Lotto 6aus49 has been Germany's best-known lottery since 9 October 1955: six numbers from 49, every Wednesday and Saturday, plus a Superzahl. This guide is the foundation article on the game: it explains how it works, why the jackpot odds are 1 : 139,838,160 and not the often quoted 1 : 14 million, how all nine prize classes are structured, what Spiel 77 and Super 6 are and what has changed in recent years. As of October 2026 – prices and rules are set by the lottery companies and can change.
📋 Lotto 6aus49 at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | 6 from 49 + Superzahl (0–9) |
| Jackpot odds | 1 : 139,838,160 (6 matches plus Superzahl) |
| Odds of any prize | about 1 : 31.4 |
| Price | €1.20 per field (since 23 September 2020) plus a processing fee per ticket, depending on the federal state and sales channel |
| Draw days | Wednesday (around 6:25 PM) and Saturday (around 7:25 PM) |
| Operator | The state lottery companies in the German Lotto and Toto Block (DLTB) |
| Since | 9 October 1955 |
| Jackpot cap | €50 million (since 1 November 2023) |
| Payout | about 50% of the stakes go to the winners |
For 6aus49 LottoAnalyzer calculates with €1.20 per tip, i.e. the field price without the processing fee, which differs by sales channel. What you actually pay is shown when you complete your ticket.
🎯 How Lotto 6aus49 Works Step by Step
The game flow
- Tick 6 numbers from 1 to 49 per field – or use the Quicktipp. A ticket contains several fields.
- Every ticket has a seven-digit ticket number. Its last digit is your Superzahl (0–9), the same for all fields on the ticket.
- On Wednesday and Saturday the six winning numbers from 49 are drawn first, then the Superzahl from a second drum with the digits 0 to 9. The draw takes place at Saarländischer Rundfunk in Saarbrücken and has been streamed live online since 2013.
- Depending on how many numbers you match and whether your Superzahl matches, you land in one of nine prize classes. A prize starts at 3 matches or at 2 matches with the Superzahl.
- Prizes are credited automatically after the draw or paid out at the retailer – the details are set by the terms of participation of your lottery company.
🔑 The Special Features: Superzahl, Jackpot Cap and Side Games
🔢 The Superzahl – and why 1 : 14 million is misleading
Looking only at the six numbers gives 1 : 13,983,816 for "6 matches". That is the chance of prize class 2. The jackpot (class 1) additionally requires the correct Superzahl, and since it is drawn from ten digits, the chance falls by a factor of 10 to 1 : 139,838,160. That is why 6aus49 is exactly as hard to win at the top as Eurojackpot, not easier. Since the reform of 4 May 2013 the Superzahl replaces the former additional number in classes 3, 5 and 7, and "2 matches + Superzahl" added a ninth prize class.
🏔️ Jackpot Cap and Forced Payout
If class 1 is not hit, the jackpot grows for the next draw. Since 1 November 2023 the cap is €50 million (previously €45 million); a forced payout to class 2 no longer exists since then, the jackpot simply stays at €50 million. According to press reports this limit was reached for the first time in 2026 and then went unclaimed for longer than ever since 1955 – a nice example of the fact that draws have no "memory".
🎟️ Spiel 77 and Super 6
Both side games hang on the ticket number, not on the numbers you ticked. Spiel 77 (€2.50) evaluates all seven digits of the number from the end to the start, has seven prize classes and a jackpot with seven matching digits (odds 1 : 10 million). Super 6 (€1.25) uses the last six digits; six matching digits pay €100,000 (odds 1 : 1 million). Both are drawn on the same evening as 6aus49. Other games such as the GlücksSpirale are separate lotteries.
💰 All Nine Prize Classes with Odds
| Class | Match | Odds | Prize type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 matches + Superzahl | 1 : 139,838,160 | Jackpot, max. €50 million |
| 2 | 6 matches | 1 : 15,537,573 | Share of the payout |
| 3 | 5 matches + Superzahl | 1 : 542,008 | Share of the payout |
| 4 | 5 matches | 1 : 60,223 | Share of the payout |
| 5 | 4 matches + Superzahl | 1 : 10,324 | Share of the payout |
| 6 | 4 matches | 1 : 1,147 | Share of the payout |
| 7 | 3 matches + Superzahl | 1 : 567 | Share of the payout |
| 8 | 3 matches | 1 : 63 | Share of the payout |
| 9 | 2 matches + Superzahl | 1 : 76 | fixed amount (most recently €6) |
Odds: our own calculation using binomial coefficients, rounded to whole numbers; they agree with the figures of the lottery companies. Classes 1 to 8 each receive a fixed percentage share of the payout, divided by the number of winners – the actual prize therefore varies from draw to draw, and the lottery companies publish the current percentages and prizes after every draw. The fixed amount in class 9 was most recently €6 (published prize tables, as of October 2026).
Roughly every 31st tip wins something – over 90% of these wins are the €6 of class 9 or small amounts from class 8. Wins in the upper classes, on the other hand, are events you should never expect in a lifetime: for class 3, for example, you need 542,008 tips on average.
