Bonus Match 5 is an exciting numbers game held nightly – seven days a week. Every evening, the Lottery will select five winning numbers ranging from one to 39. A Bonus Ball will then be drawn from the remaining 34 numbers. The Bonus Ball provides you with extra chances to win. A Match Bonus is very easy to understand. It simply means that your deposit will be matched up to a certain percentage. The most common percentage match is 100%, so this means if you deposit $50 you will be given $50 by the casino, making your total balance $100 to play with.
Every Lotto draw offers an incredible multimillion-pound jackpot for anyone who can match all six main numbers drawn, but many players are unsure about the role that the Bonus Ball plays.
So what is the Bonus Ball, how does it work and why don’t you choose a Bonus number when you play the game? Find the answers to those questions and more on this page and see which Bonus Ball was picked as the winner in the most recent Lotto draw.
Key Facts About the Lotto Bonus Ball
- Matching five numbers plus the Bonus Ball wins you £1 million.
- It’s drawn from the 53 numbers remaining after the six main numbers have been drawn.
- You don’t pick a Bonus Ball number when you play, so you don’t get one on your ticket.
- The Bonus Ball is only relevant if you also match five main numbers.
Saturday's Bonus Ball Result
The Bonus Ball in Saturday's Lotto draw was 15. It’s the 54th time that the number has appeared as the Bonus Ball and the first time since Saturday 25th July 2020.
What is the Bonus Ball?
The Bonus Ball is an additional number which is drawn at the end of every Lotto game, after the six main numbers have been selected.
The six main balls are drawn first from a range of 1 to 59, and a Bonus Ball is then randomly selected from the remaining 53 numbers. As all of the numbers are drawn from the same pool it is impossible for the Bonus Ball to be the same as one of the six main numbers in the same draw.
Why don’t I need to choose a Bonus Ball when buying my ticket?
When you purchase an entry to Lotto you will get six numbers on your ticket. This is the same for all entries, whether you play online or in-store, for one draw or weeks in advance.
You win the Lotto jackpot if the six numbers on your ticket match the six main numbers selected in the draw. There is no prize for matching all six numbers and the Bonus Ball, so you do not need seven numbers on your ticket.
If you match the Bonus Ball, it will be with one of the six numbers you do pick, because it is drawn from the 53 numbers left in the machine after the main numbers have been drawn.
Other lotteries, such as EuroMillions, use a different system. The additional numbers in EuroMillions, known as Lucky Stars, are drawn from a different set of balls so it is possible for the same number to come out as both a main number and a Lucky Star. As a result you need to pick two Lucky Stars as well as your five other EuroMillions numbers.
So what is the Bonus Ball for?
The Bonus Ball exists to give players who have matched five of the six main numbers a chance to win an even better prize. The prize for matching five numbers without the Bonus Ball is £1,750, while the prize for matching five plus the Bonus Ball is £1 million. The difference between the two amounts can be even greater if a rolldown occurs in a Must Be Won draw.
The odds of matching five main numbers without the Bonus Ball are 1 in 144,415, while the chances of matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball are 1 in 7,509,579.
To sum up, both of Lotto’s top two prizes require you to match all six numbers on your ticket, but the Bonus Ball only comes into play for one of those. None of the other prize tiers, from the free Lucky Dip to the Match 5 prize of £1,750, require you to match the Bonus Ball.
| Prize Category | Prize Value | Main Numbers Matched | Match Bonus Ball? | Total Numbers Matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 6 | Jackpot | 6 | No | 6 |
| Match 5 + Bonus Ball | £1 million | 5 | Yes | 6 |
| Match 5 | £1,750 | 5 | No | 5 |
| Match 4 | £140 | 4 | No | 4 |
| Match 3 | £30 | 3 | No | 3 |
| Match 2 | Free Lucky Dip | 2 | No | 2 |
Bonus Ball Questions and Answers
If there is still anything you need to know concerning the Bonus Ball, you’ll find the answers to the most common questions below. Go to the Lotto Q&A page for further information about the game.
