About Lotto
Lotto is fixed-prize game of chance which is played using a field of numbers from one (1) to ninety (90). Five (5) winning numbers are randomly drawn for each Lotto draw to determine Prima, Ambo, Terno and Quaterno winning combinations. For the first three game types, a bet is placed if one (1), two (2) or three (3) numbers are drawn, respectively.
For the Quaterno playing option, four (4) numbers are chosen and a bet is placed on any four (4) of the five (5) numbers drawn with eleven (11) chances to win when guessing two (2), three (3) or four (4) of four 4 chosen numbers.
An additional option is Terno-Ambo, where three (3) numbers are chosen, and a bet is placed on any two (2) or three (3) of the five (5) numbers drawn. A combination of one Terno bet (3 of 5) and 3 Ambo bets (2 of 5) is created, being the combination of the same three (3) numbers picked for Terno.
Lotto tickets can be purchased at any National Lottery Points of Sale around Malta and Gozo.
How to fill in a Lotto playslip
Learn how to play different playing methods when using a Lotto playslip
To play a Simple Column in Lotto, the player should mark one (1) to four (4) numbers (with an ‘X’) according to the type of game selected, in at least one (1) of the four (4) Playing Board(s) of the playslip.
The game types available are:
- Prima – where a player must choose one (1) number and mark the box [P]
- Ambo – where a player must choose two (2) numbers and mark the box [A]
- Terno – where a player must choose three (3) numbers and mark the box [T]
- Terno-Ambo – where a player must choose three (3) numbers and mark the box [TA]
To play a Simple Column in Lotto Quaterno, the player should mark four (4) numbers (with an ‘X’), in at least one (1) of the four (4) Playing Board(s) of the playslip. The player must also mark the box [Q].
Lotto Quaterno can be played on the same playslip of Lotto. However, this game type cannot be combined with any other Lotto game options. The basic stake of Lotto Quaterno is €3.00.
A Fully Expanded System entry is an alternative way of playing Lotto, providing the player with more chances to win by the creation of various columns. A System entry allows the player to select more than the minimum amount of numbers but not more than twenty (20) in a single Playing Board, for each game type, thus providing the player with more chances to win.
- Prima – where a player must choose more than one (1) number
- Ambo – where a player must choose more than two (2) numbers
- Terno & Terno-Ambo – where a player must choose more than three (3) numbers
Terno-Ambo is a game type which is a combination of the two (2) game types Ambo and Terno. In this game type, three (3) numbers are chosen, and a bet is placed on any two (2) or three (3) of the five (5) numbers drawn.
To play Terno-Ambo, a player must choose three (3) numbers and mark the box [TA]. This will create four (4) columns as follows:
- One (1) Terno column with three (3) numbers
- Three (3) Ambo columns with two (2) numbers in each.
The basic stake is distributed amongst the different columns as follows:
Stake | Terno | Ambo | Ambo | Ambo |
€0.50 | €0.20 | €0.10 | €0.10 | €0.10 |
€1.00 | €0.40 | €0.20 | €0.20 | €0.20 |
€2.00 | €0.80 | €0.40 | €0.40 | €0.40 |
€3.00 | €1.20 | €0.60 | €0.60 | €0.60 |
€5.00 | €2.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 | €1.00 |
With the Quick Pick option, the terminal generates all of the numbers according to the game rules of the specific game type selected. To play Quick Pick, the playslip should be filled in as follows:
- The Quick Pick box should be marked.
- A game type from [P], [A], [T] or [TA] should be marked, according to the player’s preference.
- A number (up to 20) should be marked in the Numbers Area, to indicate the amount of numbers that the player would like to be picked by the terminal.
- A basic stake from; €0.50, €1.00, €2.00, €3.00 or €5.00 should be marked.
Note: In the case of the Quaterno game type, you can only play a basic stake of €2.00
Different playing methods are allowed to be chosen by the player, on the same playslip.
The below example shows a Prima of €2.00 in the first Playing Board, an Ambo of €1.00 in the second Playing Board and Systems play in the third Playing Board.
The player is given the choice to participate with the same playslip in more than one draw by marking the relevant box/es in the CONSECUTIVE DRAWS section. The playslip should be filled in as follows:
- A number from two (2) to ten (10) should be marked on the playslip to increase the frequency of participation by two (2) and up to ten (10) draws.
- The boxes [x2] and/or [x3] can be marked to further increase the number of participation draws.
- The player can participate in up to a maximum of 60 consecutive draws.
- The total cost must be paid when purchasing the ticket.
General FAQs
General information on Lotto
Lotto may be played at any one of National Lottery’s retail outlets around Malta and Gozo from Monday to Sunday during the allowed playing hours. A complete list of Points of Sale listed by locality may be found here.
The minimum stake that can be played in a Playing Board is €0.50. In the case of the Quaterno game type option, the basic stake is €3.00.
Example, in the case of Prima, you can choose more than one (1) number or for Ambo, you can choose more than two (2) numbers.
Yes, you can play different game types on each Playing Board on the playslip.
Note: The Quaterno game type category has to always be played on a separate playslip.
The ‘MULTIPLIER’ box marked will multiply the total stake for the Numbers Area/s filled on the playslip.
