The oldest and most winnable of the six-ball games. If you are optimising for the best realistic chance rather than the biggest headline, this is the one.
Lotto 6/42 asks for six numbers from 1 to 42, matched in any order for the jackpot. With 5,245,786 possible combinations it has the smallest field and the best jackpot odds of any six-ball game PCSO runs.
It is also the original. 6/42 was the format that introduced lotto to the Philippines, and the larger games were added later as the market grew. That history is why it is known simply as "Lotto" rather than carrying a prefix like Mega, Super, Grand, or Ultra.
Lotto 6/42 is drawn Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 9:00 PM Philippine time — the same nights as 6D Lotto.
Mark six numbers from 1 to 42, or ask for Lucky Pick. A play costs ₱25 per combination, and system play is available.
The 42-number pool is small enough that calendar dates (1–31) cover roughly three-quarters of it. Date-based combinations are consequently very heavily played in this game. Again, this has no effect on your probability of winning — but it has a real effect on how many people you would be splitting a jackpot with.
| You match | Prize tier | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 6 numbers | Jackpot | 1 in 5,245,786 |
| 5 numbers | 2nd prize | 1 in 24,286 |
| 4 numbers | 3rd prize | 1 in 555 |
| 3 numbers | Consolation | 1 in 37 |
Every tier here is the most accessible in the six-ball family. Matching three numbers comes up at roughly 1 in 37 — frequent enough that a regular player will hit it routinely — and the third-prize tier at about 1 in 555 is genuinely attainable over a year of play.
Non-jackpot tiers are pari-mutuel and vary per draw; see our results pages for confirmed amounts.
All five six-ball games cost the same ₱25 per play. That single fact is what makes 6/42 stand out: you are paying an identical price for a substantially better chance.
Against 6/58 Ultra Lotto, your jackpot odds here are roughly eight times better. Against 6/49 Super Lotto, close to three times better. The trade-off is that 6/42 jackpots start and typically peak lower than the larger games.
Which is the "right" game depends entirely on what you are actually buying. If you want the best odds of winning a jackpot at all, this is the strongest choice available. If you specifically want a shot at a nine-figure prize, it is not — and no amount of playing 6/42 will produce one. Both are legitimate goals; they are simply different, and the odds guide lays out the full comparison.
Sign the back of your ticket immediately, photograph both sides, and keep it flat and dry — lotto tickets are printed on thermal paper and fade badly in heat. Prizes above ₱10,000 are subject to a 20% withholding tax, and every winning ticket expires one year after the draw date.
Our step-by-step claiming guide covers where to go for each prize size, the documents you need, and the scams that follow every large jackpot.
Kuya Coco