Major shake-up as National Lottery to drop two numbers in bid to create 'more millionaires'

The National Lottery is set for its biggest shake-up in years, with players’ chances of winning expected to improve after plans were unveiled to remove two numbers from Lotto draws.

Announced on Thursday, the National Lottery said,

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“The National Lottery has today announced a series of exciting new changes to its Lotto and Lotto Plus games, all with one clear ambition: to create more millionaires across the country. The game updates, the first for Lotto in eight years, will come into effect this autumn.

“As part of an exciting evolution of the Lotto game, the number of balls will be reduced from 47 to 45, marking the official retirement of numbers 46 and 47 from play.

“This significant game enhancement delivers better chances of winning across every prize tier in Lotto, Lotto Plus One and Lotto Plus Two. Each of the individual draws will see the odds of winning the jackpot or top prize improve from 1 in 10.7 million to 1 in 8.1 million.

“Whether it's a smaller win or a staggering jackpot, players will now enjoy better odds of winning across every prize tier, in every draw.

“The Lotto Plus 2 top prize will also increase from €250,000 to €1 million, creating more opportunities to make brand-new millionaires. The Lotto Plus 1 top prize will remain at €1 million. This means that for every Lotto draw, when you play with Lotto Plus, players will have three ways to become a millionaire.

“Players will also have more chances to play and win each week, with a new Lotto draw being added on Monday. Players can choose to play Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, meaning they have three ways to win big, three times a week.

“The date for the introduction of these game changes will be confirmed in the coming weeks.”

Speaking on the upcoming changes, National Lottery CEO Cian Murphy said:

“These changes mark an exciting new chapter for our flagship game - Lotto. We’ve been listening to our players, and these enhancements have been designed with our players front of mind and with the goal of creating the best possible game experience.

“By removing two balls, the odds of winning have improved across Lotto and the Plus games, while the enhanced Lotto Plus 2 prize and an additional draw night will give players even more chances to win.

“Together, these changes are all about delivering more winners and more millionaires, reinforcing Lotto’s position as Ireland’s Millionaire Maker.”