Irish Lotto Changes & History – From 6/36 to Today's 6/45 Game
Irish Lotto has changed several times since its first draw in April 1988. The ball pool has moved from 36 to 39, 42, 45, 47 and back to 45, while draw days, ticket prices, prize tiers, Lotto Plus and jackpot rules have also evolved.
History checked against National Lottery records and current 2026 rulesIrish Lotto Era Finder
Choose a draw date to see which Irish Lotto number pool and rules era applied. This is useful when checking older results or deciding whether historical statistics should be compared with the current game.
Some historical changes took effect on a specific draw date; where an official annual record gives only the month or year, this page uses the first confirmed draw under the new format.
Current Irish Lotto
6/45Six main numbers from 1–45, with a Bonus Ball. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday draws.
Irish Lotto Number-Pool Changes
| Era | Format | Numbers available | Key change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 1988 – 21 Aug 1992 | 6/36 | 1–36 | Original Lotto format. Wednesday draw added in 1990. |
| 22 Aug 1992 – 23 Sep 1994 | 6/39 | 1–39 | Ball pool increased and the Bonus Ball introduced. |
| 24 Sep 1994 – 3 Nov 2006 | 6/42 | 1–42 | Three more balls added; Quick Pick also arrived in this era. |
| 4 Nov 2006 – 4 Sep 2015 | 6/45 | 1–45 | Minimum jackpot raised to €2m and Match 3 added. |
| 5 Sep 2015 – 2 Sep 2026 | 6/47 | 1–47 | Two balls added, ticket price became €2 per line and Lotto Plus Raffle launched. |
| From 5 Sep 2026 | 6/45 | 1–45 | Numbers 46 and 47 retired, odds improved and a Monday draw was added. |
The two 6/45 eras are not one continuous rules period. The 2006–2015 game and the current 2026 game use the same 1–45 number pool, but prize structures, ticket prices, Lotto Plus rules and draw frequency are different. For modern statistics, keep the September 2026 era separate.
Irish Lotto History Timeline
Irish Lotto Launches as a 6/36 Game
The first Irish Lotto draw took place on Saturday 16 April 1988. Players selected six numbers from 1–36.
A Wednesday Draw Is Added
Irish Lotto moved beyond its original Saturday-only schedule when a Wednesday draw was introduced on 30 May 1990.
6/39 and the Bonus Ball Arrive
The game changed from 36 to 39 balls on 22 August 1992. The Bonus Ball was added and created additional prize categories.
The change followed the famous May 1992 syndicate attempt to cover every combination in the 6/36 game.
The Ball Pool Expands to 42
From 24 September 1994, players selected six numbers from 1–42. Quick Pick also became part of the Lotto experience, allowing the terminal to generate random selections.
Ticket Price and Starting Jackpot Increase
The line price rose from IR£0.50 to IR£0.75 and the starting jackpot increased to IR£1 million.
Lotto Plus Is Introduced
Lotto Plus gave players an additional draw using the same Lotto numbers for an extra charge, adding a new fixed top-prize opportunity.
Lotto Plus 2 Is Added
Lotto Plus was redesigned with a second Plus draw. The arrival of the euro also changed the way ticket prices and jackpots were displayed.
Irish Lotto Moves to 6/45
The first draw under the new 6/45 rules was held on 4 November 2006.
- Three balls were added to the previous 1–42 pool.
- The minimum jackpot rose to €2 million.
- A Match 3 prize was introduced.
- The line price moved to €1.50.
The Game Expands to 6/47
The first 47-ball draw took place on Saturday 5 September 2015.
- Numbers 46 and 47 were added.
- The line price increased from €1.50 to €2.
- Match 2 + Bonus became a prize category.
- The estimated Match 5 + Bonus prize increased substantially.
- Lotto Plus Raffle was introduced.
Lotto Plus Is Reworked
New Lotto Plus rules launched at the end of August 2018, with the first draw on 1 September.
- Lotto Plus 1's top prize doubled from €500,000 to €1 million.
- The Plus add-on price increased from €0.50 to €1 per line.
- The Lotto Plus Raffle prize became €500 per winning raffle code.
- The overall chance of a prize with Lotto + Plus improved under the new structure.
The Record Jackpot Leads to a Will Be Won Rule
A €19,060,800 jackpot was finally won on 15 January 2022 after a long capped rollover. The game subsequently adopted a rule allowing a future capped jackpot to become a Will Be Won draw after a defined run of capped draws, with the jackpot rolling down if nobody matched six numbers.
