FAQ
Find further information about France Lotto, including a draw schedule, in the frequently asked questions below.
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+ When do France Lotto draws take place?
France Lotto draws are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 20:35 CET. France observes Daylight Saving Time, meaning that the time the draw takes place will change in South Africa at certain points in the year. See the table below for when draws are scheduled to take place throughout the year.
| Start Date | End Date | Draw Time In France | Draw Time In South Africa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Sunday in March | Last Sunday in October | 20:35 CEST | 20:35 |
| Last Sunday in October | Last Sunday in March | 20:35 CET | 21:35 |
+ Is there a guaranteed minimum jackpot?
The minimum guaranteed jackpot is €2 million.
+ Is there a jackpot cap or rollover limit?
The jackpot can only roll over 34 consecutive times before it has to be won. As the jackpot increases by a fixed €1 million per rollover, the maximum France Lotto jackpot is €36 million. If it is not won after 34 consecutive rollovers, the jackpot is rolled down and shared between the lower prize divisions.
+ What was the largest France Lotto jackpot ever won?
The largest ever France Lotto jackpot was €24 million, won by a single ticket holder in June 2011. The winner chose to remain anonymous when collecting their record jackpot.
+ Why did I not receive a France Lotto Raffle code when I purchased my tickets online?
The France Lotto Raffle may be unavailable for certain international players buying tickets online, as it can only be entered by residents of France or by players who participate using a lottery concierge service. See the page for more information about concierge services.
+ What changes were made in November 2019?
The 2nd tirage was introduced ahead of the draw on Monday 4th November 2019 to give players an additional chance to win prizes up to €100,000. The prize structure for the main Lotto game also switched from giving away fixed awards in all divisions to a pari-mutuel system. It was also announced that more special draws would take place in future, where the jackpot is increased to a guaranteed amount such as €10 million or €13 million.
Prizes and Odds of Winning
There are ten different ways you can win a prize in France Lotto, from matching just the Chance number for a €2.20 prize all the way up to matching all six main numbers to win the jackpot. The prizes are not always the same because they work on a pari-mutuel basis, so the value is determined by how many tickets are sold and the number of winners.
Find out more about the different criteria for each division below, including the odds of winning in each.
| Prize Division | Numbers Matched | Odds | Percentage of Prize Fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 plus Chance | 1 in 19,068,840 | Jackpot |
| 2 | 5 | 1 in 2,118,760 | 8.44% |
| 3 | 4 plus Chance | 1 in 88,677 | 2.06% |
| 4 | 4 | 1 in 9,631 | 7.43% |
| 5 | 3 plus Chance | 1 in 2,016 | 4.44% |
| 6 | 3 | 1 in 224 | 15.98% |
| 7 | 2 plus Chance | 1 in 144 | 12.43% |
| 8 | 2 | 1 in 16 | 49.22% |
| 9 | 1 plus Chance | 1 in 28 | €2.20 |
| 10 | Chance number | 1 in 18 | €2.20 |
The percentage shown for each prize division is the figure that will be allocated once the jackpot and the fixed prizes (1 plus Chance and 0 plus Chance) have been paid.
Biggest france loto winners
Although the France Loto has a fairly modest €2 million minimum jackpot, that does not mean it can’t shell out a significant amount. Each time this lottery will roll over, the jackpot increases in €1 million increments. Additionally for this, the jackpot’s capability to rollover is limited to a fairly generous 34 occasions. The biggest single-ticket jackpot prize won around the France Loto was €24 million, in June 2011. The jackpot had folded over a remarkable 11 occasions from the beginning special draw jackpot prize of €13 million to finish on this amount – nearly double the amount initial prize, because of 11 consecutive rollovers. The France Loto has additionally had its great amount of wonderful results one incredibly lucky lottery player in the south of France required home the jackpot in 1996, and on the other hand this year.
France Lotto 2nd Tirage (2nd Draw)
The France Lotto 2nd tirage can also be played alongside the main draw every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. You have to opt in to take part and pay a small extra fee. The 2nd tirage follows a similar format to the main game as five main numbers are randomly selected from 1 to 49, but there is no Chance number.
