Lottery Glossary
The key terms around Lotto, EuroJackpot and KENO — explained simply.
- Draw
- The live, random process by which a lottery's winning numbers are determined, usually on a fixed weekday and time.
- Jackpot
- A lottery's top prize, paid out when someone correctly matches every main number (and any bonus numbers). If nobody wins it, it typically rolls over and grows for the next draw.
- Jackpot cap
- An upper limit past which a growing jackpot stops increasing — any surplus is redistributed to lower prize tiers instead.
- Prize tier
- One of several levels defining how much a given number of correctly matched numbers (and bonus numbers) is worth. Tier 1 is usually the jackpot.
- Superzahl
- An extra single-digit number in Lotto 6aus49, drawn separately from the six main numbers, that determines the higher prize tiers.
- Euro number
- In EuroJackpot, two extra numbers drawn from their own range (1–12) in addition to the five main numbers.
- System ticket
- A ticket format where you mark more numbers than strictly required, automatically combining several individual bets into one slip.
- Digit sum
- The sum of every number in a played or drawn combination — e.g. 3, 7, 12 has a digit sum of 22.
- Payout / odds
- The actual amount paid for a prize tier after a specific draw. For lotteries with a shared prize pool, it depends on how many people won that tier.
- Hot number
- A number that has appeared more often than average in the period being looked at. A purely statistical label — it does not affect the probability of future draws.
- Cold number
- A number that has appeared less often than average in the period being looked at. Also purely statistical, with no bearing on future draws.
- Overdue number
- A number that hasn't appeared for an unusually long streak of draws. Mathematically, this does not increase its chance of appearing next.
- Stake
- The amount wagered per ticket or combination. Some games like KENO let you choose it (e.g. €1, €2, €5, €10), scaling the potential prize proportionally.
- Bet type (KENO)
- In KENO, how many numbers you choose yourself (2 to 10) — each bet type has its own fixed prize plan.
- Draw day
- The fixed weekday(s) a lottery is drawn on — e.g. Wednesday and Saturday for Lotto 6aus49.