How to Play Lotto 5 Max
Lotto 5 Max is played alongside the main Lotto draw every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 20:56. Learn more about Lotto 5 Max, from the prizes available to details on how to enter.
To play Lotto 5 Max you must opt in when you purchase your Lotto entry, and you must play Lotto Plus 1 too. The numbers you pick for the main Lotto draw will then also be used for the Plus draws, giving you three different chances to win a prize. You cannot pick a separate set of numbers for Lotto Plus – you must use the same numbers you enter into the main Lotto draw.
The rules are otherwise the same for all three draws; match your numbers with those drawn to win a prize. Entries to the main Lotto draw cost R5, with entries into Lotto Plus 1 and 5 Max costing R2.50 each. Here is how to play Lotto 5 Max:
Online
- Open an online lottery account or sign in to an existing one.
- Select Lotto from the available games.
- Pick six numbers between 1 and 52 on each board you want to play, or select 'Quick Pick' to receive random numbers.
- Select the options to play Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto 5 Max.*
- Choose how many draws you want to play.
- Pay for your entries.
You don't need to print your ticket off, as your numbers will be stored in your online account. Just remember your login details so you can access your account in the event that you win a prize.
In-Store
- Visit any lottery retailer to pick up a Lotto betslip
- Mark the Lotto Plus 1 box on your betslip.*
- Mark the Lotto 5 Max box on your betslip.
- Choose six numbers between 1 and 52 on the first board.
- Fill in as many boards as you wish to play. If you have selected to play Lotto Plus, it will be applied to all boards you have filled in on the betslip.
- Select how many draws you want to enter in advance. Leave blank to play just one draw.
- Pay for your entry and keep your ticket safe.
* To play Lotto 5 Max, you must also enter Lotto Plus 1 and the main Lotto draw. You cannot play either of the Lotto Plus games on their own.
Prizes and Odds of Winning
The Lotto 5 Max jackpot can roll over indefinitely, meaning there’s no limit to how high it can go. Prizes start from R15 for matching just two main numbers and the Bonus. The table below shows all the prizes you can win playing Lotto 5 Max, as well as the odds of winning:
| Prize Division | Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning* | Prize Per Winning Entry | Average Prize for the past 365 days' draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 1 in 20,358,520 | 45% | R6,257,435.85 |
| 2 | 5 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 3,393,087 | 20% | R236,293.63 |
| 3 | 5 | 1 in 75,402 | 35% | R30,623.21 |
| 4 | 4 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 30,161 | R2,000 | R2,000.00 |
| 5 | 4 | 1 in 1,371 | R100 | R100.00 |
| 6 | 3 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 1,028 | R100 | R100.00 |
| 7 | 2 + Bonus Ball | 1 in 96 | R15 | R10.00 |
| 8 | 3 | 1 in 72 | R10 | R15.00 |
The five lowest prizes are fixed, so they stay the same for every draw. The remaining prizes are based on how many tickets are sold and how many winners there are, so they change from draw to draw.
Each of the top three prize divisions receives a percentage of the overall prize fund. Lotto 5 Max also has a ‘Jackpot Cascade’, where the jackpot rolls down to Division 2 in the final draw of the month if nobody wins. The table also shows an average prize amount – calculated from prizes paid out in the last 365 days – so you can see roughly how much you can expect to win. Please note that prize amounts may vary from those shown here.
FAQ
If you need to know anything else about Lotto 5 Max, you may be able to find the answer in these FAQs. Visit the general FAQs page for further information about playing the lottery in South Africa.
Lotto 5 Max draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday at around 21:00, straight after the winning numbers for the main Lotto draw have been confirmed.
To play Lotto 5 Max you must also enter the main Lotto draw and Lotto Plus 1. You cannot play Lotto 5 Max on its own or without also playing Lotto Plus 1.
Lotto 5 Max launched in June 2026, replacing the game formerly known as Lotto Plus 2. The game originally debuted as Lotto Plus 2 on 2 August 2017 with a starting jackpot of R1 million, which rolled over seven times before being won on 26 August. Following the 2026 rebranding, the game now utilizes a 1–52 number pool and features a guaranteed payout mechanism that rolls funds down to lower divisions if the jackpot isn't won.
The record jackpot is R35 million, won by a single ticket holder on 14 July 2018 (when the game was known as Lotto Plus 2) after rolling over for four months. Visit the Biggest Winners page for more information on South Africa's largest lottery jackpots.
Jackpot Alert!