Comparison of the UK and Irish Lotto

Lotto is one of the most popular games in the UK and Ireland, first introduced in 1994 and 1988 respectively, and changing people's Saturday nights ever since. In the UK, 45 million adults regularly participate in a Lotto draw, which is 70% of the population. The game is just as popular in Ireland, with around 64% of adults playing on a regular basis, as well as gaining popularity across Europe.

Despite the two nations' shared love of the game, there are a few differences between them that vary the outcome for participants. Despite several format changes over the years, people who play the Irish Lotto have better odds of winning, giving it the reputation of 'Ireland's Lucky Lotto'. Players have a 1 in 10.7 million chance of winning the jackpot, which makes a win almost four times more probable than in the UK Lotto - this is possible also why its popularity has grown in Europe.

The Irish lottery is arguably a simpler game to play, with a player choosing six principle numbers from 1-48, whereas most lotteries require you to choose an additional 'bonus' number from another pool in order to win the big prize. This is another reason for the rise in popularity of the game outside of Ireland. Though the easier play is matched with more modest jackpots, the increased likelihood of winning makes up for it, and many would argue that multiple smaller wins are worth more than a large win because they are more achievable - although still not guaranteed, of course. Both games are playable with syndicates, which is a group of players that pool their money in order to buy more tickets and then sharing out any wins evenly.

The history of both games is fairly similar, starting off with Saturday night draws and eventually adding a Wednesday night draw as interest and potential players increased. The biggest Lotto win in Irish history was in 2008, with €18 million being won by a syndicate of 16 quarry workers from County Carlow. In comparison, the largest UK Lotto win was by two ticket holders - including Hawick couple, David and Carol Martin, in 2016 who walked away with £33 million from the £66 million prize ticket.

Lotto in the UK was originally known as 'The National Lottery', however, it was shortened in 2002 and National Lottery is now an umbrella title that covers all of the different forms of gaming and lottery prizes available in the UK. It also remains a public institution, operated by the Camelot Group, whereas Irish Lotto became privatised in 2014 and was bought for €405 million. The format change from a 6/45 to a 6/47 game in 2015 is attributed to this move, however it has not affected the popularity of the game, in Ireland or in Europe.

Whichever game you choose to play, there can be no doubt that these institutions are part of the countries' histories and culture with lots to offer, so we wish you luck on both sides.