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About Thunderball
Thunderball is operated by The National Lottery. In the lottery, the player chooses 5 numbers from a set of 1 to 39 and 1 Thunderball number from a set of 1 to 14. A fixed jackpot of £500,000 is being played for and in total the lottery offers 9 divisions. The lottery draw takes place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 20:00.
Go to the overview of information and rules
Rules
The draw is conducted with 5 out of 39 and 1 out of 14
The Thunderball betting slip contains 7 columns with numbers ranging from 1 to 39 and 1 to 14. Your objective is to populate at least one of these seven columns. First, you need to select 5 out of 39 as the main game numbers, and then 1 out of 14, the Thunderball number. Detailed instructions on how to place a physical and online bet can be found below.
There are three betting options to choose from:
in person from a verified Thunderball dealer
online at The National Lottery website
via the mobile app
When and at what time is the Thunderball draw?
The draw takes place regularly four times a week. The draw is held every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 20:00.
Till what time can one place a bet on Thunderball?
On the draw days already mentioned, you can place your last bets on the next draw until 19:30, after which it will close and reopen around 21:00.
What is the cost of Thunderball?
One Thunderball lottery column costs £1.00
A full lottery ticket costs £7.00 (7 columns)
🏆 Thunderball lottery prize breakdown
All Thunderball lottery prizes are determined by the number of numbers you manage to hit. The more numbers you select in a column that match the numbers drawn in the draw, the higher your prize.
Thunderball presents you with a prize table with a total of 9 pay lines and a predetermined jackpot and other prizes. You can win in the Thunderball lottery just by guessing a Thunderball number.
Thunderball lottery prize table
Order of winning
Number of winning numbers drawn
Average prize amount
1 – Jackpot
5 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
£500,000
2
5 Main Numbers
£5,000
3
4 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
£250
4
4 Main Numbers
£100
5
3 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
£20
6
3 Main Numbers
£10
7
2 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
£10
8
1 Main Number + 1 Thunderball
£5
9
Thunderball
£3
Odds of winning in Thunderball
The probability of winning the Thunderball lottery is determined by the number of numbers you select from and then the number of numbers you need to draw to win. The more numbers you draw, the less likely you are to win (and vice versa). Below you will find an outline of the odds of winning according to the winning division:
The odds of winning the Thunderball jackpot are 1 in 8,060,598.The probability of any win is 1 in 13.
Winning order
Number of winning numbers drawn
Probability
1
5 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
1 : 8 060 598
2
5 Main Numbers
1 : 620 046
3
4 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
1 : 47 416
4
4 Main Numbers
1 : 3 648
5
3 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
1 : 1 437
6
3 Main Numbers
1 : 111
7
2 Main Numbers + 1 Thunderball
1 : 135
8
1 Main Number + 1 Thunderball
1 : 35
9
Thunderball
1 : 29
Can I increase my odds of winning the Thunderball lottery?
There is almost no way to increase the odds of winning the Thunderball lottery, as it is pure mathematics and probability that cannot be beaten. However, there are two ways to increase the odds of winning somewhat:
place a bet on multiple columns on a single betting slip
placing multiple full bets at one time
Each column bet on represents a unique six-digit combination that may just be the one drawn in the draw. The more unique combinations you place a bet on, the higher your chances of winning.
Thunderball number
TheThunderball is the sixth number drawn in the draw, but also the first and only number from the second pool. The five main game numbers from the pool containing a total of 39 numbered balls are drawn first, followed by one Thunderball number from the second pool containing 14 numbered balls. This is the number you select in the second column on the lottery slip. You need to select 1 number out of a possible 14 – this number and whether it is (or not) drawn subsequently affects the winnings in the selected pay lines – see the winnings table above. For example, to win the jackpot you must hit all 5 basic numbers + the Thunderball number.
How does the Thunderball draw work?
