Prize structure revised, maximum 1st prize raised to JPY 1,200,000,000 with carryover

Japan's Loto 7 lottery changed the expected prize amounts for its first through fourth tiers from the draw held on February 14, 2025, which was draw 613, according to the game's Japanese Wikipedia entry¹. The maximum first prize became JPY 700,000,000 when no carryover is in play and JPY 1,200,000,000 when a carryover has occurred¹.

The entry states that from draw 613 the expected prize amounts for tiers 1 to 4 changed as set out in its table¹.

The fifth and sixth tier amounts were unchanged at JPY 1,400 and JPY 1,000 respectively¹. A Loto 7 ticket costs JPY 300, unlike other number-selection lotteries, and players choose 7 different numbers from 1 to 37, giving 10,295,472 possible combinations¹. Draws are held every Friday at 18:45 JST at the Takarakuji Dream Hall in Kyobashi, Tokyo, except between December 31 and January 3¹.

The entry says the carryover maximum of JPY 1,200,000,000 matches MEGA BIG as the highest prize in Japanese lottery history¹. Because prizes are calculated by dividing the prize pool by the number of winning tickets in each tier, the entry states that in system terms a sixth tier prize could be higher than a first tier prize¹.

What it means for players

Loto 7 is a Japanese lottery, and the change applies to tickets bought in Japan for draws from number 613 onward. The headline figure of JPY 1,200,000,000 only applies when a carryover is active; without one, the first prize ceiling is JPY 700,000,000¹. The expected amounts for the second, third and fourth tiers fell under the new structure, while the fifth and sixth tiers were left as they were¹.

The odds of matching all seven main numbers remain 1 in 10,295,472, and the ticket price remains JPY 300¹.

What happens next

The revised amounts apply from draw 613, held on February 14, 2025, and to subsequent draws¹. No further changes to the prize structure have been reported.