Japanese Lottery Type Comparison | Loto 6, Loto 7, Mini Loto, Bingo 5 & Numbers Odds
Compare the 1st-prize odds, prize amounts, and ticket price of Japan's number-selection lotteries — Loto 6, Loto 7, Mini Loto, Bingo 5, and Numbers 3/4 — side by side in a static table. A free tool with a radar chart to see "ease of winning," "prize size," and "affordability" at a glance.
Lottery Type Comparison Table
| Type | Ticket Price | 1st Prize Odds | Approx. 1st Prize | Drawing Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loto 7 (ロト7) | 300 yen | 1/10,295,472 | Theoretical value 700 million yen (up to 1.2 billion yen with carryover) | Pari-mutuel |
| Loto 6 (ロト6) | 200 yen | 1/6,096,454 | Usually capped at 200 million yen (up to 600 million yen with carryover) | Pari-mutuel |
| Bingo 5 (ビンゴ5) | 200 yen | 1/390,625 | Theoretical value approx. 5.55 million yen | Pari-mutuel (bingo-style drawing) |
| Mini Loto (ミニロト) | 200 yen | 1/169,911 | Theoretical value approx. 10 million yen (capped at 40 million yen) | Pari-mutuel |
| Numbers 4 (ナンバーズ4, Straight) | 200 yen | 1/10,000 | Theoretical value approx. 900,000 yen (fixed payout) | Fixed payout (multiplier-based) |
| Numbers 3 (ナンバーズ3, Straight) | 200 yen | 1/1,000 | Theoretical value approx. 90,000 yen (fixed payout) | Fixed payout (multiplier-based) |
* 1st-prize odds are theoretical values calculated from each lottery's number-selection rules (the number of possible combinations), and prize amounts are representative figures based on official announcements. For pari-mutuel lotteries (Loto 6, Loto 7, Mini Loto, Bingo 5), actual prize amounts vary by drawing depending on ticket sales and the number of winners. Check the official lottery website for the latest odds and prize amounts.
Compare 3 Metrics on a Radar Chart
Tips
- Choose a lottery type to match your goal: Loto 7 or Loto 6 for a shot at a huge jackpot, or Numbers 3 and Bingo 5 if you'd rather prioritize ease of winning.
- Loto 7 costs 300 yen per ticket, somewhat more than the other lotteries, but its 1st prize is designed to be correspondingly larger than the rest.
- Beyond the "straight" bet (exact-order match) compared here, Numbers also offers a "box" bet that doesn't require matching the order, which changes both the odds and the payout.
- When Loto 6, Loto 7, or Mini Loto has no 1st-prize winner, the unclaimed prize carries over, making the next 1st prize significantly larger than usual.
- Every lottery type is legally designed to return no more than 50% of ticket sales on average, so combining multiple types only changes your odds of winning something — it never improves your average return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Side Note — Pari-mutuel vs. Fixed Payout
Japan's number-selection lotteries are issued by prefectures and designated cities under the Lottery Ticket Act. Loto 6, Loto 7, and Mini Loto operate under a mechanism called the "pari-mutuel" system, where the 1st prize amount isn't fixed in advance — it fluctuates based on that drawing's ticket sales and the number of winners. This is the same principle used for payouts in publicly authorized racing such as horse racing: the more winners there are, the smaller each individual payout, while if nobody wins, the prize rolls over to the next drawing (a carryover).
Numbers 3 and Numbers 4, by contrast, use a "fixed payout" system where winnings are paid at a predetermined multiplier. Because the odds depend only on the number of digits, Numbers offers more predictable odds and payouts compared with the Loto family. Bingo 5 has its own bingo-style rule combining a 5×5 grid with eight drawn numbers — its odds aren't as long as the Loto family's, but it shares the same pari-mutuel structure.
Even within the single category of "number-selection lotteries," the odds, prize size, and drawing method vary considerably between types. The comparison table and radar chart on this page are meant to help you grasp these differences at a glance and choose the type that matches your own preference — whether that's chasing a life-changing jackpot or prioritizing a better shot at winning something — and are not intended to recommend purchasing any particular lottery.