As previously mentioned, the Thunderball draw takes place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 20:00. The entire draw is conducted using two pools certified by the relevant authorities, in which 39 balls with numbers from 1 to 39 and 14 balls from 1 to 14 are propelled by pressure. The first pool subsequently draws 5 main game numbers and the second pool draws one Thunderball number. You can watch the entire draw on the company’s YouTube channel. The results of the draw are usually released to the public between 21:00 and 21:30, and can be found on our website, on the lottery website, on the app, or you can be among the first to know on the above-mentioned YT channel.
Thunderball lottery subscription
Before we go into a detailed description of how and where you can place your bets on this lottery, here’s some information about the Thunderball subscription.
With the Thunderball lottery, you have the option to decide whether you want to place your bet, both online or physically, on just the next draw or whether you want to place it on multiple consecutive draws.
Thunderball subscription options
For the following draw only
for a specific number of subsequent draws
by Direct Debit
The option to bet on the following draw is clear and does not need to be described at length. In short, every bet placed on the lottery, unless you change it, is placed on the next draw.
Betting on a specific number of draws is a little trickier, but nothing that cannot be understood in a few sentences. As part of placing bets on the Thunderball lottery, you can specify which of the four draw days of the week you want to bet on (or you can bet on all four). You can then specify how many weeks in advance you wish to place your bet. You have a choice of 1 – 4 weeks with four draws per week. You can subscribe for up to 16 draws in advance.
If you don’t feel like 16 draws are enough, you have a third option and that is to place a bet by Direct Debit. This option means that your bet is automatically renewed and re-bet every week, with the whole process being charged to you at monthly intervals. This way you don’t have to worry about ever missing any draws or not being able to place your bet on time, a bet placed by Direct Debit will always ensure that this can never happen to you.
How and where can one place a bet on Thunderball?
There are three ways to place a bet on Thunderball:
in person at a sales outlet – from verified retailers
online via the internet (The National Lottery website)
online via the mobile app
How does one place a bet on Thunderball at a retailer?
Thunderball lottery tickets can be purchased from licensed retailers in brick-and-mortar shops.
Select the day you want to place your bet
You have a choice of four draw days – Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, which one would you like to place your bet on? Tick the appropriate day.
Decide if you want to repeat your bet
As mentioned above, you can place one bet up to 16 draws in advance. If you would like to place your bet for more than one draw, tick the appropriate number of draws on your actual bet slip.
Pick your lucky numbers
Go to the first column where numbers between 1 and 39 are waiting for you and tick your 5 numbers. Then move to the second column with the numbers from 1 to 14 and tick your Thunderball number. If you don’t know what numbers you want to pick, call the attendant and they’ll help you pick random numbers (the random number generator will pick them for you).
Fill out as many columns as you like
You can populate up to 7 columns per bet slip. Complete as many as you like and what you can, but remember that each column you place raises the price of the bet.
Hand the betting slip to staff and pay
If you are happy with how you have marked your bet slip, you have filled in as many columns as you would like, you have ticked when you would like to place the bet and so on, then hand it to staff. You will be asked to pay £1.00 for each column you have placed a bet on. Once you have paid your bet, the staff will give you a bet slip which you must retain. You will need it if you win.
How to place a bet on Thunderball on the company’s website?
Find Thunderball on the company’s website
Once you’ve logged into your player account, head to the company’s home page and look for the “GAMES” tab. Once you’ve clicked on that tab, find Thunderball and click.
Select your 5+1 numbers
There are 7 columns available for you to complete in the online betting slip. How many you complete is up to you. In each completed column you must select 5 main numbers ranging from 1 to 39 and 1 Thunderball from the numbers 1 to14. If you are not sure of the numbers on which you would like to bet, you can use Lucky Dip to find numbers for you.
Which days do you want to place a bet on?
Once the columns are complete, it’s time to decide which draw day you want to bet on. You can choose between four draw days, either your bet will be drawn the following Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday at 20:00.
Decide if you want to repeat your bet
As mentioned, you can place one bet up to 16 draws in advance. If you would like to place your bet for more than one draw, tick the appropriate number of draws on your online bet slip. Alternatively, you can opt to place a Direct debit bet which, as discussed above, will bet the same numbers regularly each week until you cancel it.
Submit your bet slip
If you’re happy with how you’ve completed your betting slip, then there’s nothing to wait for – simply submit it and pay.
