A Comprehensive Lotto Guide for Indian Players

What would you do if you won a million rupees, 10 million or even 100 million rupees? We all have that million-rupee dream, don’t we? This a fantasy particularly common amongst fans of buying lottery tickets in India and across the globe. To date, hundreds of Indians have become overnight millionaires just from playing these lottery games.

For the sake of clarification, a lottery game, commonly referred to as lotto amongst players is a type of gambling. Technically, lotto is just a scaled-up edition of the popular casino game by the name keno where numbers are drawn and the lucky combination takes the pot.

Lotto India

Like slot machines, lotto games also pay off in a big way. Over 100 different cases have been reported where players earn millions of dollars after playing top jackpot slots like Mega Moolah. The thing about slot machines, however, is just that for the biggest prizes have to play the progressive jackpot slots. And not all the progressive slots get to the million-dollar mark even if you hit the progressive jackpot.

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Unlike in progressive slot machine games, lotto players don’t have to wait until the pot attains an enormous amount then stake vast amounts of money trying their luck. For lottery games, you can buy tickets any time and cross your fingers hoping that you will be the next new millionaire in town. Moreover, lotto games sometimes also tend to pay massive amounts of money in case you lose out on the top prize.

Winning the lottery is, without a doubt the most exciting experience that anyone can undergo in their lifetime. However, before you start building your castles in the air, hoping for that monstrous lotto win, it’s vital for you to understand precisely how the game operates. That’s what today’s guide is all about, including a look at most lucrative lottery draws in India. Besides discussing what this remarkable game is all about, we’ll also let you know about the states in India where lottery games are allowed. Let’s dive in!

Playing Lotto Online In India

Betting is a fun activity that numerous people all over the globe partake. Among all the betting games available today, lottery games are among the most popular options. Unlike most gambling games, they don’t really involve a lot of thought, and it doesn’t take a lot for you to win. It’s one of those betting games that are purely about luck.

In this day and age, there are numerous online lotteries in India that local gamblers can choose. Every state’s government in the country has the power to rule on prohibiting or permitting lotteries in their jurisdiction. The Indian states allowing the operation of lotteries usually draw clear guidelines within which these lotteries must operate.

The Indian States Accepting Lotteries

Currently, there are only13 states that legally authorise the operating of lotteries in India. They are:

  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Kerala
  • Meghalaya
  • Mizoram
  • Nagaland
  • Punjab
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Manipur
  • Sikkim
  • Assam
  • Goa
  • Maharashtra
  • West Bengal

In case you were wondering, some of the states where lottery games are explicitly prohibited include Tamil Nadu and the Karnataka State.

Lottery Betting in India

Up until now, gambling in India faces a range of restrictions that require a lot of caution for any local interested in betting. However, there are no laws that specifically outlined restriction for betting on offshore websites. As a result, locals can safely play online via international gaming sites without the fear of rubbing shoulders with the law.

Lottery betting, on the other hand, is the only form of gambling that is explicitly regulated in the country. State lotteries in India were officially authorised in 1998 when the Lotteries Act was passed. This law gave every state government the mandate to permit lotteries in their states and run them however they saw fit.

On top of that, under the same Lotteries Act of 1998, each state has the authority to pass tax clauses that will be effected on lotto earnings. As such the state government typically tracks down the all lottery winners so that they can pay taxes on the money they won. Moreover, there are online sites in India that tax the winnings of lottery participants automatically right at the source.

Traditional State Lotteries in India

Before the Lottery Act of 1998 was passed, lotteries in India still existed, but on a national level. After 1998, individual states were given room to run the lotto activities as they saw fit. Excellent examples of the traditional lotteries that ran on a national level and are still in existence today are the Kerala and Sikkim Lottery.

The Kerala Lottery

In 1967, the Kerala Lottery became the pioneer of Indianlotteries thanks to the late P.K. Sahib Kunjuand the then Kerala Minister of Finance. At that time, P.K.Seydu Mohammed became the founder and first director of the Kerala Lottery Department. The newly established lottery was aimed at acquiring non-tax income for the state from the selling of tickets. The revenue obtained from these ticket sales was then meant to offer a steady source of income to poverty-stricken locals in the country.

The first lottery ticket was announced in November 1967, and the very first award-winning cash amount was₹5,000. The official draw took place on the 26th of January, 1968, and from then on, the department grew to the enormous wave we know it to be today.