If your five main numbers match all five winning numbers, you win the top prize of €100,000. You can also win other prizes for matching two numbers upwards. See the table below for the odds of winning.
| Prize Division | Numbers Matched | Odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 1 in 1,906,884 | €100,000 |
| 2 | 4 | 1 in 8,667 | Estimated €500 |
| 3 | 3 | 1 in 201 | Estimated €30 |
| 4 | 2 | 1 in 14 | €3 |
How to Play France Lotto
France Lotto draws take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The winning numbers are drawn at 20:35 CET, but the draw schedule according to local time in South Africa may change, as France observes Daylight Savings Time. See the on this page for the exact times France Lotto is drawn throughout the year.
Tonight’s France Lotto Jackpot
€4 MillionSaturday, 22 August 2020
Time left to buy tickets:
days
hours13
mins20
secs13
It’s a DOUBLE Rollover!
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The aim is to match your numbers with the winning ones randomly selected in each draw. Six numbers between 1 and 49 are drawn, plus a Chance number from a separate pool of 1 to 10. The Chance number can be the same as one of the main numbers.
Playing from South Africa
You can participate in France Lotto online from South Africa, as well as from locations around the world. Follow these instructions to enter online:
- Visit an online lottery provider that offers France Lotto.
- Choose your five numbers from between 1 and 49, and your Chance number from between 1 and 10 – alternatively, select ‘Quick Pick’ for a random selection of numbers.
- Enter as many sets of numbers as you would like to play.
- Choose whether or not you wish to enter multiple draws.
- Select ‘Add to Cart’.
- Pay for your entries.
Any prizes you win will automatically be transferred to your online lottery account. You may need to register for an account before you complete your first ticket purchase.
France Lotto Raffle
The France Lotto Raffle is an additional game played alongside the main draw. A nine-character raffle code is generated along with your lottery numbers; if you match your code with one of the ten raffle codes randomly picked on the night of the draw, you win a €20,000 prize.
Note that the France Lotto Raffle may be unavailable to some online participants entering from outside of France.
Extra money with the Loto Raffle
One of the interesting things about the French Loto is that it offers several extra’s to win more money, including the so-called ‘Loto Raffle’. It means that you have a unique code on your lottery ticket that makes it possible to win one of 10 prices worth 20.000 euros. The code is made of one letter and eight numbers. So every time you purchase a ticket, it might be possible to win 20.000 euros with the ‘raffle’ option. Besides that, the prize money is tax free. It makes the French Loto even more exciting!
In a lottery you have to beat the odds, because the winning chances for the Jackpot aren’t very high. However, France Loto doesn’t think there is something like ‘bad luck or bad numbers’ because it always has a guaranteed Jackpot at Friday the 13th! The Jackpot is worth at least 13 million euros. So if you win, 13 will be forever your lucky number. Sometimes it takes a while before there’s a Jackpot hit, because the maximum number of rollovers is 34.
Six prize categories Loto
Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 8.30 CET it’s time for the draw. Place to be is the beautiful capital of Paris. You can win money in one of the six prize categories, also known as ‘tiers’.
Prize category Numbers
Jackpot 5 + Lucky Number
2nd prize 5
3rd prize 4
4rd prize 3
5th prize 2
6th prize Lucky Number
Experience a bit of madness during the French Loto draws
French people like to make a gamble. This is clearly shown by the French Loto, that attracts thousands of players every week. France is completely excited three times a week, when the draw takes place. You can win big prizes and a Jackpot of a few million euros. It gets even more exciting when there is no Jackpot hit. In that case the money will be increased with one million dollars. So it comes at no surprise that there’s a little bit of madness during the French Loto draw!
