The SA National Lottery has been in operation since 2000 and is a more popular form of gambling than any other enterprise or game in the South Africa. The main lottery draw is known as Lotto 6/49 which means that players pick six numbers out of a possible fourty-nine numbers.
The numbers range from one to fourty-nine. In order to win the maximum jackpot prize, all six numbers must match the six numbers drawn that week. If players are unable to select their own six numbers, there is also a quickpick option available, where the lottery machine that sells the tickets, chooses your six numbers for you. This is ideal for busy individuals who would like to play the national lottery. There is a third way to play known as Lotto Plus. Lotto Plus offers players a second chance to win with their selected numbers for a small additional fee. Players may only add the Lotto Plus draw to their existing Lotto ticket – in other words, they cannot play the Lotto Plus draw on its own and they use the same numbers for the Lotto Plus draw as they do for the Lotto draw.
There are therefore two different draws that take place each week – on a Wednesday and a Saturday. On each day, two sets of numbers are drawn, one for the regular Lotto draw, and one for the Lotto Plus draw. Even though players only choose six numbers per draw, a seventh number is drawn each week. This is known as the bonus number and can be used to make up a player’s six winning numbers. Lottery tickets general cost R5.00 per six selected numbers, more if the player chooses to play Lotto Plus. For the Lotto Plus draw, an additional R1.50 is added to the price of the ticket. Players may also purchase tickets that are valid for multiple draws over a certain period of time. Most supermarket chains and even small businesses now have a lottery terminal in their stores, making it easy and convenient to play the national lottery. Most establishments will clearly advertise that their store has a lottery terminal.