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What Was the Irish Lotto Plus Raffle?
The Irish Lotto Plus Raffle was a €500 prize draw that came with every Lotto Plus line, but it no longer runs: the National Lottery retired it as part of the Lotto changes that took effect in September 2026, when the game moved to 45 balls from the draw on Saturday 5 September. Lotto Plus itself carries on at €1 extra per line, with its two Plus draws.
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How the raffle worked
Under the Lotto Plus rules that applied until September 2026, each line entered in Lotto Plus was given a four-digit raffle number, one of 10,000 possible numbers from 0000 to 9999. One winning raffle number was picked at each Lotto draw, and every ticket holding it was paid a fixed €500.
Each number had a 1 in 10,000 chance in a draw. Because Lotto Plus needed at least two lines, the smallest ticket held two different numbers, giving it a 1 in 5,000 chance of a raffle prize in each draw.
The €1 million raffle events
A slice of Lotto Plus sales was set aside until it reached €1 million, and that sum was then added to the raffle in a single draw. The rules allowed it to be handled in one of two ways: shared equally between every ticket with the winning raffle number, or given to one of those tickets picked at random. Either way it was paid in addition to the usual €500, and the National Lottery announced these events ahead of the draw.
What Lotto Plus offers now
Lotto Plus is still added for €1 per line, so two lines of Lotto with Plus cost €6, against €4 for two lines of Lotto alone. Since the change, Plus 1 and Plus 2 pay identical fixed prizes (the rules allow them to be scaled down only if total prizes in a draw go over a €5 million cap), and each has a €1 million top prize:
| Numbers matched | Prize in Plus 1 and in Plus 2 |
|---|---|
| 6 | €1,000,000 |
| 5 + Bonus | €1,000 |
| 5 | €100 |
| 4 + Bonus | €25 |
| 4 | €10 |
| 3 + Bonus | €6 |
| 2 + Bonus | €3 |
| 3 | €2 |
With 45 balls in the drum, the chance of matching all six numbers in any one of these draws is 1 in 8,145,060 per line, compared with 1 in 10,737,573 in the old 47-ball game. Most lines win nothing in a given draw, and no prize is guaranteed.
Old tickets with raffle numbers
Raffle prizes, like other Lotto Plus prizes, had to be claimed within 90 days of the draw. If you still have a ticket from before the change, check its raffle numbers against that draw’s results soon, and see the official rules on lottery.ie for how and where to claim.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Irish Lotto Plus Raffle still exist?
No. The National Lottery retired it as part of the Lotto changes that took effect in September 2026.
How much did the Lotto Plus Raffle pay?
A fixed €500 to every ticket holding the winning four-digit number, with an extra €1 million, shared between those tickets or given to one of them, at special raffle draws.
Has the price of Lotto Plus changed?
No. It still costs €1 extra per line, so two lines of Lotto with Plus cost €6.
What are the Lotto Plus top prizes now?
€1 million in Plus 1 and €1 million in Plus 2.
Related guides: how the UK Lotto Millionaire Raffle works.
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