Tattslotto is a product of Tattersalls. This section refers to the national Saturday night draw, syndicated to all Australian states and territories through the Australian Lotto Bloc. The game is marketed as "Tattslotto" in Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory; as "Gold Lotto" in Queensland; and as "Lotto" or "Saturday Lotto" in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.
Tattslotto's first draw was on June 22, 1972, televised on HSV-7 Melbourne, and it became a Lotto Bloc game in March 7, 1981. Saturday Lotto's draw numbers have only used odd numbers since Draw 233 on 1983-10-15 - this allowed some jurisdictions to use the even numbers for midweek games.
A player purchases a number of "games" by either marking numbers on a computer-scannable ticket or by requesting a random selection (known variously as a "Quick Pick", "Auto-Pick", "Easi-Pick" or "Slikpik").
Games where a player selects six numbers only is known as a Standard game, and these are often played in multiples of two. More than six numbers can be selected per game - known as a Systems
entry (eg. 'System 7' is where seven numbers are selected) - but the cost of that game rises as the odds of winning increase.
Some states also allow you to select only 5 or 4 numbers, with those numbers being combined with every combination of the remaining numbers (giving the equivalent of 40 and 780 standard games respectively). This is sometimes also referred to as a Systems entry - eg. 'System 5' - or as a 'With The Field' entry.
In a Tattslotto draw, six numbers and two supplementary numbers are drawn from a barrel of 45 numbers. (The second supplementary number was added starting from Draw 413 on 1985-07-06; prior to this, only one supplementary number was
drawn.) The following prize divisions can be won:
First Division (Jackpot Average $700,000) - All six winning numbers in a game.
Second Division (Average: $12,000) - Five winning numbers and one supplementary in a game.
Third Division (Average: $1,000) - Five winning numbers in a game.
Fourth Division (Average: $50 ) - Four winning numbers in a game.
Fifth Division (Average: $24 ) - Three winning and one supplementary in a game.
At one point, Saturday Tattslotto used to have two draws; the "Second Draw" being a fresh selection of six winning numbers from 45, however no supplementary numbers were drawn. The prize pool, usually the same as the first draw's First Division prize, was shared only by those matching all six numbers, with no lower divisions. This "Second Draw" lasted from 1995-11-25 to 1997-01-25 (draws 1497-1619), when it was removed, partly to increase First Division prizes in the main draw.
Currently with a minimum First Division pool of $4 million increased from $3 million on the 18 March 2006. This increase also saw a price increase from 45 cents a game to 50 cents per game (plus agent's commission). These pools increase dramatically approximately every two months, when a promotional Superdraw takes place.
Australian Lotto Bloc
Australian Lotto Bloc - Tattersall, the Lotteries Commission of South Australia, the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia and the Office united to form the Australian Lotto Bloc to jointly conduct games of lotto.