Buy Japan Loto 7 Tickets Online

Japan Loto 7, also called Takarakuji Loto 7, is a national Japanese lotto game that has become popular for its decent jackpots and good odds.

Though it hasn’t been around for too long, it has a loyal following that grows by the day.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know to decide if this is the game for you. We'll also show how you can buy Japan Loto 7 tickets online.

About Japan Loto 7

Launched in April 2013, Japan Loto 7 is a game that follows a familiar format.

The game is operated by the Takarakuji lottery organization and was created to capitalize on the success of another Takarakuji-run game, Loto 6. Takarakuji also runs the excellent Japan Mini Loto.

The game has not undergone any changes since it was first launched, which goes to show how popular the current format has been.

Japan Loto 7 Draws

Japan Loto 7 is a weekly draw that takes place every Friday at 7 pm JST.

The draws always take place at the Tokyo Lottery Dream Museum, which is located at the Takarakuji headquarters.

A total of nine balls are randomly selected during each draw-seven main numbers and two additional bonus balls. 

How to Play Japan Loto 7

When playing Japan Loto 7, players have to choose seven numbers from a ball pool of numbers 1 to 37.

A player must match all seven of the main numbers to win the jackpot.

During the draw, an additional two bonus balls are selected. However, these bonus balls do not affect the jackpot tier, but instead only matter for the second-highest tier and the lowest tier.

Tickets can be purchased from authorised retailers within Japan between 8 am and 8 pm JST daily, except on draw dates when ticket purchasing ends at 6:30 pm JST.

Foreigners can buy lottery tickets online for Japan Loto 7 through third-party lottery operators outside of Japan.

A standard ticket costs ¥300 when purchased within the country.

Japan Loto 7 Prizes and Odds

Japan Loto 7 jackpots start at a minimum of ¥600 million and roll over to the following draw if there is no winner.

The jackpot continues to roll over until it reaches a cap of ¥1 billion.

If there is still no winner during a draw where the prize has met the jackpot cap, then the prize rolls down and is shared among the winners of the next lowest prize tier.

There are six prize tiers in total, with the highest prize tier awarding the jackpot.

The odds of winning the Loto 7 jackpot are 1 in 10,295,472. 

These are much better than other national lotteries such as Spain El Gordo, which has jackpot odds of 1 in 31,625,100, and even Canada Lotto 649, which has odds of 1 in 13,983,816. However, both of these lotteries have jackpots that far exceed Japan Loto 7’s jackpot cap amount.

The odds of winning and the estimated winning per prize tier are as follows:

Claiming Japan Loto 7 Prizes

Winners have 365 days from the day of the draw to claim their prizes.

One of the biggest draws of Japan Loto 7 is that all prizes are tax-free.

However, players who purchase tickets outside of Japan from third-party sellers may be subject to the tax law of their country of residence.

All prizes are also awarded as lump-sum payments.

Notable Japan Loto 7 Winners

Japan Loto 7 caps its jackpots at ¥1 billion, which is not too much larger than the minimum jackpot.

The relatively low jackpot cap means that there have been multiple lucky winners who have taken home the maximum amount possible.

For example, recent ¥1 billion jackpots include June 26, 2020, June 12, 2020, and June 5, 2020-three in just one month.

Japan Loto 7-Should You Play?

Japan Loto 7 is a fun, simple game that regularly awards multi-million-dollar jackpots.

Though the jackpot cap prevents Japan Loto 7 from reaching the amounts of other national jackpots, the good odds still make this game very appealing.

Additionally, the tax-free, lump-sum payments are a huge draw for this popular lotto game.

If you’re looking to try something new, there are many reasons to give Japan Loto 7 a try.