticket sales close 15 minutes before each draw.

Irish Lotto Drawings

The Irish Lotto drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 19:55 pm. You can watch the live broadcast of the Irish Lotto draw on Wednesdays or Saturdays on RTÉ One. For those who don’t have access to this channel, you can view the numbers on your results page after 21:00 pm on the night of the draw.

Irish Lotto Prizes & Odds of Winning

Irish Lotto has better odds of winning compared to EuroMillions which has odds of 1 in 139,838,160. What’s more, you also have excellent chances of winning prizes from the other tiers from the Irish Lotto. Take a look at the table I’ve created below so you can see what your odds of winning the Irish Lotto Jackpot are as well as prizes from the lower tiers.

Match Prize Odds of Winning
Match 6 Jackpot 1 in 10,737,573
5 + Bonus Ball Average of €133,230.48 1 in 1,789,596
Match 5 Average of €1,852.16 1 in 44,740
4 + Bonus Ball Average of €164.59 1 in 17,896
Match 4 Average of €52.07 1 in 918
3 + Bonus Ball Average of €26.15 1 in 688
Match 3 Average of €9.18 1 in 54
2 + Bonus Ball Average of €2.99 1 in 72

Irish Lotto Payout

If you’ve won a prize from the Irish Lotto then you’ll need to know how to claim it. The method may be different depending on the amount of money you’ve won. Claiming prizes you’ve won online will also differ from claiming a prize if you bought your ticket from a retailer.

When you win the Irish Lotto online you will be notified immediately on your account. Smaller prizes of up to €99 will be paid directly to your account. On the other hand, you may be sent a cheque if you’ve won a bigger prize between €100 and €500.

If you’ve won between €501 and €9,000 Irish Lotto will contact you to confirm various details and then a prize claim form will be sent to you. Prizes over €10,000 or jackpots must be claimed in person.

There is no annuity option for jackpot prizes. All prizes are paid out in a lump sum.

Biggest Irish Lotto Winners

Many people wonder if the Irish Lotto is legit because there can be a long period of time before someone wins a prize. So to put your mind at ease I’ve listed the top biggest Irish Lotto winners.

Winner Jackpot Amount State Date
Syndicate of 15 men and 1 woman €18.9 million Darn Morrissey quarry June 28, 2008
Anonymous €16.7 Million Co Waterford 14th April 2010
  Anonymous €16.3 Million Dublin 23rd October 2010
Cunningham family €16.1 Million Co Cork 28th July 2007
Anonymous family €13.7 Million Co Mayo 23rd January 2016

Irish Lotto FAQ

When are Irish Lotto draws held?

The Irish Lotto draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 19:55 pm.

Can the Irish lotto lottery be played online from overseas?

Yes, Irish Lotto can be played online anywhere in the world. You can play the Irish Lotto through various online vendors such as Lottoland.

After the Irish Lotto draw date, how long are the tickets valid for?

Your ticket is valid 90 days after the Irish Lotto draw. If you don’t claim your prize before the end of the 90 days grace period you won’t be able to claim your prize.

What are the payout options for the Irish Lotto jackpot?

All prizes are paid out in a lump sum that’s tax-free. Irish Lotto doesn’t offer an annuity option for jackpot wins.

Are Irish Lotto Winnings Subject to Taxes?

No, the Irish Lotto is 100% tax-free for Irish and English players. However, you may be subjected to tax depending on the online site you use to play Irish Lotto.

Final Thoughts – Should You Play Irish Lotto Online?

Irish Lotto is definitely worth the play. The jackpots aren’t as big as other lotteries such as EuroMillions or the US Powerball but you have better odds of winning the jackpot. The other tiers offer decent prizes as well. What’s more, Irish Lotto is tax-free and some prizes may be paid directly into your online account.

Ticket prices are slightly higher than other lotteries as you have to play a minimum of two lines per ticket and each line costs €4. On the other hand, it’s worth a shot playing the Irish Lotto. I personally enjoyed playing the Irish Lotto online. Maybe you will too.