Lotto 6/45: Rules, Price & Odds
Name | Lotto 6/45 | Ticket Price | 1.000 Won |
Draw | Sat | Biggest Won | 4.87 Billion Won |
Winning Odds | 1 in 8.145.060 | Countries | South Korea |
Since its introduction in 2002, Lotto 6/45 has become popular among players as well as the authorities. It gives players the chance to win massive prizes while generating significant revenue for the government. Lotto 6/45 is South Korea’s oldest and best-known lottery. It is the one that players flock to in great numbers most frequently. Read this article to decide whether you should join them too.
How to Play Lotto 6/45?
You can place Lotto 6/45 at DongHang authorised retail points and through the DongHang website. The rules of play are similar to what you would expect from the best online lottery games. You have to select a set of numbers from a given range. That is the first step. In Lotto 6/45, you need to select six numbers from between 1 and 45.
You can either choose each of the numbers yourself or select the "auto-pick" option to have the system select them for you. Once your numbers are selected, there is nothing much for you to do except pay for the ticket. Tickets are sold from 0600 to 2400 every day, except on days (Saturdays).
You have to pay and then sit and relax until draw day when you will get to know the fate of your ticket.
Rules of Lotto 6/45
The minimum age to participate in gambling activities in South Korea is 19. Therefore, you need to be at least 19 years old to play Lotto 6/45. This may apply to other online casino South Korea games, so bear that in mind.
Once you purchase the ticket, make sure you sign it. This is one of the rules unique to Lotto 6/45 in South Korea. Few, if any, lotteries in the world have this rule. It is a useful rule nonetheless. It works as evidence that you have checked the numbers and confirmed them. This can help the operators, and you avoid issues down the line.
To play Lotto 6/45, you need to know the rules for winning. For instance, you can win the lowest prize tier by matching three correct numbers. Anything less, and you do not win anything. On the other end of the spectrum is the jackpot prize. You can win the jackpot by matching all six numbers correctly.
Odds to Win the Prizes
Lotto 6/45 in South Korea has several prize categories. But only one of them is the jackpot. All the others are consolation prizes. While consolation prizes can be good in the sense that they reduce or eliminate your losses, it is the jackpot that you must be eyeing. That is what everyone who plays a lottery has their eyes on.
However, jackpot prizes are not easy to come by. They are incredibly unlikely but have the power to transform your life. In the South Korean Lotto 6/45, the odds of winning the jackpot prize is 1 in 8,145,060. Refer to the table below to learn the odds for the other prize categories:
Rank | Winning Condition | Odds of Winning |
---|---|---|
First place | Match 6 numbers | 1:8,145,060 |
2nd place | Match 5 Numbers + Match Bonus Numbers | 1:1,357,510 |
3rd place | Match 5 numbers | 1:35,724 |
4th place | Match 4 numbers | 1:733 |
5th place | Match 3 numbers | 1:45 |
Price of Lotto 6/45 Ticket
Lotto 6/45 is an unbelievably inexpensive lottery, especially considering its jackpots and prize pools.
The starting price of a Lotto 6/45 ticket is around 1,000 won only. That should tell you how popular the lottery is. If many players did not enter the draw, the jackpot would hardly ever reach such astronomical figures. However, your ticket price may be higher if you choose to make multiple selections or utilise other add-on options.
Lotto 6/45 Jackpot
The Lotto 6/45 jackpot is not fixed. It varies based on the amount of money raised for a given draw. But we can tell you the average jackpot prize for the lottery. In Lotto 6/45 history, there have been 13 jackpot wins. The amount of prize money disbursed for the jackpot prize is around 24,205,276,134 won. That divided by 13 should give us the average jackpot prize.
If you do the math, the amount will be 1,861,944,318 won. So, even if you do not win the biggest Lotto 6/45 jackpot in history, you are likely to walk away from a billionaire (millionaire in dollar terms) at the very least if you win the jackpot.