The Kerala lottery has gone through considerable innovation phases to make it one of the most popular lotteries in India. Ever since the Kerala Lottery Department was launched, it set an excellent example for the whole of India. After the 1998 Lotteries Act, numerous other states in the country commence their lotteries, given the success of the Kerala Lottery. After years of being under the Finance Department, the Kerala lotteries were shifted to operate under the Department of Taxes. This made a lot of sense particularly since the focus of the state lotteries was the generation of taxes.

The Kerala Lottery draws are announced on a daily basis. Other than the daily draws, the Kerala Lottery also has six different bumper lotteries. These bumper lotteries take place in intervals of two months through the year. i.e. After every two months, a different bumper lottery is held.Here is a tabulated highlight of the lotteries that locals can take part in:

Kerala Daily Draws

Lottery Draw Day Jackpot Extra Information
Win-Win Monday 65 Lakhs Has three prize tiers
Sthree Sakthi Tuesday 60 Lakhs Has prize tiers 1-8 as well as consolation prizes
Aksatha Wednesday 60 Lakhs Three different prize tiers
Karunya Plus Thursday 80 Lakhs High payouts on all prize tiers, 7 tiers altogether
Nirmal Weekly Friday 60 Lakhs 1-7 prize tiers
Karunya Saturday 80 Lakhs Has a total of 7 prize tiers
Pournami Sunday 70 Lakhs Eightprize tiers in total

Kerala Bumper Lotteries

Bumper Lottery Draw Time Jackpot Value Ticket Sale Information
Christmas New Year Bumper Lottery January 6 Crores Tickets sold in December
Summer Bumper Lottery March 4 Crores Tickets sold in the summer
Vishu Bumper Lottery May 5 Crores Revelling Kerala’s exclusive spring day off
Monsoon Bumper Lottery July 2 Crores Ticket are sold in the Monsoon season
Thiruvonam Bumper Lottery September 10 Crores Fete of the Malayalam New Year
Pooja Bumper Lottery November 4 Crores Ticket sales in October

The Sikkim Lottery

The Sikkim Lottery currently operates under the administration of the Sikkim state government. Every now and then the government a brief poster with the lottery schemes and sometimes, these lottery schemes are changed on short notice. The most popular Sikkim State lottery competition is the Dear Morning Lottery Scheme is made up of the day-to-day draws. The draws are as follows:

Lottery Draw Days Jackpot Size
Dear Smart Morning Monday 26 Lakhs
Dear Fresh Morning Tuesday 26 Lakhs
Dear Starter Morning Wednesday 26 Lakhs
Dear Breeze Morning Thursday 26 Lakhs
Dear Early Morning Friday 26 Lakhs
Dear Bloom Morning Saturday 26 Lakhs
Dear Wake Morning Sunday 26 Lakhs

To supplement the Daily Morning draws, the state also avails Bumper Lotto draws, which are restricted by the government to 6 draws for every year. Bumper lotteries are organised to add to the weekly draws and to offer locals more variety. The 2019 draws were as follows:

Lottery Draw Month Ticket Price (₹) 1st Prize Reward
Dear New Year Bumper 01.01.2020 500 2 Crore
Sankranti Bumper 22.01.2019 500 2 Crore
Saraswati Bumper 14.02.2019 200 1.25 Crore
Shri Holi Bumper 19.03.2019 100 1.00 Crore
Baisakhi Bumper 16.04.2019 200 1.50 Crore
Diwali Puja Bumper 02.11.2019 2,000 10 Crore

Just like the Dear Morning Lottery schemes, the state government usually changes these Bumper draws on short notice as well.

The Punjab State Lotto

The finance department of the Punjab government has been managing the Punjab lotto since 1968. The department of finance takes the responsibility of creating bumper lotteries every month. They are the ones who determine the name of the lottery and the number of tickets that will be issued for that particular draw as well as the dates of the draws.

Typically, the draws are held to mark different types of the year in the Indian calendar, and they come with varying amounts of payouts. There are bumper draws that have had prizes going as high as 1.5 cores. In most cases, a similar quantity of tickets is offered for sale for each of these draws and as such, the chances for winning are the same for all draws. The Punjab Bumper Lotteries are held under the following system;

New Year Lohri Bumper

Just as the name suggests, the New Year Lohri Bumper lotto is meant to celebrate the New Year and is carried out in late January.

Punjab State Diwali Bumper

The Punjab State Diwali Bumper draw takes place in November. The draw commemorates autumn.

Holi Bumper Lottery

The Holy Bumper is set right before the period of the Holi Festival, and it lasts for the entire festival. The draw is conducted in late March as soon as the Holi festival fetes come to an end.

