Legal lottery games available online
There’s nothing more exciting than knowing a set of numbers could change your life forever. Australia’s lottery industry is thriving and due to the growing number of portable devices, you can enter draws or bet on the outcomes from your smartphone or tablet, as well as online via your laptop.
So if its gets to 5pm and you forget to go to the local newsagency, you can head online and secure your chance to become a millionaire.
Legal online lottery sites
Australian lottery gambling laws
It is legal to participate in lottery draws and bet on the outcome of lotteries in Australia. However, each state and territory in the country has its own regulations in place which may impact whether you can participate in a certain draw or game. Key pieces of legislation include;
New South Wales: Lotteries and Art Unions Act 1901 and the Public Lotteries Act 1996 enforced by the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing
Victoria: Gambling Regulation Act 2003 and Gambling Regulations 2015, enforced by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
Australian Capital Territory: Lotteries Act 1964, enforced by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.
Northern Territory: Gaming Control Act 2005, enforced by the Northern Territory Licensing Commission.
Western Australia: Lotteries Commission Act 1990, enforced by the WA Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor.
South Australia: Lottery and Gaming Act 1936, State Lotteries Act 1966, and Lottery and Gaming Regulations 2008, enforced by the South Australian Office of the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner.
Tasmania: Gaming Control Act 1993, enforced by the Tasmanian Liquor and Gaming Commission.
Queensland: Lotteries Act 1997 and Keno Act 1996, enforced by the QLD Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation.
The different pieces of legislation are important as they explain why different lotteries are available in different states and territories. The regulators also provide licences to the lottery operators, provided they comply with state and territory legislation.
We understand deciphering the details can be confusing so we have saved you some time and detailed the state and territory lotteries available online below.
To find out more information, visit our page on lottery regulations and laws.
State and territory online lottery games
Tatts is the predominant lottery operator in Australia and is officially licensed by the government. It has been operating lotteries in Australia since 1987 and owns several operators which run nationwide and state/territory-exclusive lotteries. Tatts operates in nearly all of Australia, excluding Western Australia which has the only state-owned lottery operator.
The Australian Tatts and state-owned operators include;
- Golden Casket – Queensland
- NSW Lotteries – New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
- SA Lotteries – South Australia
- Tatts – Victoria and Tasmania
- Tatts – Northern Territory
- Lotterywest – Western Australia
- Oz Lotteries – Online
Lottery enthusiasts looking to participate in the draws can purchase tickets easily online. There’s two options for Internet purchases too – you can buy tickets direct from the operators website or at Oz Lotteries. When buying direct, you will still need an account with the relevant operator in your state or territory.
Oz Lotteries
Oz Lotteries is a Tatts authorised online lottery seller and an Australian domain website. There are several forums questioning the authenticity of Oz Lotteries but we can guarantee that the site is an official licensed online outlet. It’s almost the same service as buying direct online but it also offers the chance to enter raffles, such as Surf Life Saving Lotteries, so you can have all your tickets under the one account.
You can only enter the lotteries available in your state or territory, which you need to indicate when creating an online account. Unfortunately, Queensland residents can only purchase charity raffle tickets via Oz Lotteries – commercial lotteries, such as Powerball and Gold Lotto aren’t available due to state legislation.
The available games range from state-specific games to nationwide lotteries.
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday lotto
We have grouped these three lotteries together as they are very similar. Known as Lotto in NSW and WA, X Lotto in SA, Gold Lotto in Queensland and Tattslotto in the rest of Australia, the draws take place on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 8.30pm AEST/9.30pm AEDT. The Monday and Wednesday draws guarantee a minimum division one prize of $1 million, while the Saturday draws guarantee a minimum of $4 million. Six standard numbers from a barrel of 45 are drawn, along with two supplementary numbers.
Powerball
Powerball is a nationwide lottery with the same name in every state and territory. It takes place every Thursday at 8.30pm AEST/9.30pm AEDT, with a minimum division one prize of $3 million. Six standard numbers are drawn from a barrel of 40, while a supplementary number and the ‘Powerball’ are drawn from a separate barrel of 20 balls.
