Lotto HotPicks Exposed — Five Games in One or a Regular Draw-Style Lotto?

Lotto HotPicks Review

Lotto HotPicks is often described as five games in one. That’s because you, as the player, have a ton of freedom about how you’re going to participate in the lottery. But more about that later!

Ever since its launch in 2002, Lottery HotPicks has kept a special place in the heart of every UK lottery player. There are several reasons why. There’s the freedom of choice first. Also, that choice will determine how much a player’s going to win. Let’s dig deeper into the game and find out everything exciting about it.

Is 24Lottos worth all the hype? Find out in our review

A Brief HotPicks Overview

The first HotPicks drawing occurred back in 2002. Since the beginning, the game has been using the main Lotto drawing results to determine prize tiers. Keep in mind, however, that the two games are completely separate from each other. To participate in HotPicks, you’ll have to buy a separate ticket – you can’t use your Lotto one.

How to Play HotPicks?

As we hinted already, you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to playing HotPicks. The aim here is to choose the smallest possible set of numbers and to get those correct. So, what exactly do you need to do?

To play HotPicks, you’ll have to decide how many numbers you’re going to try to get correct. Your ticket could feature anywhere between one and five numbers in the range from one to 59. A single entry into the game will cost you one pound, regardless of the size of the selection.

Prizes are determined by the number of correct guesses and the set of numbers you picked. This means if you chose two numbers and got those two right, you will win a bigger prize than in the case of picking five numbers and getting only two correct.

HotPicks drawings take place two times per week – on Wednesday and Saturday.  The drawings are televised and broadcast live at 7:45 p.m. via the National Lottery YouTube channel.

Lotto Hot Picks Prizes and Odds

You can win the biggest prize by picking five numbers on your payslip and getting those five numbers correct. The odds of that happening are one in 834,398. While that number may seem almost impossible to beat, the odds are pretty good compared to what some other national lotteries have to offer.

HotPicks comes with a top prize of 350,000 pounds. The jackpot is guaranteed, and it doesn’t roll over toward the next drawing.

If you match four main numbers, you’ll get a prize of 13,000 pounds. Matching three numbers will give you a reward of 800 pounds, two main numbers – 60 pounds, and one number – six pounds.

One thing you need to understand here is that HotPicks is a separate game from EuroMillions HotPicks. This is a game that uses the same numbers are the ones chosen in the respective EuroMillions drawing. It works similarly, and players have to decide how many numbers they want to select. The prize tiers, however, are different.

Some Information for HotPicks Winners

All UK lottery winners have 180 days from the drawing date to come forward and make their prize claim.

Sums of up to 100 pounds can be claimed at any National Lottery-authorized retail venue, and the payout will be immediate. Prizes in the range of 101 to 500 pounds are paid out solely at select retail venues (check the national lottery website for more information on those opportunities).

Prizes of up to 50,000 pounds are to be claimed at designated post offices, and for more considerable sums, players will have to get in touch with the National Lottery hotline. More information about the specifics of the prize claim procedure will be provided.

Those who play HotPicks online will need to go through a different process as far as prize claims are concerned. A player’s online account has more information about the specifics.

One final important thing to keep in mind is that lottery prizes in the UK are paid out in a lump sum, and they’re free from taxation.

Can You Buy HotPicks Tickets Online?

Lotto Hot Picks tickets can be bought online. The UK National Lottery offers several convenient options for playing.  Online gameplay is available for all draw-style lotteries after a player registers with a personal account.

To register for an account, however, you need to be located within the UK/Isle of Man. Unfortunately, UK games aren’t available for people in other countries via the national platform. Luckily, there are international online agencies out there that carry National Lottery tickets.

Why You Should Play HotPicks

Pros:

A game organized by a registered national authority

Fairly low ticket prices

There are two drawings per week

Players decide how many numbers they are going to choose

Fairly good odds of winning a prize from the lottery

Online ticket buying is possible

HotPicks prizes are paid out in the form of a tax-free lump sum

Why You Shouldn’t Play HotPicks

Cons:

The lottery has a fixed jackpot that does not rollover

The top prize isn’t as impressive as in some other UK lotteries

Players from other countries cannot sign up for National Lottery online gameplay

The concept can be a bit confusing at first

Is HotPicks Legit?

A game that has been around for nearly two decades is definitely not a scam. You can rest assured that Lotto HotPicks is legitimate.

This is one of the games in the UK National Lottery portfolio – the organization responsible for holding some of the most popular UK games and distributing prizes. National Lottery commenced operations in 1994, and some of the most popular lotteries in its portfolio include Thunderball, Lotto, Set for Life, and UK Millionaire Maker. The National Lottery is also responsible for organizing the EuroMillions drawings and ticket sales in the UK.

Keep in mind that National Lottery has an obligation to allocate some of the money generated through ticket sales to good causes. Thus, by buying a HotPicks ticket, you’ll be increasing your odds of winning a prize while helping your community at the same time.

HotPicks is an interesting lottery game to play because it gives flexibility where such may be missing in other draw-style games.

To help you decide if you should be giving it a try, we’ve summarized some of the most significant advantages and a few of the HotPicks’ shortcomings.

HotPicks is an interesting game that costs very little to test out. If you are in the UK and want a fresh alternative to regular draw-style games, you may find out that HotPicks is actually the one for you.