📊 Analyse Lotto 6aus49 yourself
Frequencies, Hot & Cold, overdue numbers and a number generator for 6 of 49 with Superzahl
To the Lotto 6aus49 page📜 History: From 1955 to Today
The first draw took place on 9 October 1955, with a "Lottofee" and in public, but not yet televised. Since the 1970s the numbers have been drawn by machine from a transparent drum with numbered balls. The German Lotto and Toto Block, which operates the game jointly, grew out of the state lotteries of the federal states; part of the revenue goes to non-profit purposes such as sport, culture and social causes. Important recent milestones: the reform of the prize classes and draw of the Superzahl on 4 May 2013, live streaming online since 3 July 2013, the price rise to €1.20 per field on 23 September 2020 and the new jackpot cap of €50 million on 1 November 2023.
🆚 Lotto 6aus49 Compared
| Lottery | Format | Odds of the top class | Price per game | Draws/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Lotto 6aus49 | 6 of 49 + Superzahl | 1 : 139.8M | €1.20 | 2 |
| 🇪🇺 Eurojackpot | 5 of 50 + 2 of 12 | 1 : 139.8M | €2 | 2 |
| 🇦🇹 Austria Lotto | 6 of 45 + bonus number | 1 : 8.1M | from €1.50 | 2 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada Lotto 6/49 | 6 of 49 + bonus | 1 : 14M | CA$3 | 2 |
| 🇺🇸 Powerball | 5 of 69 + 1 of 26 | 1 : 292.2M | $2 | 3 |
The top class of 6aus49 and Eurojackpot is exactly equally hard to hit. The difference: Eurojackpot has bigger jackpots (up to €120 million) and, at €2 per game, costs clearly more than a 6aus49 field. A detailed comparison is in Eurojackpot vs. EuroMillions, playing ideas for Eurojackpot are in Eurojackpot strategies. The Austrian neighbour game with a smaller number field is in the Austria Lotto guide, the US jackpots in the Powerball guide.
⚖️ Honest Note: Chance Stays Chance
Every draw is an independent random event. No system, no hot-&-cold analysis and no AI increases the chance of winning; every combination has the same probability of 1 : 139,838,160 for the jackpot. Statistics describe past draws, they do not predict the next one. Because around half of the stakes are paid out, the expected value of a tip is clearly below the stake. Only play with money whose loss you can bear, and set a budget. For problems with gambling, the free counselling hotline of the state addiction prevention service offers help at 0800 1 37 27 00 (Germany). This article is neither legal nor tax advice.
Background on the probabilities is in Lotto winning chances, what is really behind frequent numbers in Most frequent lottery numbers and a sober assessment of common systems in Lotto strategies.
💡 Who Is Lotto 6aus49 Suited For?
- ✅ Casual players – low stake from €1.20 per field, two draws a week
- ✅ Players who prefer a familiar, official game with local retailers and non-profit use of funds
- ✅ Statistics fans – over 70 years of draw data offer plenty of material for analysis
- ⚠️ The jackpot odds of 1 : 139.8M are clearly worse than with smaller number fields such as in Austria
- ⚠️ The Superzahl is tied to the ticket number – you do not choose it freely
- ⚠️ Prizes in classes 1 to 8 vary strongly depending on the number of winners
- ℹ️ Playing legally: participation from age 18; official channels are the retailers and the online offers of the state lottery companies. Providers that only bet on the draw results are not part of the lottery companies' offer – in any case check the licence and legal situation yourself. Under current law, lottery winnings are generally exempt from income tax for players in Germany; this is not tax advice.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Lotto 6aus49
When is Lotto 6aus49 drawn?
Wednesday around 6:25 PM and Saturday around 7:25 PM, each at Saarländischer Rundfunk in Saarbrücken.
What does a tip cost?
€1.20 per field (since September 2020). A processing fee per ticket is added, which differs by federal state and sales channel. Spiel 77 costs €2.50, Super 6 costs €1.25.
Can I choose the Superzahl myself?
No, it results from the last digit of your ticket number and applies to all fields on the ticket. That does not change the odds – every digit from 0 to 9 has the same probability.
What is the maximum jackpot?
€50 million – this cap has existed since 1 November 2023, but there is no forced payout any more.
Do some numbers come up more often?
Short-term differences in frequencies are chance; they allow no prediction of the next draw.
Is Lotto 6aus49 better than Eurojackpot?
The jackpot odds are identical. 6aus49 is cheaper per tip, Eurojackpot offers higher jackpots. Which game fits is a matter of budget and preference, not of better odds.
🏁 Summary
Lotto 6aus49 is a simple game played by fixed rules with nine prize classes, jackpot odds of 1 : 139,838,160 and overall odds of around 1 : 31. The Superzahl makes it ten times harder than the "6 matches", and the jackpot has been capped at €50 million since 2023. As with every lottery the expected value is below the stake; results are pure chance. You will find more countries in New international lotteries 2026 and all articles in the blog.
Sources: Wikipedia (history, draw, price, jackpot cap), lotto.de and publications of the lottery companies (rules, Superzahl, side games), press reports 2026 (as of October 2026); odds are our own calculation (binomial coefficient).