Oz Lotto
Oz Lotto is another national lottery which takes place every Thursday at 8.30pm AEST/9.30pm AEDT. Seven standard numbers are drawn from a barrel of 45 plus two supplementary numbers. Oz Lotto guarantees a minimum division one prize pool of $2 million.
Set for Life, Lucky Lotteries and The Pools
The following three nationwide lotteries aren’t as big as the draws detailed above but they are still quite popular.
Set for Life is a nationwide lottery which was introduced in 2015. The lottery is aimed at younger players who want to win the prize of $20,000 for 20 years.
Lucky Lotteries is a raffle-type lotto game where players can purchase tickets for $2 for the Super Jackpot or $5 for the Mega Jackpot to win $100,000 or $200,000, respectively.
The Pools is a unique lottery based on soccer matches. The winning numbers are based on the results of Australian and International soccer matches with six numbers selected from 38 and a supplementary number. Draws close on Saturday afternoon for Australian matches and Saturday evening for International games.
Super 66
Super 66 is considered to be an add on lottery game to the Monday, Wednesday and Saturday draws. It is available all over Australia except for NSW and the ACT. Players win by matching numbers to a six-digit “winning number”.
Lotto Strike
Exclusive to NSW and the ACT, Lotto Strike is similar to Super 66 as it is an add on option to Lotto draws. Players need to select the first four Lotto numbers in the exact order drawn to win.
Betting on lottery draws
Betting on lottery draws is a recent addition to the Australian lotto scene and it is legal everywhere except South Australia. The only licensed sites which allows betting on lottery draws is Lottoland and William Hill.
Players bet on the outcome of a lottery draw, such as Saturday Lotto, instead of participating in the draw. The lottery operators will match the prizes of each division, including the jackpot, of the draws you bet on.
These sites also allow you to get involved in international lotteries by betting on the US Power, EuroJackpot and other overseas draws.
Lottoland
Lottoland is licensed in the Northern Territory and operates in every state and territory except South Australia. Players can create an account and pick from a variety of lotteries including the Australian state lotteries listed above, as well as International lotteries including US Power, WorldMillions, EuroJackpot, EuroMillions, Super Enalotto, Mega Millions, El Gordo de la Primitiva, Irish Lotto, Mega-Sena, French Lotto, Keno 24/7, UK Lotto, German Lotto, Swiss Lotto, and more.
When it comes to the Australian state lotteries, Lottoland picks the lottery draw with the highest division one jackpot. If Saturday Lotto has a higher prize pool than X Lotto, it will be the draw players bet on.
Lottoland is an unusual way to get involved with lottery draws, but it can pay off. Find out more in our Lottoland review here.
William Hill Planet Lottery
The Australian bookmaker William Hill, which is licensed in the Northern Territory, has teamed up with Lottoland to create Planet Lottery. The product is exactly the same as Lottoland as you’re betting on the outcome of a particular lottery draw. Australian and international lotteries are available to bet on here too.
Since the website is a betting site you can also place bets on sports and racing here as well.
Unfortunately, Planet Lottery is not available in South Australia either.
Betting sites where you can bet on the lottery
Several other betting sites offer players the chance to bet on the outcome of a lottery draw including Sportsbet. The betting markets are different to Lottoland and Planet Lottery, with available options including ‘the first ball to be drawn’ and ‘the ball to be drawn at anytime’. Prize payouts are much smaller as you are betting on the event that a certain outcome will happen in the draw, rather than betting on the draw itself.
Online lottery deposits and withdrawal methods
Now that you know what lotteries are available to you online and where you can enter the draws on the Internet, you need to know how to fund your account.
All the sites listed above accept the Australian dollar and you can use your credit or debit card to fund your account. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted options.
Other options include;
- PayPal
- Neteller
- Skrill
- POLi
- BPay
All online transactions at the sites we recommend in the table above are secured by advanced security technology, keeping your details safe.
Once you have picked your numbers you will be able to proceed to the checkout page where a range of payment methods will appear. Click on your preferred option, follow the prompts and confirm the transaction. A confirmation email will be sent to the address you registered when opening an account, so you won’t end up frantically searching for that paper ticket after the draw.