Similarly, you can easily complete your bet slip through the app and submit it online.
How and where can one check the Thunderball draw results?
Choose one of the methods listed below where the actual results are listed and check that they match the numbers on your ticket. However, if you have more than one ticket, it can be easy to make a mistake or miss something, so slow down and pay attention.
On our website – We always have the latest results for you, you can see them in the header of this lottery detail.
On The National Lottery website – You can check if you’ve won the Thunderball lottery by simply visiting the company’s official website first-hand.
At points of sale – Simply go to one of the thousands of points of sale and have your ticket checked.
On the mobile app – You can use the app to check your ticket, which you can simply download to your mobile phone.
On The National Lottery’s YouTube channel – The company also uploads all of its draws to its YouTube channel, where you can easily find them.
How do you collect your Thunderball lottery winnings?
If you are the next lucky winner, congratulations! But how do you collect your winnings now? Take a look at the table below to find out more.
Prizes up to and including £500 are paid directly to your National Lottery account – you don’t need to do anything.
£500.01 to £30,000
To claim your prize, you must confirm the card linked to your account by following the instructions in your winning message.
£30,000.01 to £50,000
Call the Customer Care team on 0333 234 44 33. Prizes will be paid by cheque.
Over £50,000
Call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person.
Monthly Prizes
If you’ve won a prize with Thunderball, brilliant! Prizes must be claimed in person during the claim period, per the Game Specific Rules. Call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person.
Free Lotto Lucky Dip
If you’ve matched 2 of the main numbers on Lotto, you’ve won a Lotto Lucky Dip. This will be automatically entered into the next Lotto draw.
If you paid by Direct Debit, all prizes up to and including £50,000 will be deposited straight into your account. Payment may take between 3-5 working days.
If you’ve won a prize, brilliant! Just pop along to your local National Lottery retailer. They are required to pay prizes of up to and including £100, apart from those with till-point terminals, who are required to pay prizes up to and including £50. Some may pay for prizes onto debit cards.
£100.01 to £500
You can claim from some National Lottery retailers. They are allowed, but not required, to make payments (in cash or to a debit card) for prizes of over £100 up to and including £500.
£500.01 to £50,000
Prizes above £500 can no longer be claimed at Post Offices. If you’ve played at a National Lottery retailer and won a prize over £500 up to and including £50,000 on a draw game or Scratchcard, you can start your claim on national-lottery.co.uk. You’ll need to have your ticket or Scratchcard to hand. For prizes over £50,000.
Over £50,000
Call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person.
Monthly prizes
You must be buzzing if you’ve won a prize on Thunderball. Call us to arrange your claim at 0333 234 50 50.
Free Lotto Lucky Dip
Lucky you if you’ve matched 2 main numbers on Lotto, you’ve won a free Lotto Lucky Dip. To claim your free Lotto Lucky Dip, take your winning ticket to a retailer who will give you the option of receiving a Lotto Lucky Dip Ticket for the next Wednesday or Saturday Lotto Draw.
If you believe you are a winner but the National Lottery terminal doesn’t scan your ticket or Scratchcard’s barcode, don’t worry. The retailer can manually enter the serial number and double-check it for you.
Lottery detail Thunderball
Thunderball is an English lottery run by The National Lottery. The concept of the game is that the player chooses 5 numbers from a set of 1 to 39 and 1 Thunderball number from a set of 1 to 14. The Thunderball jackpot is a fixed jackpot of £500,000, with a total of 9 winning lines. You can take home a prize in this lottery just for guessing the Thunderball number. The lottery draw takes place every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 20:00.
Pros
A column in the game for as little as £1.00
Win for only getting the Thunderball
Cons
From the second division onwards, prizes are set at £5,000 or less
In the Thunderball lottery you choose 5 numbers from a set from 1 to 39 and one Thunderball number from 1 to 14, the numbers you select cannot be repeated. You can fill in 1 – 7 columns on a single bet slip and you can subscribe and bet on 1 – 16 draws in advance. For a detailed description of how to place your bet, please see this article.
