Irish Lotto to Introduce Biggest Game Changes in Years
Exciting changes to the Lotto and Lotto Plus have been announced for Autumn this year. The hope for these changes will be to ‘create more millionaires across the country’ with bigger jackpots and more chances to win.
Better Winning Odds
Say bye to 46 and 47, the first change sees the number of Lotto balls get reduced to 45 for an increase in chances for players to win across the different prize tiers in Lotto, Lotto Plus One, and Lotto Plus Two. This small tweak to the games also drastically boosts winning chances from 1 in 10.7 million to 1 in 8.1 million to win the jackpot. Lotto Plus One and Two follow the structure of the main Lotto, so these changes will be carried over the three draws.
Bigger Starting Jackpot for Lotto Plus 2
Another big change will be an increase to the Lotto Plus 2 starting jackpot; the amount will jump from €250,000 to €1 million to help create new millionaires! The starting jackpot for Lotto Plus 1 will remain at €1 million for those who can match all six numbers on their ticket. This also means that for players choosing to play these add-ons, that’s three opportunities to become a €1 million richer.
There’s some more good news for players; the cost to play two lines is €4, and a total of €6 if you also decide to play Lotto Plus.
The final changes will see the cap for the Lotto jackpot drop from €19.06 million to €16 million, as well as seeing the end of the Lotto Plus Raffle.
When are the changes coming?
Though the specific date for this refresh is yet to be confirmed, Lotto players can expect these changes in autumn his year.
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.”
Be sure to stay on the lookout for more upcoming changes, as well as news on irishlottery.com. Need to check any of the latest results? Take a look over on our Lotto Results page.
Written by Natalie Clark, 16th July 2026
