The big change is that a new supplementary game, Lotto Plus 2, will now be offered to players. The current Lotto Plus game will be rebranded to Lotto Plus 1, and ticket holders can opt to have their numbers from the main game entered into the additional draws for a small fee.
Players will now choose six numbers from a pool of 52, up from 49, but a new prize tier has also been introduced to increase the odds of winning a prize. Anyone matching two main numbers plus the Bonus Ball will receive a guaranteed R20 in Lotto, or R15 in Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2. Jackpots are also set to grow more quickly, after the percentage of the pool fund reserved for the top prizes was increased.
Asad Gafoor, Lotto product manager for National Lottery operator Ithuba, said: “Lotto is the oldest game in the National Lottery game catalogue and very popular. Being the longest standing game, there is a need to keep the game fresh and enjoyable. This way we can give back more to the players.”
All three draws will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Gafoor is delighted that players will now have six jackpots to aim for each week. “We are not only bringing bigger jackpots, but we have also added an extra prize division which will increase the overall odds of winning,” said Gafoor.
There will be a R1 million jackpot available in Wednesday’s inaugural Lotto Plus 2 draw, in addition to an R6 million Lotto top prize and an R3.5 million Lotto Plus 1 jackpot.