LOTO – Loto draw, result every evening, results of previous draws, FDJ statistics, how to play… Here is everything you always wanted to know about Loto without daring to ask.
In France, the Loto has 21 million players, including 5 million “regular” players, in other words, those who scrutinize the results almost every drawing night. Created in 1976, the Loto has now become one of the flagship games of the Française des Jeux (FDJ) and its third source of income, with 1.5 to 2 billion euros in turnover per year. But how to play the Loto ? What are the dates and times of the draws ? When are the Loto results revealed ? Where to check the result of a draw ? How much does the game pay out the FDJ ? What are the Loto statistics ? Find all the key information on this game on this special page.
There are three Loto draws per week: one on Monday evening, one on Wednesday evening, and one on Saturday evening, carried out on bailiff's inspection. If you have played a grid at 2.20 euros, it is valid for a single draw. Since autumn 2019, it has been possible to participate in a second draw for an additional 0.80 euros, for a total of 3 euros.
The Loto draw usually takes place around 8 p.m., behind closed doors and under the supervision of a bailiff. During these draws, 5 balls are drawn at random from 49 numbers; then 1 ball, corresponding to the lucky number, is also drawn at random from the 10. Since the implementation of the “second draw” option, a second draw has taken place. With the same 5 numbers, and without the lucky number, players have the possibility of winning another Jackpot, of a lower amount.
You can check the draw on television on TF1 on the days of the draw at 8:35 p.m. (11:15 p.m. for Euromillions) or on the website www.fdj.fr. To check the Loto results and all the reports, there are several other solutions available to you: go to the results page of the Française des Jeux website or its mobile application. It is also possible to check the Official Journal. Finally, by telephone, a simple call to 3256 (0.34 euros) or a text message to 61113 with the word “Loto” (0.35 cents) allows you to find out all the right numbers. The Loto results are also published on this page every drawing night.
La Française des Jeux regularly organizes exceptional Loto jackpots. Sometimes, in addition to the 3 weekly events, a “Super Loto” is added, on the occasion of a Friday the 13th, which can attract up to 10 million fans in a single day.
If you play at a tobacconist's…
> Solution #1: Fill in a grid – Collect a game slip. Fill in one or more grids (each costs 2.20 euros, 3 euros with the "second draw" option). In your grid, you must first check (by making a cross) 5 numbers among the boxes numbered from 1 to 49. Then, you must check 1 "lucky number" among the numbers from 1 to 10. As in l’Euromillions, you can make your grid more complex by checking more than 5 numbers but it will cost you more. Give your grid to the tobacconist so that he can record your bet. In exchange, you will receive a game receipt, which will allow you to claim your winnings in the event of a victory.
> Solution #2: Make a “Flash” – Those who want to validate their ticket by relying only on luck can buy a ticket with the Flash system: in this case, it is a machine that randomly chooses the numbers. If you do not want to choose your own numbers, you can therefore make a grid using the “Flash” system (also 2.20 euros). Ask the tobacconist for a “flash” Loto and his computer will choose numbers at random for you.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000> Solution No. 3: Choose the multiple mode – La Française des Jeux has also provided alternative ways of playing, to have fun defying chance. Thus, with the "Multiple" mode, it is possible to check a 6th, a 7th, an 8th and even a 9th number. In this case, the ticket is sold more expensive, for example, 252 euros for a grid with 9 numbers. It is also possible to check between 1 and 10 lucky numbers, again, for a higher prize.
If you play on the Internet…
The official website of the Française des jeux also collects bets and allows you to play the Loto in the same way as in a point of sale. But you must first create an account (read the instructions on Euromillions: how to play).
THE JACKPOTS
The Loto boasts a minimum jackpot of €2 million, which increases by €1 million each time it is drawn until it is won, winnings from two correct numbers, and a one in ten chance of winning back your stake. The “second draw” option puts 7.09% of participating stakes into play, with a minimum of €100,000. The biggest Loto win, €27,989,078, was recorded in June 2010. The winning ticket was validated in Ferney Voltaire, in Ain. On June 6, 2011, a family living in Sarcelles, in Val-d'Oise, won €24 million in a draw. In 2013, an entrepreneur from the Paris region won 22 million euros, a sum that allowed him to save his company, his employees' jobs, and to offer himself a new life. But on May 26, 2006, the Super Loto record jackpot rose to 30,009,676 euros. That day, two players had both numbers right, so they shared 15 million euros each.
The minimum to win is to have the “Lucky Number”, formerly called the “Complementary Number”. If the ball corresponding to your lucky number falls, your stake of 2.20 euros is refunded. Then, your winnings depend on the numbers drawn but also on the number of people who had the same winning combination as you. For example, here is a summary table of winnings for a draw.
To collect your winnings, go to a point of sale within 60 days and present your game receipt to the tobacconist. They will give you the corresponding amount. If your winnings exceed 300 euros, you will need to go to a payment center of the Française des Jeux. If you played online, your winnings will be credited directly to your account. Please note: no lot worth more than 5,000 euros can be awarded without presentation of an identity document.
What is the chance of winning the lottery when you validate a grid ? On average, in 75% of cases, there is no winner of the super jackpot. Because to find the 5 right numbers as well as the “lucky” number, you have to be lucky. The probabilities are 0.000 005%, which means that each grid has a 1 in 19,068,840 chance of matching the winning combination on the day of the draw. The chances of getting your two euros stake refunded are just over 9%, since you just have to tick the right lucky number, or a right number and the right lucky number, for this to happen. The player who has a grid with 5 right numbers in his possession, but who has not ticked the right lucky number, wins on average just over 100,000 euros. The probabilities of this happening are however very low, of the order of 0.000 05 %.
Many players, but also non-players, wonder how much the Loto brings in to the FDJ each drawing evening. La Française des Jeux was born in 1976. The company, which today has nearly 1,000 employees, replaced the French National Lottery, created in 1933 with the aim of donating money to veterans, war invalids, but also to victims of “agricultural disasters”. In 1974, the Lottery issuers created an economic interest group that launched the Loto in 1976. Until recently, the association “les gueules casses”, founded after the First World War, received some dividends. On November 21, 2019, the FDJ, which was still owned by 72% by the State, officially entered the stock market and thus became a company with majority private capital.
The money accumulated by the Loto is colossal: in 2018 according to the FDJ activity report, the sums wagered by players represented 15.8 billion euros. A large part of this money was then distributed among players in the form of winnings (67.6%, or 10.7 billion euros). Of the gross gaming revenue (5.1 billion euros), approximately 3.5 billion were redistributed to the State, including 3.3 billion in public levies on gaming. Despite privatization, the latter should therefore continue to collect several billion each year, mainly in the form of taxes, but also because it has retained 20% of the shares he holds at the Française des Jeux.