Note: You will not be able to make use of the multiplier if in any playing board of the playslip, you play the Quaterno game.
You may participate up to a maximum of 60 consecutive draws.
Please note that the CONSECUTIVE DRAWS selection is valid for all Playing Boards of the playslip. The total cost of all the consecutive draws must be paid when purchasing the ticket.
The minimum price of the fraction part shall be €4 and the maximum price shall be €32.
It is your entire responsibility to ensure that the selections printed on the ticket are correct as the ones selected. You have the possibility to cancel a ticket from a retailer, within 10 minutes from the time the ticket was issued, but not later than the cancel close time. You have a right to a refund of your stake.
- CRC Number
- Draw Date
- Retailer Number
- Terminal Number
- Playslip Number
To win in Lotto, you have to match your selected numbers with the drawn numbers. The winning amount depends on the Game Type and Stake amount chosen.
To win in Lotto Quaterno, you need to correctly guess 2 of 4, 3 of 4 or all 4 of your selected numbers from the 5 numbers drawn. Players have 11 chances to win in total.
The winning amounts depends on the Game Type, Stake and amount of numbers chosen. The more numbers the player plays, the more the player increases his winning probabilities. The corresponding winning amounts and odds of winning for each Game Type are as follows:
Game type | Numbers matched | Winning amount | Odds |
Prima | One (1) – the first number drawn | 70 x the stake | 1:90 |
Ambo | Two (2) out of five (5) numbers drawn | 250 x the stake** | 1:400 |
Ambo (T-A bet) | Two (2) out of five (5) numbers drawn | 250 x the partial stake* | 1:400 |
Terno (T-A bet) | Three (3) out of five (5) numbers drawn | 4,000 x the partial stake* | 1:11,748 |
Terno | Three (3) out of five (5) numbers drawn | 4,000 x the stake** | 1:11,748 |
*partial stake means a part of the stake in Terno-Ambo bet that is assigned to the Ambo or Terno bet (e.g. €0.10 and €0.20 respectively for minimum stake of €0.50).
** With every Quaterno Participation of Three Euro (€3) each ticket participates in 4 combinations of 10cents (€0.10) each in Terno (Quaterno 3/4) and 6 combinations of 10cents (€0.10) each in Ambo (Quaterno 2/4). The table below shows the winning amount per category when playing a simple column with 4 numbers.
Quaterno Winning Categories | |||||
Game Type | Numbers Matched | Category Prize | Winning Combinations | Odds | |
Quaterno 4/4 | Four (4) out of the five (5) numbers drawn | *€500,000 | *€501,750 | 1:511,038 | |
Quaterno 3/4 | Three (3) out of the five (5) numbers drawn | €400 | €475 | 1:3,006.11 | |
Quaterno 2/4 | Two (2) out of the five (5) numbers drawn | €25 | €25 | 1:71.57 |
*If in any draw, there is more than one (1) simple column winning the Quaterno 4/4 Category prize, then the top prize of €500,000 will be split according to the number of Quaterno 4/4 winning columns, however, the portion of the winnings coming from the Quaterno 3/4 and Quaterno 2/4 combinations, totalling €1,750 will be given per Quaterno 4/4 winning column.
In the case of damaged tickets where both the Barcode Number and QR code are unreadable or destroyed, you can still claim your prizes from the Head Office of National Lottery plc, with the relevant ticket, only IF the ticket contains ALL of the following:
- CRC Number
- Draw Date
- Retailer Number
- Terminal Number
- Playslip Number
If for example, in a particular draw, the 1st Category prize is €500.000, and Player A plays a Quaterno system of 5 numbers and matches 5 numbers, and Player B plays a Quaterno with 4 numbers and matches all 4 numbers, then both are winners of the Quaterno prize. Player A will win €416,666.67 (5 top winning simple wager) whilst Player B will win €83,333.33 (1 top winning simple wager).
Furthermore, Lotto will support a draw liability limit which shall be configured to a pre-defined amount. Once the liability limit has been reached, National Lottery plc may reject any subsequent attempts to place Lotto bets on the specific combination(s) that would cause the draw liability to exceed the limit.
The payment of a ticket that participates in consecutive draws and wins in more than one draw can be claimed as follows:
- After the completion of each draw in which the ticket participates and wins, a payout ticket is printed at any retail outlet. The same is repeated for each of the next winning draws. The prizes can be claimed up to 60 days from the respective draw date.
- If two or more prizes are won with the same ticket, the winner can claim all the prizes together within 60 days from the first draw date, or individually within 60 days from the date of each draw.
Any winner will not be able to claim his/her prize/s if:
- The holder of the winning ticket is a minor or a prohibired ticket holder.
- The ticket has been tampered with in any way.
- Both the Barcode number and the QR code are unreadable or destroyed. In such circumstances, the players can still claim their prize from the Head Office of National Lottery if they present the actual ticket with the following data:
- Draw Date
- Retailer Number
- Terminal Number
- Playslip Number
The player must be aged 18 years or older to play and claim a prize.
Lotto Statistics
Discover interesting statistics about the most common numbers drawn in Lotto.
Other Lottery Results
Check out if you are a winner in other games provided by the National Lottery.