Cheap lottery tickets
The lottery tickets are also quite cheap, namely 5 euro. Much cheaper than Dutch lotteries like the National Lottery and Bank Giro Lottery, for example. You can purchase the tickets easily online, namely at the Lotter. It might be a good option to purchase three lottery tickets together for 15 euro. In that case your chance on winning a French Loto prize is 1/16. You also benefit from the discount that is given on multiple tickets. Sometimes you even pay 25 percent less, while your winning chance increases as well!
Rules of the French Loto
The rules of the French Loto are really simple. You need to pick five numbers from a range of 1 to 49, and one extra number out of 1 to 10. You win the Jackpot if your chosen numbers and the extra numbers match with the numbers that appear during the draw. You win the second prize when five numbers match without the extra number. You win the third prize when four numbers and the extra number are correct. You can even win the tenth prize. In that case only the extra number (1-10) must be correct.
Good winning chances
The French Loto is not only popular because of the great Jackpot. The winning chance of 1:16 is important for the popularity of this lottery as well. A winning chance of 1:16 is actually quite good, compared to other lotteries. Winners don’t even have to pay taxes, which makes this lottery different from the Powerball Lottery. One of these winners was a factory worker from the French city of Montpellier. He won the Jackpot not once, but twice! In 1996 a few million French Francs were added to his bank account, about 2.8 million euros. Funny enough the millionaire decided not to quit playing. He loved it so much that the played again with the same numbers. They definitely were his lucky numbers, because in 2011 he won the Jackpot of 3 million dollars!
New millionaires
You think that the story of the French factory worker is too good to be true, but it really happened. He’s not even the luckiest player, because that’s the person who won the incredible amount of 24 million euros in 2011! He or she became incredible rich with numbers 10, 13,22,30 and 45 and the reserve number 1. The second highest Jackpot hit fell in May 2014, when someone won 23 million euros with just one ticket. In this case 8, 9, 40, 41, 49 and 3 were the lucky numbers.
Latest Loto draw 2020
The latest Lotto draw of the La Française des Jeux in France on Monday, see our website for the last information.
Where can you buy French Loto tickets?
You can purchase France Loto tickets in one of the official stores or online at TheLotter. A ticket usually costs a few euros. There’s a possibility to increase your winning chances, namely by choosing a systematic form with the numbers 7, 8 or 9. A 5-line or 6-line lottery ticket might bring you luck as well. It might also help if you buy a multi-draw package of 5, 10, 25 or 52 draws. It has two advantages, namely a discount and a higher winning chance. A subscription for France Loto is a good idea as well, because in that case you participate in every draw. Besides that you get a free 10th ticket every time. You can choose your lucky numbers manually or with a quick pick. After the purchase it’s time to wait for the draw on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 20.30 GMT.
France Lotto Results
Wednesday, 19 August 2020
4
11
13
34
35
1
Jackpot for this draw: €3,000,000
2nd Tirage Draw Results
3
32
33
39
49
Show France Lotto Winners 08-19
| Prize Division | Prize Amount | Winners | Total Prize Fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match 5 plus Bonus | €3,000,000.00 | Rollover 0 | €0.00 |
| Match 5 | €0.00 | €0.00 | |
| Match 4 plus Bonus | €10,092.70 | 22 | €222,039.40 |
| Match 4 | €565.10 | 278 | €157,097.80 |
| Match 3 plus Bonus | €76.70 | 1,223 | €93,804.10 |
| Match 3 | €22.20 | 15,168 | €336,729.60 |
| Match 2 plus Bonus | €13.80 | 18,971 | €261,799.80 |
| Match 2 | €4.40 | 235,090 | €1,034,396.00 |
| Match 0 plus Bonus | €2.20 | 240,637 | €529,401.40 |
| Totals: | — | 511,389 | €2,635,268.10 |
2nd Tirage Winners
| Prize Division | Prize Amount | Winners | Total Prize Fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match 5 | €100,672.00 | 1 | €100,672.00 |
| Match 4 | €1,092.70 | 114 | €124,567.80 |
| Match 3 | €53.40 | 5,994 | €320,079.60 |
| Match 2 | €3.00 | 97,369 | €292,107.00 |
| Totals: | — | 103,478 | €837,426.40 |
