They say you’ve got better chances of getting struck by lightning than hitting the lottery, but is this true? Just how big are your chances of winning the Lotto 7, one of Japan’s biggest lottery events in Japan? Let’s explore what it takes to increase your win probability of winning the lottery at XO Lotto.
Understanding Loto 7
Loto 7 is one of Japan’s five weekly lotteries, which takes place every Friday. Seven main numbers and two bonus ones determine who wins the jackpot or any of the six wins here. The first-place winner can win a theoretical prize of ¥600 million, which can go up to ¥1 billion if the previous prize carries over.
Here’s a quick overview of Loto 7’s win conditions. Use it as a guide for your games:
| Grade | Win conditions |
| 1st prize | All 7 numbers are drawn |
| 2nd prize | 6 main numbers and 1 bonus number are drawn |
| 3rd prize | 6 main numbers are drawn |
| 4th prize | 5 main numbers are drawn |
| 5th prize | 4 main numbers are drawn |
| 6th prize | 3 main numbers and 1 or 2 bonus numbers are drawn |
How to play Loto 7
At XO Lotto, there’s no need to visit your local lotteries to play Loto 7. Here’s how to buy a ticket wherever you are:
- Go to the Loto 7 lottery page.
- Select up to seven numbers from 1 to 37. You can also choose the Quick Pick option, where the computer randomly picks your numbers.
- Add as many tickets as you want.
- Buy each ticket for ¥500. You can buy as late as 30 minutes before the draw cut-off time.
- Wait for the drawing on Friday at 17:45 and see if you win!
Your chance of winning any Loto 7 prize can be as high as 1/42 or as low as 1/10,295,472. Check out the percentage specifics below and the prizes you can win in the lottery.
| Grade | Probability | Expected winning amount |
| 1st prize | 1/10,295,472 (0.000000097%) | ¥600 million |
| 2nd prize | Approx. 1/735,391 (0.00014%) | Approx. ¥7.3 million |
| 3rd prize | Approx. 1/52,528 (0.0019%) | ¥730,000 |
| 4th prize | Approx. 1/1,127 (0.089%) | ¥9,100 |
| 5th prize | Approx. 1/72 (1.38%) | ¥1,400 |
| 6th prize | Approx. 1/42 (2.36%) | ¥1,000 |
You have the best odds of winning the 5th and 6th place prizes with chances of approximately 1/72 and 1/42, respectively. But as the prize gets bigger, the smaller your chances of winning becomes.
For example, the first-place prize has odds of 1/10,295,472. It could potentially take purchasing over 10 million different combinations of numbers for a chance at the ¥600 million grand prize.
Factors affecting Loto 7 numerical probability
Multiple factors influence your chances of winning the lottery and even the total of your winnings. Here are a few things you should consider before you decide to participate in the lottery.
Number of participants
The number of participants doesn’t affect your chances of winning the lottery since it’s random. However, more players participating means an increased chance of multiple winners taking the prize. In that case, players will have to split the prize among themselves.
Aside from that, this lowers the possibility of a ‘rollover’ where no one successfully predicts the numbers, and the prize adds up to a higher number.
Number selection
Your choice of numbers could be the most crucial factor in deciding whether you win the lottery. Many people swear by their ‘lucky numbers’ while others would rather choose a different set of numbers every time. There’s value in both strategies, especially when you consider the inherently random nature of the lottery itself.
Many have tried deducing a winning pattern that’s more likely to appear more than others. Though there’s no concrete evidence that this increases your chances of winning, it can help boost your confidence and remain optimistic, a characteristic of lottery winners.
At the least, you can rely on Loto 7 common combinations whenever you buy a ticket.
The lottery system
If you want to win the lottery, you should first familiarise yourself with the system it operates under. Ultimately, it’s a guessing game of chance where your goal is to match your numbers with those of the randomly drawn ones.
Organisers might use different systems when holding a lottery event. For example, the more numbers they draw, the lower your chances of winning.
Loto 7 Probability calculation: How to calculate the odds of winning Loto 7
Lottery organisations come up with such low odds based on their calculations. Here’s how you can calculate the lottery win probabilities on your own.
First place odds
Earlier, we showed the different win conditions you must meet for each prize pool. To win the 1st place prize, you must match all seven numbers to be eligible. Here’s the Loto 7 probability calculation formula for the grand prize:
37C7 = (37*36*35*34*33*32*31) / (7*6*5*4*3*2*1*) = 10,294,472
‘C’ here refers to a combination. This means that the odds of matching all 7 numbers are 10,294,472.
Second place odds
To win the second-place prize, you must match six of the winning numbers and at least one of the two bonus numbers. Calculate the odds using the formula below:
7C6*2C1*28C0 = 14
- 7C6 indicates the 6 numbers you need to match out of 7
- 2C1 indicates the 1 bonus number you need to match out of 2
- 28C0 refers to the 28 missing numbers
This gives you the odds of 14/10,294,472. This can also be interpreted as approximately 1/735,391.
