As the proud holder of the title for world's first multinational lotto, Viking Lotto has grown to be one of the most loved European lotteries.
Although the lottery goes by many names, including Vikingalotto, Onsdags Lotto and Vikinglotto, the world at large knows it by its standard name: Viking Lotto.
In this guide, we will see what this game is all about and how you can buy Viking Lotto tickets online.
About Viking Lotto
Viking Lotto was first launched in 1993 when Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark decided to host a lottery game together. This was done so that they could offer larger jackpots and appeal to a wider audience.
Since then, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia all jumped on board. This means that the game is now offered across nine different countries.
As of 2017, the game has undergone numerous format changes and finally settled on the format offered today. During this year, the game also revised the jackpot amounts.
Viking Lotto Draws
Bucking the trend of many others, this lottery only hosts one draw each week, on Wednesdays at 7 pm GMT.
The draw takes place in Hamar, Norway, and results are posted online as soon as the draw is concluded.
How to Play Viking Lotto
After its many revisions, the game finally settled on the double-matrix (6/48 + 1/8) format that it has today.
So, to play, you will need to select six numbers from a number pool ranging between 1 and 48. In addition, you will need to choose a single number from a pool that ranges from one to eight.
To win the jackpot, you have to match all six main numbers as well as the Viking Number.
This single number is known as the Viking Number and is used to determine the jackpot winner.
As with almost all modern lotteries, there is an option to play using a quick pick. This will allow a random number generator to choose your numbers for you.
The cost per ticket varies depending on which country you are playing in.
As a standard, most countries offer the tickets for less than €1. This is a great price for the chance to win such a grand jackpot.
Viking Lotto Prizes and Odds
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 98,172,096.
These are pretty good when compared to the likes of EuroMillions (1 in 139,838,160) or even Mega Millions (1 in 302,575,350).
However, when compared to some other lotteries in Europe, they could be much better.
Even large lotteries like Eurojackpot (1 in 95,344,200) and Swiss Lotto (1 in 31,474,716) offer better odds.
This is, however, not a deal breaker at all. Because Viking Lotto offers some great, although confusing, prizes.
The reason that these prizes are confusing is that each country offers its own prize table and prizes per tier.
The only two tiers that remain constant seemingly regardless of country is the jackpot and second-tier.
From the third tier onwards, each country sets its own prizes. Some countries, like Sweden, even reduce their pay tables to only include five tiers. Others, like Lithuania, go up to eight different tiers.
The minimum jackpot is set at €3 million-regardless of what country you are playing from. This is one of the biggest minimum jackpots of any international lotteries.
This jackpot rolls over until it reaches the €35 million cap.
From here, the jackpot will begin to roll down to the different prize tiers, leading to some great prizes for the secondary and third-place winners.
The general prize table is outlined below:
Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Estimated Prize |
6 + Viking Number | 1 in 98,172,096 | Jackpot (minimum of €3 million, maximum of €35 million) |
6 | 1 in 14,024,585 | Secondary Jackpot |
5 + Viking Number | 1 in 389,572 | Country Dependant |
5 | 1 in 55,653 | Country Dependant |
4 + Viking Number | 1 in 7,061 | Country Dependant |
4 | 1 in 1,086 | Country Dependant |
3 + Viking Number | 1 in 428 | Country Dependant |
3 | 1 in 61 | Country Dependant |
Claiming Viking Lotto Prizes
The good news if you are a winner is that you have a full year to claim your prize. So, there is no rush for you to try and collect your winnings.
The bad news is that the claims process, like the pay tables, varies depending on which country you are in.
For most of the countries, prizes less than €999 can be claimed at any authorised lottery reseller.
Anything higher than €999 will require you to physically collect your prize at the local lottery offices.
This difference on how to collect your winnings based on location could be a nuisance.
However, if you do your research beforehand, we don’t foresee any problems with you getting your prize.
Notable Viking Lotto Winners
Proof that this lottery can change lives is that its largest jackpot far exceeds its current jackpot cap.
In 2016, the lottery paid out a whopping €44.26 million.
Sadly, one year later, the jackpot cap was revised to €35 million. This means that it is no longer possible to win such a substantial amount.
However, that doesn’t mean that the lottery is not still changing lives. Below are the highest prizes paid out aside from the record €44.26 million in 2016:
November 2017 - €35 million
April 2018 - €33 million
May 2013 - €28.5 million
Viking Lotto-Should You Play?
Though Viking Lotto offers pretty tough odds, it also has a great minimum jackpot and a fantastic rolldown feature after the jackpot cap is reached.
All this, and the fact that it is played by so many European countries, makes this a solid major lottery.
If you have never played Viking Lotto lottery before, we strongly recommend it.
You may hit the jackpot or even be lucky enough to benefit from a jackpot rolldown.
Dwight