How to pick lottery numbers
- Choose your Game. For any other lottery, pick Custom game and enter how many numbers are drawn and from how many.
- Set how many Lines you want, from 1 to 100. Each line has no repeated numbers and is sorted from low to high.
- Press Pick again for a fresh set, then copy or download the numbers to fill in your ticket.
How the numbers are drawn
Each line is drawn the way a lottery machine does it: numbers are taken from the pool one at a time without putting them back, so no number appears twice in the main set. Bonus balls such as the Powerball, Mega Ball or EuroMillions Lucky Stars are drawn from their own separate pool, so a bonus number can match one of the main numbers, as it can in the real draw.
Jackpot odds by game
| Game | Draw | Jackpot odds |
|---|---|---|
| Powerball | 5 of 69 + 1 of 26 | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| Mega Millions | 5 of 70 + 1 of 24 | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| EuroMillions | 5 of 50 + 2 of 12 | 1 in 139,838,160 |
| Eurojackpot | 5 of 50 + 2 of 12 | 1 in 139,838,160 |
| UK Lotto | 6 of 59 | 1 in 45,057,474 |
| Lotto 6/49 | 6 of 49 | 1 in 13,983,816 |
The odds are the number of ways to choose the main numbers times the ways to choose the bonus numbers. You can check any game with the permutation and combination calculator.
Play responsibly
Lottery tickets are entertainment, not an investment: on average players get back less than they spend. Set a budget you’re happy to lose. If gambling stops being fun, organisations such as the National Council on Problem Gambling in the US (1-800-GAMBLER) and GamCare in the UK offer free, confidential help.