Which International Lotteries have the Best Odds of Winning?
No more financial pressure, and all the more time for leisure than ever before: winning a lottery is as good as it sounds. For most people, well, dreams remain dreams. But as winner stories keep on inspiring, lotteries will remain sought after and it’s easy to see why: prizes go up to millions of New Zealand Dollars while the average ticket price is affordable for most people.
Today, it can be very lucrative to choose from lottery games in different countries across the world. When you’re considering purchasing your next lottery ticket, the first thing you need to think about as a strategic bettor is the odds of winning. In the guide we’re going to dive into the odds of international lotteries. With this information you’ll know exactly where to go for your next ticket.
Table of Contents
1. Irish Lotto (Ireland)
Available for Irish consumers, the Irish Lotto is known to offer them high prizes and even very favourable jackpot odds. These are considered very high in comparison with lotteries offered in other countries which includes the one in New Zealand. The relatively high jackpots are yet another reason why the Irish Lotto is considered one of the most popular lotteries in Europese and gambling enthusiasts from far beyond have discovered this is well, which explains why the Irish Lotto made it to the first spot in our top list of international lotteries.
| Prize | Odds of winning |
| Jackpot (6 Numbers) | 1 in 10,737,573 |
| 2nd Prize (5 Numbers + bonus) | 1 in 1,789,596 |
| 3rd Prize (5 Numbers) | 1 in 44,740 |
| 4thPrize (4 numbers + bonus) | 1 in 17,896 |
| 5th Prize (4 numbers) | 1 in 918 |
| 6th Prize (3 numbers + bonus) | 1 in 688 |
| 7th Prize (3 numbers) | 1 in 54 |
| 8th Prize (2 numbers + bonus) | 1 in 72 |
| Any Prize | 1 in 29 |
1.New Zealand Powerball (NZ)
New Zealand Powerball is the lottery most people in the country are familiar with and it serves as a useful standard comparison with other international lotteries. This also clearly shows the contrast between lotteries organised in NZ, Ireland, and the US for instance. Lotto NZ explains on its official website that if you purchase a NZD 7 ticket your odds of winning first division are set at 1 in 383,838. We have to say that this is a rather favourable number and let’s not forget that this is a local option, available everywhere for players of 18+.
| Prize | Odds of winning |
| Lotto Division 1 + Powerball | 1 in 38,383,800 |
| Lotto Division 2 + Powerball | 1 in 6,397,300 |
| Lotto Division 3 + Powerball | 1 in 193,858 |
| Lotto Division 4 + Powerball | 1 in 77,543 |
| Lotto Division 5 + Powerball | 1 in 4,846 |
| Lotto Division 6 + Powerball | 1 in 3,635 |
| Lotto Division 7 + Powerball | 1 in 352 |
3. Euromillions (EU)
As you would expect from a name like this one, the Euromillions lottery is particularly popular in European countries where it is available in different countries. In recent years, players from other regions have discovered the enormous prizes offered in this lottery. This includes countries like Australia and New Zealand, although technically a European lottery. The odds of winning for this lottery can be found below in this convenient overview:
| Prize | Odds of winning |
| Jackpot (5 Numbers + 2 Stars) | 1 in 139,838,160 |
| 2nd Prize (5 Numbers + 1 Star) | 1 in 6,473,989 |
| 3rd Prize (5 Numbers) | 1 in 3,236,995 |
| 4th Prize (4 Numbers + 2 Stars) | 1 in 517,920 |
| 5th Prize (4 Numbers + 1 Star) | 1 in 28,774 |
| 6th Prize (3 Numbers + 2 Stars) | 1 in 14,487 |
| 7th Prize (3 Numbers + 2 Stars) | 1 in 13,812 |
| 8th Prize (2 Numbers + 2 Stars) | 1in 882 |
| 9th Prize (3 Numbers + 1 Star) | 1 in 654 |
| 10th Prize (3 Numbers) | 1 in 327 |
| 11th Prize (1 Number + 2 Stars) | 1 in 157 |
| 12th Prize (2 Numbers + 1 Star) | 1 in 46 |
| 13th Prize (2 Numbers) | 1 in 23 |
| Any Prize | 1 in 13 |
4. Powerball (United States)
The new format in 2015 made sure that even bigger prizes became available for players buying a ticket for the Powerball lottery. The jackpot offered by Powerball still tops the all-time jackpot list and it is not expected to make place for new entries any time soon. It does have a strong competitor though which we’ll discuss next. Before you read on we would first like to share the odds of winning for the Powerball lottery.
| Prize | Odds of winning |
| Jackpot (5 Numbers + Powerball) | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 2nd Prize (5 Numbers) | 1 in 11,688,053 |
| 3rd Prize (4 Numbers + Powerball) | 1 in 913,129 |
| 4th Prize (4 Numbers) | 1 in 36,525 |
| 5th Prize (3 Numbers + Powerball) | 1 in 14,494 |
| 6th Prize (3 Numbers) | 1 in 579 |
| 7th Prize (2 Numbers + Powerball) | 1 in 701 |
| 8th Prize (1 main number + Powerball) | 1 in 91 |
| 9th Prize (Powerball) | 1 in 38 |
| Any Prize | 1 in 25 |
5. Megamillions (United States)
Nike vs Adidas, McDonald’s vs. Burger King, Apple vs Samsung, there has been a fair share of brand rivalries over the last decades. In the lottery industry the most notable rivalry is found between two US based lotteries and Megamillions is our last listed lottery. When it comes to the odds of winning it is still Powerball delivering the best numbers. Nonetheless, if you’re not American you might as well stick to the other options.
| Prize | Odds of winning |
| Jackpot (5 Numbers+ Megaball) | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| 2nd Prize (5 Numbers) | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| 3rd Prize (4 Numbers + Mega Ball) | 1 in 931,001 |
| 4th Prize (4 Numbers) | 1 in 38,792 |
| 5th Prize (3 Numbers + Mega Ball) | 1 in 14,547 |
| 6th Prize (3 Numbers) | 1 in 606 |
| 7th Prize (2 Numbers + Mega Ball) | 1 in 693 |
| 8th Prize (1 Main Number + Mega Ball) | 1 in 89 |
| 9th Prize (Megaball) | 1 in 37 |
| Any Prize | 1 in 24 |
Alternative Game of Chance
People looking for alternative games of chance will also want to check out real money online casinos that are also widely available for New Zealand users. Online casinos offer large selections online pokies that typically have a Return to Player of around 96% and 98% on average, significantly higher than most lotteries mentioned in our top list. And when it comes to the thrills and action, live casino games and pokies do give you the same excitement as good old lotteries. KiwiGambler helps you find the best online casinos for New Zealanders.
