How to Play the Lottery Raffle
To play the National Lottery Raffle, you just have to decide how many tickets you want to buy – you don’t even need to pick any numbers. What’s more, there are several different ways to take part, including online, in-store and on your phone. Take a look at the steps below to learn more about how to play the Raffle and how to win prizes.
Wait for tickets to go on sale
Unlike other games which have fixed draw times every day or week, Raffle tickets are not available all year round. You'll need to wait until entries go on sale, which is normally around two months before the date of the next Raffle.
Raffles have historically taken place once a year, in December or January, although the dates can vary. A limited number of tickets are put up for sale so you need to make sure you get your entries before they are all sold.
Decide how to play
You can play the National Lottery Raffle via a range of channels, including online, on your phone, and in stores. Retailers that are set up with A2 PAY or RA Cellular platforms may also sell tickets for the Raffle.
Online channels have the added benefit of keeping your ticket numbers secure. If you are a new user, you will need to set up an account, add a payment method, and deposit funds to pay for your Raffle tickets.
Request how many entries you want
You don’t need to fill out a betslip or think about which numbers to choose. Tell the cashier in the store how many Raffle tickets you want to purchase, or select your desired number of entries if you are playing online.
There is a limit on how many tickets you can buy, but this varies each year depending on the total number of tickets that are available. It is decided by National Lottery operator before tickets go on sale for each draw.
Pay for your tickets
Pay for the number of tickets you want and on each entry you’ll receive a unique Raffle code. The numbers are generated sequentially by the central computer system so your number will follow the last one to have been issued. Make sure to keep it safe until the draw takes place.
If you play online, your numbers are automatically secure so you just need to log on to your account after the draw to see if you have won. You’ll also be notified by email if you are a winner.
How to Win the Raffle
To win a Raffle prize, the number on your ticket must match one of the winning numbers drawn. It must match it exactly, with every digit in the same position.
The winning codes are drawn from the pool of tickets entered into the Raffle, so the prizes for each draw are always guaranteed to be won - it's not possible for prizes to roll over like in other lotteries. One code is selected at random for each of the prizes that will be given away.
Winning codes are drawn at random for each of the different divisions, and if you win, you receive the corresponding prize for that division. The number of prizes on offer varies from year to year, as does what you can actually win. In previous years you have been able to play for sports cars, huge cash prizes and even homes worth R2 million!
The odds of winning depend on how many tickets are sold and the number of prizes that are available.