Portugal - Totoloto

Totoloto

Totoloto is a Portuguese lottery game with relatively good odds of winning a prize.

Totoloto draws take place twice a week on Saturdays and Wednesdays at 19:00 local time.

Totoloto costs EUR 0.90€ per ticket, although there are additional ways to play. The traditional way of playing Totoloto is by selecting six numbers, firstly a set of five numbers between 1 and 49, followed by a “Lucky Number” between 1 and 13. 

Players can also place “Multiple” Totoloto bets to increase their chances of winning. 

A “Multiple” is when six and 11 main numbers are chosen instead of the traditional five. Each combination of five numbers becomes an entry into the Totoloto draw.

“Multiple” can also be played with four numbers only, with these four numbers appearing on each line, followed by the remaining 45 numbers added to each line. As many as 45 lines can be entered, with a total Totoloto entry potentially costing EUR 0.90 x 45 = EUR 40.50!

Jackpot

The Totoloto jackpot does not have a rollover or jackpot cap, with possible jackpot winnings being enormous. The highest Totoloto jackpot ever won was EUR 18,957,598 on October 28, 2015.

Odds and Prizes

The odds of winning the Totoloto jackpot are 1 in 24,789,492, with the odds of winning any Totoloto prize being 1 in 7.

Totoloto offers a total of six prize tiers and a guaranteed minimum jackpot of EUR 1 million, in addition to having a fixed payout of EUR 0.90 for players who match the lucky number only.

Payout and Taxes

Totoloto payouts are as lump sums only. Players who buy a Totoloto ticket at authorized retailers can claim in-store prizes of up to EUR 150, with online players receiving their winnings as direct payments.

Winners with physical tickets are paid by direct bank transfer for prizes of up to EUR 5,000, with winners of higher amounts needing to verify their ID in person beforehand.

Totoloto winnings are subject to 20% tax, with players having a maximum of 90 days after the draw to claim their prizes.

Who Can Play Totoloto?

Players must be at least 18 years of age to play Totoloto. In Portugal, Totoloto tickets can be bought from authorized lottery retailers, with Portuguese nationals and players from around the world also having access to Totoloto online.

History of Totoloto

The first Totoloto draw took place on March 31, 1985. Totoloto is run and administered by Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, a charity with historical links to the Catholic Church. The organisation is a private entity overseen by the Portuguese government, most often by the Portuguese Ministry of Social Security.