Why don’t I pick a Bonus Ball when I play?
None of the prizes, including the jackpot, require you to match more than six numbers, so you don’t need any more than that on your ticket. The only prize that requires you to match the Bonus Ball is the second prize, for matching five of the main Lotto numbers plus the Bonus Ball (a total of six numbers).
Can any of my numbers match the Bonus Ball, or only the last one?
The Bonus Ball is always guaranteed to be between 1 and 59, as it is drawn from the same pool as the six main numbers. That means any of the six numbers on your ticket can match the Bonus Ball.
What is the most common Bonus Ball?
Drawing on information from all Lotto draws to have taken place to date, the number most commonly drawn as the Bonus Ball is 45. You can find further number frequencies in the Bonus Ball Statistics section on this page.
Do I win for matching two numbers and the Bonus Ball?
The only prize that requires you to match the Bonus Ball is the second prize, for matching five numbers plus the Bonus Ball. Matching the Bonus Ball with any other combination of main numbers does not make a difference to the amount you win.
For example, you win £140 if you match four main numbers, regardless of whether or not you also match the Bonus Ball.
Does matching three numbers and the Bonus Ball count as four numbers?
The Bonus Ball does not count as a main number, so the only time it can be used to boost your prize amount is when you also match five of the six main numbers.
For example, if you match two numbers plus the Bonus Ball, it does not count as matching three numbers, so you would win the Match 2 prize of a free Lucky Dip and not the Match 3 prize of £30.
Bonus Ball Statistics
Take a look at all the times each number has been selected in Lotto as the Bonus Ball, including the most common Bonus Ball numbers and the least common.
Most Common Bonus Balls
| Ball Number | Frequency | Last Drawn |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | 19 | 119 days ago (Wed 11th Nov 2020) |
| 42 | 18 | 39 days ago (Sat 30th Jan 2021) |
| 45 | 18 | 70 days ago (Wed 30th Dec 2020) |
| 12 | 17 | 35 days ago (Wed 3rd Feb 2021) |
| 8 | 16 | 140 days ago (Wed 21st Oct 2020) |
Least Common Bonus Balls
| Ball Number | Frequency | Last Drawn |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 2 | 298 days ago (Sat 16th May 2020) |
| 35 | 3 | 130 days ago (Sat 31st Oct 2020) |
| 19 | 4 | 231 days ago (Wed 22nd Jul 2020) |
| 29 | 5 | 634 days ago (Sat 15th Jun 2019) |
| 3 | 5 | 592 days ago (Sat 27th Jul 2019) |
| Ball Number | Frequency | Last Drawn |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | 75 | 70 days ago (Wed 30th Dec 2020) |
| 38 | 71 | 119 days ago (Wed 11th Nov 2020) |
| 31 | 65 | 473 days ago (Sat 23rd Nov 2019) |
| 6 | 64 | 32 days ago (Sat 6th Feb 2021) |
| 37 | 64 | 49 days ago (Wed 20th Jan 2021) |
| Ball Number | Frequency | Last Drawn |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | 5 | 42 days ago (Wed 27th Jan 2021) |
| 56 | 6 | 46 days ago (Sat 23rd Jan 2021) |
| 58 | 7 | 406 days ago (Wed 29th Jan 2020) |
| 59 | 7 | 88 days ago (Sat 12th Dec 2020) |
| 54 | 8 | 28 days ago (Wed 10th Feb 2021) |
Picking the best sportsbook sign-up bonus can be difficult as no two welcome bonus offers are exactly the same.
We’ve dug through the fine print and looked at the rollover requirements to figure out which are the best bonuses in the three categories most important for sports bettors: overall bonuses, highest maximum bonuses, and Bitcoin bonuses.
Read on for a catch-all guide on the best sportsbook bonuses.
