There are three main lottery games in Singapore: 4D, Toto and Singapore Sweep. Each has its own unique appeal and is operated differently.
Lottery Singapore operates under the authority of the Tote Board, a statutory body which governs horse racing and lottery operations. The Tote Board is also responsible for regulating remote gambling.
Aside from lotteries, Singapore Pools also offers sports betting – mainly football and motor racing bets. It is legal to place bets on these sports online, but most people prefer to place their bets at local betting outlets.
The Tote Board reported that bets on sports and lottery increased significantly during the last financial year, reaching $9.2 billion compared with the previous year, a rise of 40 per cent. The Tote Board’s Executive Director of Casino and Betting Services, Mr Chua Wee Han, said the increase was attributed to factors such as relaxed Covid-19 measures and the return of global sports tournaments.
TOTO draws occur every Monday and Thursday at 6:30 pm SST, with a jackpot rolling over if there is no winner for four consecutive draws. The jackpot is then shared out amongst the winners of lower prize tiers.
Buying a TOTO ticket requires you to choose six numbers from 1 to 49. These numbers are then paired with an additional ball that will determine the winning numbers in the jackpot.
The price of a TOTO ticket is $1, with GST included. It’s not cheap, but if you win a jackpot, you can claim it in one of two ways: either as an annuity for 20 years or as a lump sum.