Mini Loto is a popular lottery game in Japan.
It costs JPY 200 to enter, with draws taking place once a week on Tuesdays.
To enter Mini Loto, choose five numbers between 1 and 31, or go for a Quick Pick with five randomly generated numbers.
Players can enter up to 25 draws at a time through a Joint Purchase entry.
Mini Loto participants can also make a Group Purchase, in which 10, 15 or 18 out of the 31 numbers are entered into the draw as multiple combinations. While this vastly enhances the chances of winning a prize, it also significantly increases the cost of a ticket!
Mini Loto does not offer any additional games or ways of winning besides the main draw.
Mini Loto guarantees a minimum jackpot of JPY 12 million.
Unlike other popular Japanese lottery games, Mini Loto does not have a jackpot cap, resulting in frequent rollovers in spite of the relatively short odds, with the jackpot often growing to significantly higher sums.
There is also an annual special Mini Loto draw that takes place at the end of the year. The special end-of-year draw has jackpots of up to JPY 700 million, which are larger than the Loto 6 and Loto 7 jackpots and at far better odds!
The odds of winning the Mini Loto jackpot are 1 in 169,911.
These are exceptional odds for a lottery jackpot and among the best in the world, although the jackpot is also one of the lowest.
Mini Loto players can win prizes at four different tiers.
Players have 12 months to claim prizes, with all lottery winnings in Japan paid out as lump sums only. Prizes can be claimed from authorized lottery retailers or from participating banks.
Japan does not tax lottery winnings, but winners from abroad should check local tax laws to find out if prizes must be declared.
Mini Loto tickets are available from authorized lottery retailers across Japan or from the official Mini Loto website. Players must be at least 20 years of age to play lottery games in Japan.
Players can also enter from abroad via authorized Lottery Agent websites.
The first Mini Loto draw took place in 1999, and today over 30 million people play it every week.