Best Austria Lotto Lottery in 2023/2024

There are centuries of gambling history in Austria with the first lottery being the Genova Lottery in 1751. Lotteries were originally run by a private company, but were later taken over by the government. Lotteries are the only form of gambling in Austria that has always been legal, unlike other forms of gambling that have alternated between legal and illegal status.

Although lotteries have always been legal, they were not regulated until 1986 with the passing of the Austrian Gambling Act (GspG). The purpose was to oversee the industry to ensure all lotteries were operating fairly. The Austrian Lottery Toto Company (later changed to Austrian Lottery Company in 1991) was founded and given legal rights to operate lotteries in Austria.

Lotto 6/45 was one of five lotteries that were established in 1986 all by the state owned company. Lotto 6/45 was originally played once a week, but due to its popularity it began to be operated twice a week.

The format of the game has remained the same from the beginning. Interestingly, in 1990 the only license to be issued was given to the Austrian Lottery Company (Osterreichische Lotterien), making the operation of Austrian lotteries a state monopoly even to this day.

Lotto 6/45 is drawn two times each week on Wednesdays and Sundays in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Players simply choose 6 numbers from the 1-45 pool of numbers.

Whether playing with a physical or virtual ticket, players will be presented with a grid of numbers 1-45 where players need to check the boxes of their chosen numbers. On the day of the draw, 6 balls will be drawn from the drum with one extra ball acting as the bonus ball. If players match all of the first 6 numbers, they are jackpot winners.

There are two secondary games that can be added to the ticket simply by checking The Joker and Lotto Plus boxes to give more opportunities for winning. Lotto Plus allows players to play the same 6 numbers again in another draw, but with no bonus ball being drawn.

For an extra 0.50 Euros and a chance to win up to 150,000 Euros, players will win a prize if they match at least 3 of the numbers. For The Joker game, players do not need to select any numbers as the 6-digit serial number of the lotto ticket acts as the player's numbers. Players need to have all 6 numbers in the correct order to win The Joker game.

All prizes need to be claimed within 3 years of the winning draw which makes it the longest time period in the world for claiming a prize. Winnings of 1,000 Euros or less can be claimed from the licensed lotto retailers found all around the country.

Winnings between 1,000 and 80,000 Euros will require the winner to complete a claim form before waiting 4 weeks to receive the payment. Winnings over 80,000 Euros will need to be claimed in person from the Austrian Lotteries Customer Service in Vienna. All winnings are paid as lump sums with no annuities available.

Lotto 6/45 is one of the best online lotteries as all winnings are tax free. However, players from other countries should check whether tax will be due in their own country if they win a prize. Online players will automatically receive winnings into their online lottery account or directly into their bank account depending on the amount, and will be informed by email.