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Lottery Guide

Korea Lotto 6/45 — Rules and Odds by Prize Tier

Last updated: 29 July 2026 · Global Lottery Number Generator
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Pick six numbers from 1 to 45. The jackpot odds are 1 in 8,145,060 — not an estimate, but a figure the combination formula gives exactly.

How the game works

You choose six distinct numbers between 1 and 45. The draw pulls six balls, then one additional bonus ball. The bonus ball matters for the second tier only.

The order you pick in is irrelevant. Choosing 1-2-3-4-5-6 has exactly the same chance as any scattered set, because every combination is a single equally likely outcome.

ItemDetail
Number pool6 from 1–45
Bonus ball1 (second tier only)
DrawEvery Saturday evening
Price per lineKRW 1,000
Total combinations8,145,060

Odds by prize tier

The total number of outcomes is the count of ways to choose 6 from 45 without regard to order: C(45,6) = 8,145,060. Each tier's probability is the number of combinations that qualify for it, divided by that total.

TierRequirementQualifying combinationsOdds
1stAll 6 numbers11 in 8,145,060
2nd5 numbers + bonus61 in 1,357,510
3rd5 numbers (no bonus)2281 in 35,724
4th4 numbers11,115about 1 in 733
5th3 numbers182,780about 1 in 45
Why six combinations qualify for second place: you must match five of the six drawn numbers, which can happen C(6,5) = 6 ways, and your sixth number must be the bonus ball. For third place the sixth number has to be one of the 38 numbers that were neither drawn nor the bonus, giving 6 × 38 = 228.

How prize money is set

The top four tiers are not fixed amounts. A share of each draw's total sales is allocated to each tier and then split among however many people won it. Two jackpot winners means roughly half as much each.

Only the fifth tier is fixed, at KRW 5,000 — five times the price of a line.

This is why picking patterns matters, though not in the way people usually assume. Choosing numbers other people avoid does not raise your chance of winning; it lowers the number of people you would share with if you did.

Tax and claiming

Winnings are treated as other income and withheld at source. Under article 84 of Korea's Income Tax Act, a prize of KRW 2,000,000 or less per ticket is not taxed. Above that, 22% applies up to KRW 300 million (20% income tax plus 2% local tax) and 33% applies to the portion above KRW 300 million.

Because the tax is withheld at payout, there is no separate annual filing to make. Prizes must be claimed within one year of the payout start date; after that the claim lapses.

Frequently asked questions

Is a quick pick better than choosing my own numbers?

The odds are identical either way — 1 in 8,145,060 for any single combination. The one real difference is that human choices cluster on popular patterns, so a hand-picked set is somewhat more likely to be shared with other winners.

Can the same combination come up twice?

Yes. Every draw is independent of every previous draw, and a combination that has already appeared is no less likely to appear again.

Is the fifth-tier prize taxed?

No. At KRW 5,000 it falls far below the KRW 2,000,000 threshold at which tax begins.

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More guides

Rules, odds, and tax treatment differ from game to game. Reading two of these side by side is the fastest way to see how much.

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