The Australian national lottery has been running since 1994 and awards millions of dollars to players every week. Drawings are held once a week, with the jackpot starting at A$2 million and then growing from there. Prizes frequently grow beyond the $10 million mark and have reached as high as $111 million. Cheap tickets, reasonable odds, and large prize pools make it worth a look no matter where you live.
Speaking of which, the Australian lottery has embraced the internet and will let anyone buy Oz Lotto tickets online from almost any country in the world. As long as you have a little money to play, you’re welcome to test your luck in one of the largest lotteries in the southern hemisphere. All you need to do is sign up for an account and choose your numbers.
How to Play the Oz Lotto
Since 2005, the Oz Lotto has been a seven-number game with seven prize levels activated based on the number of matches your ticket has. Tickets purchased online or in-person have you either select seven numbers from 1-45 or let the computer make random selections for you.
The lottery then draws a total of 9 balls at random numbered 1-45. The first seven of these need to be matched with your seven picks to trigger the jackpot. The last two “supplementary” numbers are used to award prizes in Divisions 2, 4, and 7.
Division 1 is the big jackpot, and we dream of when we buy Oz Lotto tickets. The next step down is the Division 2 prize, and then prizes move down in size to Division 7. Prizes for each division vary based on the current prize pool, but the following chart shows the results of a typical drawing. Just remember that these amounts can all change drastically if the prize pool grows to depend on how many people split the prize.
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Drawings are held every Tuesday at 9:30 PM AEDT. If no one wins the big prize, the jackpot rolls over to the next drawing and continues growing. New jackpots begin with a $2 million Division 1 prize, but the jackpot usually grows larger before someone hits. In two separate instances, the Australian lottery jackpot has exceeded $100 million.
The Oz Lotto does a commendable job of paying winners as well. No matter how much you win, the lottery can have you paid in full within 2 weeks. Division 1 prizes take the full two weeks, while all lower-division prizes are usually paid within 24 hours. Even better, Australia charges no tax on winnings.
Does the Australian Lottery Support Online Ticket Sales?
Yes. In fact, the Oz Lotto is one of the most internet-friendly lotteries in the world. You can buy tickets directly from the lottery website here from almost anywhere in the world. Most major lottery sites also offer online Oz Lotto tickets and entries into most other major lotteries from around the world.
Online subscriptions are supported by most online retailers as well. If you would like to enter multiple drawings automatically, you can select the subscription option when you buy your tickets to be automatically entered into every subsequent drawing for up to a year in advance. You pay the full subscription amount up front and then receive notifications from that point every time you win a prize.
The Oz Lotto also supports both public and private syndicate play in which you can team up with other lottery players and pool your resources to buy more tickets. All winning tickets are split equally among members of the syndicate. You join public syndicates that open to everyone or set up private syndicates in which you invite your friends and family. The Oz Lotto manages all payments to syndicate members, so you don’t have to count on everyone else’s honesty.
If you decide to buy your tickets from the official lottery website, they will ask you to verify your identity, age, and residence. You can scan a copy of your passport, driver’s license, proof of age card, or national identity card and then e-mail it, fax it or post it. Once your identity has been verified, your winnings can be paid electronically wherever you live.