If you’re looking for a guide on how to play the Irish Lottery? You’ve arrived on the right page. I’ll give you the lowdown on Ireland’s National Lottery game. Where to play? How to play? And what time the weekly draws take place.
So, if you’re ready, let’s find out what makes Ireland’s Lotto so popular with punters.
HOW TO PLAY THE IRISH LOTTERY
You have a couple of options when it comes to playing the Irish Lottery. If you live in Ireland, just pop to the shop and buy a ticket! For those living outside of the Emerald Isle, you’ll need to do one of the following things. You can use a bookmaker like Paddy Power to bet on the draw. Alternatively, you can sign up with a company like Lottoland; the online service allows you to take part in numerous National Lottery games around the world – including the Irish Lotto.
So what’s the difference between the two methods? I’ll try to explain. With Paddy Power, you’re betting on the outcome of the Official Irish Lotto draw, but you’re not buying a ticket for the official game.
Paddy Power limits customers to a maximum of five numbers. If you pick the five numbers correctly, you’ll get odds of 130000/1. A £1 play on Paddy Power’s Irish Lotto game could net you £130,000. You can join in the fun for as little as 10p a pop, way cheaper than the official Irish Lottery.
The second option available is Lottoland; this online service lets you take part in multiple National Lottery games around the world. Like Paddy Power, you’ll be betting on the outcome of the draw (not buying an official ticket). However, the advantage of Lottoland is they allow customers to play for the primary jackpot value.
Lottoland will pay out any wins, large or small, as they take out insurance policies to cover the eventuality of a massive Jackpot win or a substantial payout. Lottoland holds a United Kingdom gambling license and is subject to the same rules and regulations as any major UK gambling company.
HOW DOES THE IRISH LOTTERY WORK
The Irish Lotto works like most National Lotteries. Players get to pick six unique numbers (from 1-47). If you’re buying your ticket in Ireland, you can get a random selection of numbers from the ticket seller by asking for a ‘Quick Pick’, that’s the equivalent of a ‘Lucky Dip’ in the UK, or you can pick the numbers yourself.
The main Lotto draws take place on Saturday. This is the big jackpot game (apart from the Euromillions). The top prize is €2 million, and the jackpot can rollover. The minimum play for Lotto is two lines per draw, which costs €4. You can play additional lines for €2 per line; prices may vary for online providers.
Along with the main Saturday game, Ireland also offers a daily draw, Draws take place twice a day. You can play the ‘Daily Millions’ game for €1; the top prize is €1 million. The number of balls is reduced from down from 47 to 39.
WHAT TIME IS THE IRISH LOTTERY DRAW
Winning numbers for the Saturday game are drawn at 7.55 pm; the draw is screened live on Irish TV station RTE. Remember, ticket sales close at 7:45 pm.
The two daily games are drawn at 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm. You can check the official Lottery results here.
HOW MUCH IS THE IRISH LOTTERY
If you buy an official entry for the Irish Lotto main draw held on Saturday, it will cost you €2 per line, minimum two lines per entry (€4). You can play additional lines for €2. You can add the ‘Lotto Plus’ option which gives you more chances to win. Lotto Plus costs an additional €1 per line (minimum two lines).
If you bet on the outcome of the draw with Paddy Power, you can adjust your stake. The minimum bet on five numbers is just ten pence. Lottoland charges users £2 per entry. Remember, with Lottoland, instead of entering the official Irish lottery draw; you’re placing a bet on the outcome. You win the amount that you would have won if the official prize fund was shared between you and any official lottery winners.
HOW MANY NUMBERS IN THE IRISH LOTTERY
In the Saturday’ Lotto’ the game has 47 numbers, players must match six to claim the jackpot (guaranteed €2 million). If you match five plus the bonus ball, you’ll win €100,000. The approximate chances of winning the jackpot are around 1 in 10 million. That figure compares favourably with the UK National Lottery, where the chances of scooping the main jackpot are approximately 1 in 45 million.
The Irish ‘Daily’ Lotto game uses fewer numbers than the Saturday draw. The ‘Daily’ game has 39 numbers, giving players a better chance of winning the €1 million top prize.
WHO OWNS THE IRISH LOTTERY?
The operator of the Irish National lottery is a called Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC (PLI) which is a consortium of various companies. The shareholders of PLI are Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, An Post and An Post Pension Funds. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is also the owner of Camelot Lottery Solutions which operates the UK National Lottery. In 2014 Premier Lotteries Ireland DAC (PLI) were awarded a 20-year license by the Irish Government to run the Lottery game in the Republic of Ireland.
GET INVOLVED WITH PADDY POWER
If you fancy trying your luck in the Irish Lottery, you can register with Paddy Power online and begin playing today. New players can claim a generous welcome and get access to Lotto, Scratch Cards, Sports Betting and Bingo games. Details of the welcome offer below.