Irish Lotto Returns to 6/45 and Adds Monday Draws
The final 47-ball draw was held on Wednesday 2 September. Tickets for the new format went on sale on 3 September, and the first new 6/45 draw took place on Saturday 5 September.
- Numbers 46 and 47 were retired.
- Jackpot odds improved from about 1 in 10.7 million to 1 in 8,145,060.
- The jackpot cap was reduced from €19.06 million to €16 million.
- Lotto Plus 2's top prize increased from €250,000 to €1 million.
- Plus 1 and Plus 2 moved to the same current fixed prize structure.
- The Lotto Plus Raffle was retired, followed by a one-off dispersal raffle on 5 September.
- The first Monday draw was held on 7 September, creating a Monday/Wednesday/Saturday schedule.
- Lotto 5-4-3-2-1 was renamed Lotto Pick & Play and its odds/prizes were revised.
Irish Lotto Before and After September 2026
The September 2026 Irish Lotto Changes
Smaller Number Pool
Numbers 46 and 47 left the drum, improving the mathematical odds across Lotto and both Plus draws.
Three Draw Nights
The game moved from two weekly draws to Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Lower Jackpot Cap
The maximum main Lotto jackpot changed from the previous €19.06 million cap to €16 million.
Plus 2 Top Prize Increased
Lotto Plus 2's Match 6 prize rose from €250,000 to €1 million, matching Plus 1.
Lotto Plus Raffle Ended
The regular four-digit Plus Raffle was removed from the game. Its reserve was dispersed through a special one-off draw.
Advance Play Still Covers Four Weeks
With three draw nights each week, four weeks of Advance Play now covers 12 draws instead of eight.
Why Irish Lotto Results Should Be Split by Game Format
A number's historical frequency only makes sense in the context of the balls that were available at the time. Combining every Irish Lotto draw since 1988 into one ranking gives numbers very different opportunities to appear.
Numbers 37–39
They did not exist in the original 6/36 game, so they have fewer lifetime draw opportunities than numbers 1–36.
Numbers 43–45
They entered the main Lotto pool only when the game became 6/45 in 2006.
Numbers 46 and 47
They were available only during the 6/47 era from September 2015 to September 2026 and are not part of today's game.
My Lottery Life's current Irish Lotto statistics therefore start with the new 6/45 era on 5 September 2026 rather than mixing current and historical formats.
Explore Irish Lotto Results by Era
Irish Lotto Changes & History FAQs
When did Irish Lotto start?
The first Irish Lotto draw took place on Saturday 16 April 1988. The original game used six numbers from 1–36.
When was the Bonus Ball introduced?
The Bonus Ball arrived with the move from 6/36 to 6/39 on 22 August 1992.
When did Irish Lotto first become 6/45?
The first 6/45 draw was held on 4 November 2006. That format lasted until the game expanded to 47 balls in September 2015.
Why did Irish Lotto change to 47 balls in 2015?
The 2015 relaunch changed the prize structure and increased the number pool from 45 to 47. It also raised the line price to €2 and introduced Lotto Plus Raffle.
Why did Irish Lotto go back to 45 balls in 2026?
The National Lottery said the 2026 refresh was designed to improve the chances of winning and create more millionaires. Removing balls 46 and 47 improved the jackpot odds from about 1 in 10.7 million to 1 in 8.1 million.
When was the Monday Irish Lotto draw introduced?
The first Monday Lotto draw took place on 7 September 2026. Irish Lotto now draws on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Is today's 6/45 game the same as the 2006–2015 6/45 game?
No. The number pool is the same size, but the current game has different ticket pricing, prize structures, Lotto Plus rules, jackpot-cap rules and three weekly draw nights.
Should old 6/47 results be included in current hot-number statistics?
They are valid historical results, but they belong to a different number matrix. For current-game frequency analysis, separating the September 2026 6/45 era avoids mixing draws where numbers 46 and 47 were eligible with draws where they are not.
Historical Results Do Not Change Future Odds
Irish Lotto rule changes alter the number pool, prize structure and mathematical odds, but past winning numbers do not make a particular number more or less likely in a future random draw.
Compare Like With Like
Use the correct game era when studying historical results or number statistics.
My Lottery Life is an independent lottery information website and is not the Irish National Lottery. Historical dates and rule changes are compiled from National Lottery records, annual reports and archived game information. Official game rules take precedence if there is any discrepancy.