A bonus draw is a secondary draw that takes place after a regular lottery draw on Wednesdays or Saturdays. It works in much the same way as the main draw, with six balls from a possible 49 being selected at random by the lottery machine, but no bonus ball is drawn.

A bonus draw is almost always used to commemorate a special occasion, such as the Golden Jubilee of the Queen, or the introduction of “Lotto” as the name for the National Lottery Main Draw. It has also been used as a commercial tool in what has widely been accepted as a spolier for the start of the Monday draw.

As the word “bonus” suggests, players do not have to pay anything extra to participate in a Bonus Draw. Instead, your regular Lotto numbers are automatically entered into the Bonus Draw for free.

To win the Bonus Draw you need to match all six numbers that are drawn. In other words it is a Jackpot Only draw. There are no smaller prizes for matching five, four or three balls. The prize for matching all six balls in the Bonus Draw varies and will be announced at the same time as the Bonus Draw itself.