Rakhi Bumper

The Rakhi Bumper lottery is a high-value lotto for RakshaBandhan. The draw is carried out at the end of March.

Baisakhi Bumper Lottery

This lotto is meant for the Punjabi New Year, Baisakhi, the Sikh holiday. The draw is carried out midway through May.

Punjab Bumper Lotto Summary

Bumper Lottery Draw Month Jackpot Amount Ticket Sale Information
New Year Lohri Bumper January 2 Crores A fete of the new year
Holi Bumper March 3 Crores Revelling the Holi Festival
Rakhi Bumper March 3 Crores Fete of Raksha Bandhan
Baisakhi Bumper May 2 Crores A fete of Punjabi New Year
Diwali Bumper November 3 Crores A complement to the light fete of Diwali

Bumper Lotto Tickets in the Punjab State

Currently, there are a couple of states in India which have introduced some rule deviations for their Bumper lotteries but the Punjabi State Lottery isn’t one of them. The state of Punjab remains incredibly consistent with the initially held standard regulations. All the Bumper lotto tickets comprise a six-digit number.

The number ranges from 000000 up to 999999. The players’ tickets which are equivalent to the exact pattern of numbers get the top award. They are also a variety of smaller prize payouts when you match some of the numbers. The average Punjab lotto ticket price ranges from ₹100 up to ₹200.

Other Popular Online Lotteries in India

Apart from the state lottery, several other Indian lotteries are registered under the Government of Sikkim. They include Playwin, the Derby Weekly Scheme, three Puja Bumper Lotteries, Bigwin Jackpot, and Jackpot Special Schemes. Here’s a closer look at some of these lottery schemes.

The Playwin Lottery

The Playwin lottery which is regulated by the Sikkim Government, was launched back in 2001. Playwin grew to become the largest lottery firm in India and was amongst the first lotteries in the country to begin the selling of tickets online. Locals who are interested in participating in the Playwin Lotto players should have attained a minimum gambling age of 18 years and above. Additionally, only Indians from the following states are allowed to participate in the lotto games:

  • Goa
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Sikkim
  • West Bengal
  • Maharashtra

Under the Playwin lotto, there are five different lottery games for residents from eligible states. They are;

1) Thunderball

The Thunderball lottery draw takes place every Tuesday of the week, starting at 10 – 10.30 pm. You can watch the draw on the Zee Zing TV Channel. The Thunderballprizes begin at 1 crore. And just in case the award is not won and called for, the prize will be rolled over to the seven lesser award tiers.

2) Jaldi 5 Double

This lottery is drawn each Wednesday starting from 10 to 10.30 pm, and you can watch it on the Zee Taas TV Channel. The first prize stands at 1 crore and for you to win the reward, you’ll have to match all the five numbers drawn.

3) Thursday Super Lotto

The Thursday Super Lottery draw takes place each Thursday of the week beginning from 10 to 10.30 pm. This Supper Lotto is drawn live on the Zee Zing TV Channel. It comes with a starting first prize award of 2 crores plus a rollover procedure. One of the biggest payouts from the Thursday Super Lotto was a 17.2 crores prize to Jaiprakash Jaiswal, a scrap dealer who hailedfromKankurgachi.

4) Jaldi 5 and Jaldi 5 Double

The Jaldi 5 lottery drawings take place on Fridays from 10 to 10:30 pm, aired on the Zee 24 Taas Channel. The award structure of Jaldi 5 is similar to that of Jaldi 5 Double. The only difference is that the odds of Jaldi 5 are doubled up, whereas the prizes are half of those offered in Jaldi 5 Double Lotto. The first prize is of Jaldi 5 stands at₹500,000.

5) Saturday Super Lottery

Saturday Lotto, which is the last lottery in the Playwin week, is drawn every Saturday from 10 to 10:30 pm. You can watch the draw on the Zee Zing TV Channel. Its rules and odds are exactly similar to those of Thursday Super Lotto, but the games are different and each game comes with its prize pools.

Playwin Lottery Draws Highlights
Lottery Draw Days Draw Time (IST) Jackpot Size
Thunderball Tuesday 22:00 – 22:30 1 Crore
Jaldi 5 Double Wednesday 22:00 – 22:30 10 Lakhs
Thursday Super Lotto Thursday 22:00 – 22:30 2 Crores
Jaldi 5 Friday 22:00 – 22:30 5 Lakhs
Saturday Super Lotto Saturday 22:00 – 22:30 2 Crores

In case you didn’t know, some of the highest winnings in the history of the Indian Lottery have been won from the Playwin lotto. The Playwin lottery is a secure and entertaining mode of day-to-day gambling activity. With Playwin, you have the opportunity to win life-changing amounts of money. You can buy tickets for these five lotteries directly from an approved retailer, or you can purchase the tickets online. To obtain the lotto tickets online, you’ll first have to buy a Playwin card from a sanctioned lottery retailer. The Playwin cards come preloaded with cash, valued from ₹200 to ₹5000. Again, you must have these tickets to be able to purchase your lottery tickets online.

