Japan - Takarakuji Loto 6

Takarakuji Loto 6

Loto 6 is one of the biggest lottery games in Japan, just behind Loto 7 in terms of payouts and prizes.

A Loto 6 ticket costs JPY 200.

Players select SIX numbers from 1 to 43.

The TOP PRIZE is JPY 200,000,000.

If the top prize carries over, the first-place winner takes home JPY 600 million in the next draw.

Draws take place every Monday and Thursday.

Advance play is available to enter up to 50 draws at once, plus a Joint Purchase option to enter Loto 6 as a group, who are able to select up to 17 numbers to enter all possible combinations.

Unlike many other global lotteries, Loto 6 does not have any other games or ways of winning beyond the main draw.

How to Play Loto 6?

To play Loto 6 in Japan, select six numbers from box A on your ticket. There are 43 possible numbers. One bonus number will be automatically selected for you.

Players are allowed to make more than one bet at a time.

See the table below as an example of someone who makes three bets: Box A, Box B and Box C.

Loto 6 Table

Box A

In Box A, numbers 1, 3, 14, 25, 26 & 29 are chosen.

You will win two hundred million JPY if your numbers appear in the Friday draw.

If no-one wins on Friday, the winner will take home six hundred million JPY if their numbers appear the following Friday . The jackpot is capped at JPY 600 million.

Box B

In Box B, numbers 12, 16, 27, 30, 42 & 43 are chosen.

Box C

In Box C, numbers 5, 15, 19, 25, 29 & 39 are chosen.

During the Friday draw, six main numbers are drawn plus one automatically selected bonus number.

Multiple tickets and future draws

You can purchase multiple tickets for multiple future draws if you wish.

If you want to buy two or more tickets with the same amount of bets and numbers:

• Use the column second farthest to the right, as shown on your ticket.
• Select between 2 and 10 for the number of tickets you wish to purchase.

If you want to choose the same sets of numbers for future draws.

Awesome! You can do this too.

• Use the column to the very farthest right on your ticket.
• Again, choose between 2 and 10 for the number of future draws.

Odds and Prizes

The odds of winning Loto 6 prize category 1 are 1 in 6,096,454.

The odds of winning Loto 6 prize category 2 are 1 in 1,016,076.

Note: Loto 6 jackpot winnings only pay a third in comparison to Loto 7, but entry is less expensive and the odds of winning are easier. Interestingly enough, the carryover is treble too!

*Note that the bonus number is only used to determine prize category 2.

Payouts and Taxes

Lottery winnings in Japan are paid out as lump sums only, with players having up to 12 months to claim their winnings from authorized lottery retailers or participating banks.

Players who buy tickets at an ATM in Japan will have their winnings directly paid into a respective bank account.

Japan DOES NOT TAX lottery prizes!

Additional taxes for gifting 1.1 million JPY or more in winnings to friends or relatives do apply for 1st and 2nd prizes.

Loto 6 is less expensive than Loto 7 and easier to win, but payouts are generally lower.

Players from abroad should check local tax laws to find out if they need to pay tax at home.

Who Can Play Loto 6?

Anyone can play Loto 6 in Japan,but only genuine residents of Japan can claim or collect lottery prizes!

To qualify as a legitimate resident you must reside in that country for an uninterrupted period of one full tax year (January 1 through December 31).

Not Japanese then? Never mind, you can still play Loto 6 for fun!

Where Can I Play Loto 6?

Loto 6 tickets are usually bought at authorized Takarakuji booths - an authorized retailer across all of Japan - as well as from the official website and even at selected ATMs.

Participants must be at least 20 years of age.

Fun fact: Chapter 23 of the Criminal Code of Japan states that gambling is a banned activity! But special laws allow football pools, public sports and - you got it - LOTTERIES.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can multiple people win the 1st prize?

Yes, of course, and this does happen occasionally.

The JPY 200 million jackpot will be split between all lucky winners.

How many times can the jackpot carry over?

Technically, only once until the next Friday, when it increases by three times to JPY 600 million.

If no-one claims this prize, it will keep on carrying over as JPY 600 million.

Can I bet more than once?

Yes, you definitely can.

If you wish to make a single bet, choose numbers from Box A only. For two bets, choose Box A and Box B, etc. See the table above.

Is the winning amount always the same?

Actually, NO it isn’t!

The top prize of JPY 200 million is classified as a theoretical amount because it depends on the amount of sales and the number of winning tickets sold.