Biggest Win Made
One record after another has been broken in Lotto 6/45 for several years. The revenue generated by DongHang from Lotto 6/45 reached a peak in 2019, which was soon broken in 2020. Both years witnessed record-breaking jackpots too. The biggest jackpot reached in 2020 was valued at 4.87 billion won. But that was not the highest in Lotto 6/45.
In 2019, the jackpot prize amount reached soaring heights. The highest win for that year ended up being 5.93 billion won.
Results of Lotto 6/45
Lotto 6/45 South Korea draws take place every Saturday at approximately 8:45 PM. It is broadcasted live by the MBC television network. You can enjoy the live telecast of the draw to get the results. If you happen to miss the live broadcast, all is not lost for you. You can visit the DongHang official website, where the latest results are published.
On the website, you will be able to check the results of your ticket and even access the results archive. One more way to check the results would be via the Lotto 6/45 points of sale, but that may be inconvenient.
How to Claim Lotto 6/45 Prizes?
The claims process for winning tickets varies ever so slightly depending on your purchase method. The amount of money you win is also a determinant factor.
For instance, if you win the first prize, the only option for claiming your prize is to visit the Nonghyup Bank Headquarters. Irrespective of whether you purchased your tickets online or in a store. You will either need your paper ticket or just the online ticket number plus some form of official ID.
However, if you win a second or third prize, you can claim your prize at any Nonghyup Bank branch. Irrespective of where you bought your ticket. You will still need your ticket or online ticket number plus your official ID. Finally, if you win the fourth or fifth prize, you can claim the prize at any Nonghyup Bank branch or points of sale.
Taxes on These Prizes
Around the world, there are many countries where lottery winnings are tax-exempt. That is not the case with South Korea. In South Korea, lottery winnings are taxed on a progressive basis. That means. Bigger prizes incur greater tax rates.
According to the current tax laws, winnings of up to 50,000 won are tax-free. If you win above that amount, you will have to pay tax. The tax rate can rise to 33% for big prizes over 300 million won. But this is to give you a sense of the tax situation in South Korea. You do not necessarily have to worry about it too much.
The lottery operators are responsible for withholding the tax from you and paying the tax authorities. Therefore, the tax bill will be settled even before you get any money.
Our Opinion on Lotto 6/45
Lotto 6/45 is the oldest continuously running lottery in South Korea. Although many other lotteries and gambling options have come up, this lottery has remained relevant, like online casino slots. You can enter the game with very little money but gain the chance to win the biggest prizes in South Korea. Moreover, it is extremely easy and convenient to play and later claim prizes. You will have quick access to your winnings.
Even though the government will take away a slice from your winnings, you will be able to withdraw the rest easily and spend as you wish. But do not lose your way because of the allure of grand prizes. Make a budget and stick to it. Practice responsible gambling.
Lotto 6/45 FAQs
Get short and easy answers to commonly asked questions about the South Korean Lotto 6/45 in the section below:
The Lotto 6/45 draws take place every Saturday at 8:45 PM local time. The only exceptions are public holidays in which case the draw is postponed as per the official policy of the operators.
The Lotto 6/45 is owned and operated by DongHang lottery which is a government monopoly. It is the only licensed lottery operator in the country. It has been given the charge of administering lottery games in the country on behalf of the South Korean government.
The odds of winning the big jackpot prize in the South Korean Lotto 6/45 is around 1 in 8,145,060. But there are 4 more prize categories which you can win. The odds of winning those are much lower.
You can win the Lotto 6/45 jackpot only by matching 6 numbers correctly. There are other prize tiers for which you need to only match 3 or more numbers.
Entering a Lotto 6/45 lottery in South Korea is extremely inexpensive. The starting price of a Lotto 6/45 ticket in South Korea is only around 1,000 won.
You can watch the Lotto 6/45 draws live in South Korea through the MBC television network. Moreover, you can always check the results of the latest plus older draws on the official website.
Fact-checked by Julia Attard
Senior Author & Online Casino Expert