Lotto Agent

Lotto Agent, one of the premium lotto agencies in India, was launched back in 2012 and is headquartered in Belize. Besides its headquarters in Belize, Lotto agent also has numerous other administrative offices located in the United States, Spain, Italy, and Australia.

The agency boasts of having the most lucrative prizes for jackpot winners across the globe, and the secondary rewards are often equally bountiful. Under the Lotto Agent, Indians have access to more than 20 international lotto games on the Lotto Agent Website. Some of these biggest lotteries under this brand include:

  • Mega Millions
  • El Gordo
  • Powerball
  • Plus
  • BonoLoto
  • La Primitiva
  • SuperLotto
  • EuroMillions

The Lotto Agent website has a remarkably user-friendly interface with SSL security encryption for the safe purchase of online tickets for the different lotteries under the brand. This website operates under a ground-breaking system for fast ticket sales and a capacity to handle a massive volume of users without any downtime.

Furthermore, The Lotto Agency website also has an exceptionally responsive customer service team available round the clock. Thus, in case you ever get stuck while using the site or you have any queries or concerns, you can reach out to the customer support team at any time.

Thanks to the effortless user-friendliness of the website, navigating through the range of lotto options and actions is straightforward. To join in on the action, you just need to sign up for an account. After that, you then select the lottery draws you would like to buy tickets from, as well as the number of tickets you wish to purchase.

After making your selections, the premium agency will send one of its agents to purchase the real tickets for the chosen games. You’ll then receive a scanned copy of the lotto ticket, as proof that you made the purchase. Besides, you will receive a confirmation email that indicates your lotto purchases for future reference.

How to Play Online Lottery in India

The internet coupled with, smartphones, tablets, and computers have made playing lottery online much easier for players all over the world. These days, you don’t have to walk to a local shop to purchase a ticket. You only need to do is sign in, select your preferred numbers and purchase your ticket. The procedure takes a few minutes at most and what remains will be waiting for the calling of the winning numbers. If you would like to play online lottery India, follow the step-by-step guide below and you’ll be good to go:

Step 1- Sign up

The first thing you have to do is to sign up for an account at an online lottery site. This typically involved filling in a registration form using your legitimate personal information.

Step 2- Deposit

Load a deposit via your preferred mode of payment among the options that are availed on the platform of your choice.

Step 3: Select your lottery

Typically, online lotto sites will offer a wide range of lottery games for you to pick from. You can choose between daily and monthly draws or even seasonal draws depending on the game. Pick one of them depending on the amount of money you are willing to spend and proceed to the next step.

Step 4: Choose your numbers

Pick the number of tickets you would like to purchase then select for your lucky numbers. One of the best things about picking lotto numbers online is that you don’t have to pick the numbers on your own. In case you don’t have any lucky numbers in mind, you can get the lottery site to choose the numbers for you automatically.

Step 5: Decide on how long you would like to play

After choosing your numbers, you can decide whether you would like to purchase the same ticket for a given period or just purchase a one-off ticket. For instance, instead of buying only one ticket, you could opt to purchase the same ticket for each draw for the next five years to come. Typically, there is an option to select direct debit and, in that case, the money will automatically be deducted out of your account for the designated period.

Step 6: Check the results

As soon as you have your numbers, find out what time the next draw will take place and hang on to see if you’ve won. If you have time, you can watch the lotto draws live online or on designated television channels, and if not, you can check the results after the winning numbers have been drawn.

For first-timers, the process could be somewhat tricky, but the next time you do it, things will be much easier. And again, if you like, you can pick the option to replay your preferred lucky numbers say every day of the week for the daily draws. That way, you won’t have to lift your finger for the remaining period because this is an automated process. Better yet, you’ll be informed via email whether you’ve won any cash or not. In that case, there won’t be a need for you to be anxious about missing out on your earnings.

Lottery Gaming Syndicates

Let’s face it, winning a lottery is easier said than done. Furthermore winning the jackpot is almost impossible. Owing to the difficulty of bagging these lotto prizes, lottery gaming syndicates are your best bet for increasing your chances of walking away with some money.

