The world map of lotteries: Which are the most popular lotteries in each continent?

NortHave you ever wondered which lottery games are played in other countries, if they are the same or different from the ones you play in your country, or even if they have bigger prizes?

Since the modern lottery as we know it today began to lay its foundations in the middle of the 16th century, it has been spreading around the world and gaining more and more popularity. Today, virtually every country in the world organizes its own lottery draws, with a wide range of different ways to play.

If you are curious to know which lottery games are played in other parts of the world, and in which ones you can also participate by playing online, then read on, as we will tell you which are the most important lotteries in each continent.

North America:

In the top lotteries from the north of the American continent, we can find 2 lotteries from the United States, one Canadian and one Mexican.

Powerball and Mega Millions are not only the two most famous lotteries in the USA, but probably also in the world, as they are the two lotteries with the biggest prizes in the world. In fact, if we look at the top 10 of the biggest prizes won in a lottery, we will find only draws from these two lotteries. Currently, Powerball holds the world record, with a prize of 2,040 million dollars won in November 2022.

In the case of Canada, Loto 6/49, one of the three national lottery games, undoubtedly stands out. Although the prizes are not as big as its American rivals, it is true that it enjoys great popularity due to the ease of the game. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning the case of the Melate lottery in Mexico, which is the number 1 for players in this country due to the frequency of its prizes.

In Lottofy, you will be able to play both Powerball and Mega Millions online, so keep an eye on the accumulation of prizes: maybe there will be a new record!

South America:

In the Latin American continent there are hundreds of lotteries, but without a doubt among them, there are a couple that stand out from the crowd. The first of them is the famous Brazilian Mega-Sena lottery, not only because of the millions of Brazilians who play it weekly, but also because it is the South American lottery that offers the biggest prizes. It currently holds its record at 450 million reais, the equivalent of approximately 85 million dollars. If you want to try your luck with Mega-Sena, remember that you can buy your bets online from Lottofy.

But it is closely followed by other lotteries such as La Tinka in Peru, or the Loto Clásico in Chile, two very popular lotteries in each of these countries. And, undoubtedly, we could not fail to mention the famous Argentine Quiniela, a lottery that, although it is often confused with its namesake in Spain, has a game mode based on the prediction of quite particular numbers, which has earned it the fame and affection of the Argentines. So much so that it is the only lottery in the country that did not stop working during the years of crisis.

Europe:

In Europe there is a clear star, and this is the Euromillions lottery. Played in a total of 9 countries across the continent, it is, after Powerball and Mega Millions, the third lottery with the biggest prizes in the world. It currently holds its record at 230 million euros, with the possibility of drawing up to 240 million euros in the next draws.

Very similar to Euromillions, is also the Eurojackpot lottery, which is also played in several countries simultaneously, being currently a total of 18 countries participating in the transnational lottery. Although its prizes are not as high as in the case of Euromillions, it is still very popular as it is very easy to play.

Finally, there are two national lotteries that also stand out for the great popularity they have in their countries. These are La Primitiva in Spain, (one of the oldest lotteries in the world, by the way), and Superenalotto in Italy.

The good news is that you can play any of these four lotteries from your home too, as they are all available to play on Lottofy.

Africa:

In Africa, there are hundreds of national lotteries spread across the continent. But there are undoubtedly three that stand out above the rest.

One of them is the South African Lotto, a lottery so popular in South Africa that at least 80% of the population claims to have played the lottery at some point. It is closely followed by the South African Powerball lottery, which was introduced in 2009 to replicate the famous U.S. lottery on the South African continent. And finally, we could not fail to mention the Africa Millions lottery, a lottery that could be considered the Euromillions of Africa, as it is played in 9 countries across the continent.

Asia:

Highlighting the most popular lotteries in Asia is a very complicated task, given the sheer variety and number of countries the continent encompasses. However, there are some lotteries worth mentioning.

Loto 6 is undoubtedly the most popular lottery in Japan, with millions of players watching its draws. Another well-known lottery in Asia is the Singapore Toto, with a prize starting at 1 million dollars and growing every week. Further west, we find the Jaldi-3 lottery, the most popular lottery in India and held daily in the huge Asian country and, if we go even further west, we finish with the UAE Mahzooz lottery, held weekly in the United Arab Emirates.

Oceania:

Also in Oceania, we find countries with their own versions of the Powerball lottery: Australia's Powerball and New Zealand's Powerball. Although the prizes are not as big as in the original draw, they have gained great popularity among players in these countries.

But in turn, there are two national lotteries, both in Australia and New Zealand, that compete with the Powerball versions in popularity: Australia's OZ Lotto, and New Zealand's Lotto.