Swiss Lotto is one of the most popular national lottery games in Switzerland. It is not only available in its home country, but also in neighbouring Liechtenstein.
With a decades-long history and many loyal fans, it is definitely an appealing game.
In this guide, we’ll explore how you can buy Swiss Lotto tickets online and explain how the game works.
About Swiss Lotto
Swiss Lotto was launched way back in 1970 by the government-run SwissLos. SwissLos, which was founded even earlier, in 1937, continues to operate the game today.
The game was initially offered as a 6/40 format, but underwent its first format changes in 1986. At that time, the format was switched to 6/45.
Swiss Lotto adopted its current format in 2013, with the Joker add-on game being added in 1988.
At the time of this review’s publishing, 813 people have become millionaires thanks to Swiss Lotto since its first draw.
Swiss Lotto Draws
Swiss Lotto is a bi-weekly draw, with draws held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. CEST and Saturday at 5 p.m. CEST.
During the draws, a total of seven numbers are randomly selected-six regular numbers and one Lucky Number.
How to Play Swiss Lotto
Swiss Lotto uses a double matrix 6/42 + 1/6 format.
That means that players must choose six numbers from a pool of 1 through 42. Additionally, they must also select one extra number from a pool of 1 through 6, called the Lucky Number.
To win the top prize, players have to match all six numbers and the Lucky Number.
The Lucky Number also affects the third, fifth and seventh prize tiers.
Players can choose their own numbers or select the Quick Pick option.
System Play is also available, where players can choose up to 10 numbers on one ticket. Those numbers are then put into multiple combinations to improve odds of winning.
Swiss Lotto players can also select the add-on game called Joker. Joker is a six-digit game where a player must match all six numbers to win.
A standard ticket for Swiss Lotto costs CHF 2.50 when purchased within Switzerland from an official retailer. Popular online lottery websites that offer the game may charge an additional fee.
Joker costs an additional CHF 2.00 per entry and can be played up to three times on a ticket.
Each ticket also comes with the Replay game at no extra charge. Players who win Replay get a free Quick Pick ticket for the next draw.
Players within Switzerland and Liechtenstein can buy tickets online from the official SwissLos website.
Swiss Lotto Prizes and Odds
Swiss Lotto has a total of eight prize tiers up for grabs for lucky players.
As mentioned earlier, to win the jackpot, players must match all six regular numbers and the Lucky Number. To win any prize, a minimum of three numbers must be matched.
Each Swiss Lotto jackpot starts with a minimum jackpot of CHF 1.5 million.
If there are no winners, the jackpot rolls over to the next draw. This continues until there is a winner, with no rollover or jackpot caps.
The jackpot odds of 1 in 31,474,716 are pretty decent for a jackpot of this size.
However, there are games with similar odds that have much higher prizes.
For example, Canada Lotto Max has odds of 1 in 33,294,800 and starts with a CA $10 million jackpot. However, tickets for Lotto Max are more expensive than Swiss Lotto.
The overall odds of winning any prize in Swiss Lotto are 1 in 31.
The full breakdown of the prizes and odds are as follows:
Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Estimated Winnings |
6 + Lucky Number | 1 in 31,474,716 | Jackpot |
6 | 1 in 6,294,943 | CHF 850,000 |
5 + Lucky Number | 1 in 145,716 | CHF 8,500 |
5 | 1 in 29,143 | CHF 850 |
4 + Lucky Number | 1 in 3,331 | CHF 160 |
4 | 1 in 666 | CHF 85 |
3 + Lucky Number | 1 in 220 | CHF 30 |
3 | 1 in 44 | CHF 10 |
Claiming Swiss Lotto Prizes
Lucky winners have up to six months from the draw date to claim their prize.
All prizes, including the jackpot, are paid out as lump sums.
Unfortunately, some lottery prizes are subject to tax. This isn’t a worry for anyone who wins less than CHF 1 million though, as there is no tax.
However, prizes over CHF 1 million are subject to a 35% tax rate.
Players who buy tickets online from third-party websites may have to pay additional taxes in accordance with their local laws.
Notable Swiss Lotto Winners
Thanks to the lack of jackpot caps, prizes for Swiss Lotto can get pretty big.
To date, the largest jackpot prize was won in December 2016. The lucky winner took home a life-changing CHF 70.1 million.
Swiss Lotto-Should You Play?
Swiss Lotto is a fun, easy game that has a long history of popularity.
It has a great starting jackpot with no caps, two draws a week and many ways to win.
If you’re looking to try a reliable lottery with good prizes, Swiss Lotto could be the game for you.