A lotto syndicate is a collection of gamblers who purchase tickets together, and whenever their chosen lucky numbers win, they share the winning pot. As expected, the winning prize is shared with respect to how much every individual contributed to the ticket purchases. Fundamentally, such lottery syndicate groups comprise of friends, family, and colleagues who know each other. However, with the internet, you can enter an anonymous syndicate through an online lottery site then select the amount you would like to contribute.

Your chances of winning are bettered since you have the ability to play a higher amount of lines for a similar cost. The only disadvantage is that you’re compelled to share the cash. Bear in mind, the bigger the syndicate, the better your odds of winning are, though the amount you earn will be cut down significantly.

Playing International Lotteries Online From India

At the moment, you can access numerous online international lotteries from India. Some of the most rewarding international lottery games you can take part in include EuroMillions, Mega Millions, New York Lotto, PowerBall, Poland’s Mini Lotto, EuroJackpot, and SuperEnalotto.

Since many of the Indian online betting restrictions do not apply to lotteries in the United States of America, you are free to participate in the lotto games. You can play these lottos on a smartphone, tablet, or computer from any location in India. That way, you get the opportunity to win more enormous jackpots compared to those offered when you play in some of the online lotteries in India. A great example is Mega Millions which has jackpots starting at 280 crores!

Benefits of Playing International Online Lotteries

Playing international lottos from India comes with numerous advantages. In the Indian lotteries, jackpots offered usually range somewhere in between 10 to 200 lakhs. On the other hand, playing the online international lotteries can offer winnings worth 280 crores up to a whopping 2,490 crore.

Moreover, the international lotto sites offer a more extensive assortment of lotteries. The only thing that you must not ignore is making sure that you sign up in a legally operating lottery site that accepts Indian players. Legitimate agent websites are usually compelled to adhere to some of the stringent data regulations worldwide. And right after a player wins, the funds are processed quickly and withdrawing your cash is also straightforward.

The most reliable international sites also ensure that their customers are satisfied with the services. To help players who may need extra assistance while on the website, international lotto sites offer exceptional customer support service which is usually available 24/7. These international lottery sites also provide numerous incentive bonuses to attract new players and encourage current members to continue playing.

Creating an Account at International Lotteries

Creating an account on international lottery sites is similar to the process you’d follow on a local Indian lotto website. Getting started is often as simple as clicking a ‘register’ or ‘sign up’ button, and you are good to go. Before signing up, however, you should first make sure that the website accepts Indian players and the payment options offered are locally accessible in India.

As you create your account, you’ll be asked for some of your legal information, including your age, name, and Indian phone contact. After logging in, you’ll be able to load your initial deposit via an e-wallet like Neteller or Skrill or a debit card. Upon completing the process, you’re free to choose the lotteries you would like to play. You can have a look at the jackpots on offer before deciding which one to play or perhaps make your decision based on the price of the tickets.

As a quick reminder, however, since every state in India has the mandate to permit or prohibit gambling, it’s best if you check with the government of your state to verify if you’re allowed to take part in lotteries.

Frequently Asked Questions

In case you still have questions about playing lotto games in India, here are some of the commonly asked questions about the subject and their answers:

1.Is there a strategy when it comes to playing the lottery?

Sorry to say, there are no strategies, tips, and tips applicable when playing the lottery. It’s all about pure luck. To boost your chances of getting a reward, however, you could form a lottery syndicate with your family and friends.

2.What’s the highest prize that’s ever been won on a lottery?

To date, the biggest jackpot ever won was awarded back in January 2016 in Powerball lotto. The numbers generated a $1.586 billion reward which was divvied amongst three players who had the three winning tickets.

For a solo ticket, the biggest jackpot ever won was worth $1.537 billion from Mega Millions in October 2018.

3.Which the largest lottery in the world?

The largest lottery in the world is Powerball.The great big United States National Lottery is drawn two times every week. The minimum jackpot amount is 40 million dollars. The amount increases by $10 million every time a winning ticket does not claim it.

4.Can I play any free lotteries online?

No. Unlike other casino games, there’s no way you can play lotteries for free via the internet. However, there are lottery sites that will offer you a free ticket once you create an account and play, as part of their deposit bonus.

5.Can I join a lottery syndicate online?

Yes. There are plenty of lottery sites will offer you the option to join a lotto syndicate when playing. In the course of buying your online lottery tickets, you just need to tap on the syndicate button to select the amount of line plus contribution you would like to make.