Buy Japan Loto 6 Tickets Online

Japan Loto 6, also known as Takarakuji Loto 6, is one of Japan’s most popular national lotto games thanks to its favourable jackpot odds and hefty prizes.

With a history of adapting new features within Japan, it’s easy to see why this game quickly became one of the most exciting lotteries in the country.

In this guide review, we’ll explore what makes this game great and how you can buy Japan Loto 6 tickets online.

About Japan Loto 6

Launched on October 5, 2000, Japan Loto 6 is operated by Takarakuji, the state-run lottery.

One of the features that attracted so many players when it first launched was the game's rollover feature. This is because it allows jackpots to carry over to the next draw if there is no winner, and Loto 6 was the first lottery to offer this within the country.

The game had so much success that it spawned a second offering, Loto 7, which is also run by Takarakuji. The same operator also runs Japan Mini Loto, which we highly recommend.

Japan Loto 6 Draws

Japan Loto 6 is a bi-weekly game that has draws every Monday and Thursday at 7 pm JST.

However, if the first or last day of the year falls on a Monday or Thursday, the draw will be held on the next draw date.

The winning numbers are randomly selected from a Yume Lotto-Kun drawing machine at the Tokyo Lottery Dream Museum located in Tokyo.

How to Play Japan Loto 6

Playing Japan Loto 6 is as easy as it is exciting.

It follows a format that is familiar to players all over the world, with players having to choose six numbers from a range of numbers 1 to 43.

A total of seven balls are randomly selected during each draw, with a bonus ball selected from the same pool of numbers.

However, the bonus ball only affects the second-highest prize tier.

To win the jackpot, players have to match all six of the main numbers.

One entry costs ¥200 when bought from an official retailer within the country.

Japan Loto 6 Prizes and and Odds

Each Japan Loto 6 jackpot starts at a minimum of ¥200 million.

If there is no jackpot winner, the top prize rolls over to the next draw until it reaches a maximum of ¥600 million.

If the prize has reached its cap and there is still no winner, the jackpot rolls down and is split among the winners of the next-lowest prize tier.

There are a total of five prize tiers, with players having to match only three numbers to receive a prize.

The odds of winning the Japan Loto 6 jackpot are some of the best in the world at 1 in 6,096,454.

Few lotteries of a similar size can beat those odds, which is one of the reasons why this game is so popular both in Japan and internationally.

Though there aren’t many lottery games that can compete with the great odds, many do offer bigger jackpots.

However, the great odds seem to be a pretty fair trade-off considering that the odds of winning some of the biggest lotteries are 1 in the hundreds of millions (for example, US Powerball has some of the biggest jackpots but has odds of 1 in 292,201,338).

The odds of winning each prize tier and its estimated winnings are as follows:

Claiming Japan Loto 6 Prizes

Lucky Japan Loto 6 winners have up to 12 months from the draw date to claim their prizes.

All prizes for this lottery are awarded in Japan as tax-free lump-sum payments.

However, if players buy lottery tickets online for Japan Loto 6 from a third-party retailer, they may be subject to the tax laws of their country of residence.

Notable Japan Loto 6 Winners

Another feature that makes Japan Loto 6 so unique is that lucky players regularly win the maximum jackpot amount. This certainly has something to do with the incredible jackpot odds.

One notable streak of winnings occurred in the summer of 2018, when the maximum ¥600 million was won on August 23, August 27 and September 3. That means the maximum jackpot was won an incredible three times in two weeks!

Japan Loto 6-Should You Play?

Japan Loto 6 has a lot to offer to both new and experienced players.

The format is easy to follow, the odds are great and the maximum jackpot prize is nothing to scoff at.

If you’re looking to try something new, Loto 6 is an excellent bi-weekly game to play.