Fixed odds lotto betting is something that people in South Africa are increasingly familiar with in the modern age. This is due to a range of fixed odds lottos to bet on in the country, which have been around for a number of years now. The main Lotto draw is a good example of this, as are PowerBall and PowerBall PLUS.
Overseas fixed odds lotto games popular in SA
Of course, people in places like Pretoria also have overseas fixed odds lottos to bet on, if they wish. This is easy to see when you look at the major US draws available to bet on in South Africa, which offer huge cash prizes, such as US Powerball and Mega Millions. These two lottos from North America always get plenty of attention from South Africans but it can be tough to choose which to bet on. To help with this, getting more information as below on how the two differ is wise.
Despite the popularity of overseas fixed odds lotto games like this, more local SA lottos often get most attention. But what are some of the most surprising lotto stats to know about in South Africa?
14 is the most popular lotto number in South Africa
This is one statistic that certainly makes for interesting reading for South Africans. Research on the numbers drawn to date show that 14 has come up the most often over time. This is closely followed by numbers 49, 46, 1, 11 and 48. Although lottos are drawn at random, this does show that certain numbers can crop up regularly over the years and are seen more than others.
82% of South Africans bet on lotto games each week
Research conducted in 2006 by the Casino Association of South Africa found that around 82% of South Africans bet on fixed odds lotto games at least once per week. While this figure may be from a number of years ago, it does show the popularity of betting on these kinds of games for people across the country. This stat is even more surprising when you learn that around 53% of the population are not thought to engage in any other form of betting.
Average spend of R81 per month on fixed odds lotto games
Finding out the latest news and stories in Pretoria is always fun – but what other attention-grabbing stats should locals know about SA’s fixed odds lotto games? One example is that the average bettor spends around R81 each month on lottos in South Africa. This average amount is reported to rise when big cash prizes are at stake and people in the country bet on lottos more in a bid to win the main prize money.
PowerBall and PowerBall PLUS have biggest cash prizes
Big wins are always interesting to find out about – from England taking home the World Cup in 1966 to the Ivory Coast winning the AFCON in 2024. The stats around biggest lotto cash prizes in South Africa show that PowerBall and PowerBall PLUS dominate the scene. They have awarded the five most eye-catching main prize money amounts to date, and this includes R232,331,750 on the PowerBall draw in 2019.
Daily Lotto odds of winning are 1:376,992
While examples like SA PowerBall might take most headlines in terms of cash prizes, the Daily Lotto is perhaps the go-to choice for bettors nationally. With draws taking place at 21:00 SAST each day, it includes not only a starting cash prize amount but also secondary cash prizes. This is not a surprise to bettors in South Africa but many may be more interested to learn that the Daily Lotto offers winning odds of only 1:376,992.
Lotto more popular with older bettors
A 2019 survey by UNISA’s Bureau of Market Research in South Africa found that out of all those asked, 94.3% of people who were more inclined to bet on the main Lotto fixed odds game were between the ages of 36 to 40. On the other hand, 81% of those asked in the survey, who expressed a preference for betting on PowerBall in the country, were aged between 26 and 30.
Surprising lotto statistics in South Africa
The above stats not only make for interesting reading but could also surprise many people in places like Pretoria. It shows that there is a lot more to fixed odds lotto games in the country than might be assumed at first glance. With these kinds of games firmly established nationally, it will be fascinating to see what figures there are to delve into as time progresses.