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Punters lament: Now it will be even harder to win Oz Lotto

The chances of Australians winning Oz Lotto will soon plunge from one in 45 million to one in 62 million under Victorian government changes that add more numbers to the game.

Apr 07, 2022, updated Apr 07, 2022
A Brisbane woman has won $100 million. (AAP image).

A Brisbane woman has won $100 million. (AAP image).

The state government has amended the Public Lottery Licence to increase the Oz Lotto matrix from seven from 45 numbers to seven from 47 numbers.

Three supplementary numbers will be drawn instead of two, resulting in 10 numbers drawn from 47.

The changes take effect on May 11 and decrease the odds of winning first division from one in 45.3 million to one in 62.8 million, the Victorian government gazette says.

The move will affect Oz Lotto entrants in all states and territories since the Victorian-licensed game is played nationally every Tuesday.

The Lott spokesman Matt Hart said the changes were made in response to feedback from lottery players.

“Players told us they wanted Oz Lotto to offer the potential for more winners and bigger prizes, and that’s exactly what we’ve given them,” he said.

“Oz Lotto has a history of delivering big multi-million-dollar jackpots every Tuesday, and these enhancements will allow us to continue to provide value to players.”

Victorian Opposition gambling spokeswoman Steph Ryan accused the government of making a cash grab because the changes would lead to more tax revenue for Victoria.

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“By adding extra numbers to the lottery, the government is ensuring that it’s harder to win, which means it’s going to jackpot more and bigger jackpots lead to bigger ticket sales,” she told reporters on Thursday.

“This is just another desperate grab for cash from the Andrews government to try and plug its failure to manage its own budget.

“It’s hard to imagine a more stingy move than making Oz Lotto so much harder to win.”

Sport and Events Minister Martin Pakula dismissed concerns the game would be harder for punters, saying the differences in winning were “pretty academic”.

“I’ve played TattsLotto … for 30 years and I’ve never won first division and probably never will,” he told reporters.

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