Overall Best Bonuses
| Sportsbook | Bonus Details | Get Bonus |
| Bovada | 50% bonus up to $250 – This bonus has a very reasonable 5x rollover with few restrictions, and is offered by one of the best overall sportsbooks, making it our top pick. | Visit Site |
| SportsBetting.ag | 50% match bonus up to $1,000 – This bonus has a bigger maximum amount if you are going to make a larger deposit. | Visit Site |
| GTbets | 100% bonus up to $500 – 100% match bonuses are becoming less common so take advantage while it lasts. Note that there is a $35 minimum deposit. | Visit Site |
When deciding which sportsbooks have the best overall sign-up sportsbook bonuses, we analyze the all bonuses offered, in addition to the terms and conditions they are subject to. In short, we look at the bigger picture.
To come up with our list of the best overall bonuses, we made sure that both the benefits and restrictions, taken together, made our top picks superior to those offered by competing sportsbooks. In short, we selected the sign-up bonus offers that are greater than the sum of their parts.
On all bonuses, sportsbooks impose a wagering requirement, also known as “rollover.” This refers to the amount of money you have to bet at your sportsbook before you can withdraw your bonus funds. For more information on rollover, check out our guide on all things related to bonuses.
Most frequently, the higher the dollar amount of the bonus, the higher the rollover requirements. The smaller the bonus, the smaller the rollover rate will be. With this in mind, the best overall sportsbook bonuses above have lower rollover requirements than the bonuses for bigger deposits below.
Best Sportsbook Bonuses for Large Deposits
| Sportsbook | Bonus Details | Get Bonus |
| BetOnline | 50% up to $1,000 – Try this bonus on for size if you are going to deposit up to $1,000. BetOnline is an excellent sportsbook with a long history in the business. | Visit Site |
| SportsBetting.ag | 50% up to $1,000 – Sportsbetting.ag has reduced their match bonus but it’s still a great offer and is food up to $1,000 for a deposit. | Visit Site |
| MyBookie | 50% up to $1,000 – Another 50% offer from Mybookie. This book shines in bonuses for existing customers. | Visit Site |
his list ranks sportsbook sign-up bonuses for people putting high dollar amounts into their betting accounts. This is arguably the biggest incentive to join a sportsbook, and an important factor if you’re looking to make a big splash in the world of sports betting.
Sign-Up Bonuses are sometimes called Welcome Bonuses or Initial Deposit Bonuses. These are all the same and refer to bonuses for new players.
A high maximum bonus appeals to sports bettors who are going to stick with a sportsbook and invest a sizeable amount of money into sports betting. The more money you get with your bonus, the more money you are able to bet with.
Best Bonuses for Bitcoin Deposits
Bonus Match 5
| Sportsbook | Bonus Details | Get Bonus |
| Bovada | 50% up to $500 – Bovada ups the max bonus from their regular bonus if you deposit with Bitcoin. The low 5x rollover still applies, making it one of the best Bitcoin bonuses. | Visit Site |
| BetOnline | 50% up to $1,000 – BetOnline has the same great match bonus for Bitcoin deposits of 50%. | Visit Site |
Bonus Match 5 Results
Many sportsbooks now accept Bitcoin as a payment method. Using Bitcoin is just as advantageous for you as it is for your sportsbook. As a result, many sportsbooks are offering Bitcoin-specific bonuses to incentivize their bettors to use the digital currency.
Bitcoin bonuses mainly come in the form of deposit bonuses and reload bonuses. In both cases, Bitcoin bonuses will be a significantly higher percentage of your deposit. This applies either at sign-up or when you re-up.
Bonus Match 5 Winning Numbers
We look at the bigger picture when assessing Bitcoin bonuses. We factor in in the dollar amount, types of bonuses, and rollover rates that come with Bitcoin bonuses. In addition, we consider how many restrictions, if any, are placed on the types of sports bets you can make with your Bitcoin.
If you are looking for more than what’s available in the lists above, check out our dedicated page that lists 100% sportsbook sign-up bonuses.
Bonus Match 5 Rules
There are a whole host of factors you have to consider in the process of picking the best bonus for you. A first-time bettor has many different considerations than a seasoned “sharp.” Always factor in your unique sports betting goals and what sportsbook suits your needs when choosing a bonus.