Third place odds
To win the third place prize, you must match 6 of the winning numbers. Follow the calculation formula below to know the odds:
7C6*2C0*28C1 = 196
- 2C0 indicates that there are no bonus numbers needed to win
- 28C1 indicates that there is 1 out of 28 losing numbers
This gives you the odds of 196/10,294,472 or 1/52,528.
Fourth place odds
To win the fourth-place odds, you must match 5 of the winning numbers. Calculate the odds using the formula below:
7C5*30*2 = 9,135
- 30C2 is used here because the bonus numbers from the previous places are also treated as losing numbers.
This gives you the odds of 9,135/10,295,472 or 1/1,127.
Fifth place odds
To win the fifth-place prize, you must match 4 of the winning numbers. Calculate the odds using the formula below:
7C4*30C3 = 142,100
This gives you the odds of 142,100/10,294,472 or 1/72.
Sixth place odds
To win the sixth-place prize, you must match 3 of the winning numbers as well as 1 of the 2 bonus numbers. You can calculate the sixth-place prize winner odds in two ways based on how many bonus numbers match:
- For entries with 1 match: 7C3*2C1*28C3 = 229,320
- For entries with 2 matches: 7C3*28C2 = 13,230
Combining these two numbers, you get the odds of 242,550/10294,472 or 1/42.
Strategies to improve chances of winning Loto 7
Using a strategy can help improve your chances of winning the lottery. Here are a few tips to increase your gambling luck you can take advantage of:
When picking numbers
Keep buying the same numbers
You won’t have to select numbers one by one with this common lottery strategy. Plus, you rely on the hope that this possible combination will be chosen one day. While it may sound like a shot in the dark, some players have won with this method.
Do not choose one of the tens places
When you’re choosing your lottery numbers, try avoiding numbers that fall on the tens placers (i.e., 10, 20, 30, etc.). This is based on the fact that, historically, numbers that fall on the tens place are rarely drawn and should, therefore, be avoided.
Set the ones place to ‘7’ at the beginning of every month
Based on past results, the number 7 has consistently been one of the winning numbers drawn at the beginning of each month’s lottery event. That’s why adding a lucky number 7 on their ballots has become a popular strategy among lottery players and has seen moderate success.
When buying tickets
Buy on lucky days and times
Some days are luckier than others. Use this as a reference when buying lottery tickets. According to the old Japanese calendar, Ichiryuu Manbai-bi is the best day to buy lottery tickets as it’s the luckiest day of the year, where you can harvest thousands from a single gran.
You can also buy during Taian, one of the six Rokuyo days, where there’s good luck throughout the day. Based on feng shui, it’s best to buy at 4:00 PM before the sun sets since the West is the direction controlling wealth.
Purchase with the same amount
Buy a set amount of tickets each time. Limiting it to up to three tickets at a time is the perfect balance between giving yourself a better shot at winning a prize and excessively buying tickets. Since each one costs ¥500, you won’t have to worry about spending too much this way.
Make weekly purchases
Make an effort to incorporate this into your weekly routine. The more you play, the better your chances of winning will be. Over 80% of the Loto 7 winners consistently bought tickets every week until they hit the jackpot. You can opt to buy lottery tickets online for a more convenient experience.
Purchase your tickets from the same location
Stay consistent even with the location of your ticket purchase. Constantly changing where you buy your tickets is generally bad practice because you may unknowingly miss out on other opportunities. You will more likely hit the jackpot if you buy from the same store and wait for the luck to come to you.
Take a chance and play Loto 7 at XO Lotto!
Any lottery jackpot is well within your reach here at XO Lotto. With our convenient and accessible services, you can win Loto 7 in just a few clicks! All you have to do is choose your numbers and wait for the lottery results. Play and try the thrilling online lottery experience today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I increase my chances of winning the Loto 7 jackpot?
Yes, you can. Use strategies like buying on lucky days and times, making weekly purchases and relying on commonly drawn numbers and combinations, among others.
What is Loto 7 and how does it work?
Loto 7 is the biggest lottery event held in Japan, with the jackpot reaching up to ¥1 billion. Seven main numbers and two bonus numbers are drawn every Friday at 17:45. If you match all seven numbers, you win the jackpot. You can also win any other six prizes if you match at least three main numbers and one bonus number.
What are the odds of winning Loto 7?
The chances of winning the Loto 7 jackpot are slim but not impossible. Find the winning odds below:
| Grade | Probability |
| 1st prize | 1/10,295,472 (0.000000097%) |
| 2nd prize | Approx. 1/735,391 (0.00014%) |
| 3rd prize | Approx. 1/52,528 (0.0019%) |
| 4th prize | Approx. 1/1,127 (0.089%) |
| 5th prize | Approx. 1/72 (1.38%) |
| 6th prize | Approx. 1/42 (2.36%) |
