Kerala Lottery Prize Structure: Every Tier Explained with Actual Amounts

Kerala runs seven weekly lotteries and six seasonal bumper draws each year. Each has its own prize structure, though the weekly draws follow a broadly similar template. Here is a tier-by-tier breakdown so you know exactly what each winning position pays.

Weekly Lottery Prize Tiers

All seven weekly lotteries — Samrudhi (Sunday), Bhagyathara (Monday), Sthree Sakthi (Tuesday), Dhanalakshmi (Wednesday), Karunya Plus (Thursday), Suvarna Keralam (Friday), and Karunya (Saturday) — share a similar prize structure. While exact amounts may vary slightly between lotteries, here is the standard breakdown as of 2026:

• First Prize: ₹80 Lakh to ₹1 Crore (one winner per draw)
• Consolation Prize: ₹8,000 (one winner per remaining series — for tickets matching the first prize number but in a different series)
• Second Prize: ₹5 Lakh to ₹10 Lakh (one winner)
• Third Prize: ₹1 Lakh (one or two winners)
• Fourth Prize: ₹5,000 (multiple winners across all series)
• Fifth Prize: ₹2,000
• Sixth Prize: ₹1,000
• Seventh Prize: ₹500
• Eighth Prize: ₹100

The eighth prize at ₹100 barely covers the cost of two-and-a-half tickets, but it keeps the game interesting. Many regular players win this tier multiple times a year.

How Winners Are Selected

Each weekly lottery ticket has two components: a series letter (A through L or similar) and a six-digit number. The first prize is drawn for a specific series + number combination. The consolation prize goes to tickets with the same number but different series letters.

Lower-tier prizes are drawn based on the last few digits of the ticket number. For example, the eighth prize might be awarded to all tickets ending in a specific two-digit combination, regardless of series. This means hundreds or thousands of tickets can win the eighth prize in a single draw.

Bumper Lottery Prizes

Kerala conducts six bumper lotteries each year, timed around major festivals and events. These carry significantly higher prizes but also cost more per ticket:

• Onam Bumper (August-September): ₹25 Crore first prize, ticket price ₹500
• Christmas New Year Bumper (December-January): ₹16 Crore first prize, ticket price ₹400
• Vishu Bumper (April): ₹12 Crore first prize, ticket price ₹400
• Thiruvonam Bumper: ₹12 Crore first prize, ticket price ₹300
• Summer Bumper (March): ₹6 Crore first prize, ticket price ₹200
• Pooja Bumper (October): ₹5 Crore first prize, ticket price ₹300

Bumper draws also have consolation prizes and multiple lower tiers, but the number of winners per tier is generally smaller than weekly draws because fewer total tickets are printed.

What Are the Actual Odds?

Each weekly lottery prints approximately 90 lakh (9 million) tickets across all series. Here is what the odds look like for a single ₹40 ticket:

• First Prize: 1 in 90,00,000
• Second Prize: 1 in 90,00,000
• Consolation Prize: Approximately 1 in 10,00,000 (depends on number of series)
• Eighth Prize: Approximately 1 in 100 (based on last 2-digit matching)

The overall chance of winning any prize on a single weekly ticket is roughly 1 in 8 to 1 in 10. Most of those wins will be the eighth prize at ₹100, giving you a net gain of ₹60 on a ₹40 ticket.

Where Does the Ticket Revenue Go?

For every ₹40 ticket sold, the money is distributed approximately as follows:

• Prize pool (~60%): Funds all prize tiers across the draw
• State treasury (~25%): Contributes to welfare programs, healthcare, education, and infrastructure
• Operational costs (~10%): Printing, distribution, administration, and draw operations
• Agent commission (~5%): Income for the approximately 50,000 lottery agents across Kerala

This distribution makes Kerala Lottery one of the more efficiently run state lotteries in India, with a higher percentage going to prizes compared to many other state lottery systems.

Which Lottery Should You Play?

Since all seven weekly lotteries have roughly similar prize structures and the same ticket price, the choice often comes down to personal preference or convenience — which day of the week works best for you to buy a ticket.

If you are looking for the absolute highest prize and do not mind spending more per ticket, the Onam Bumper with its ₹25 Crore first prize is the annual showpiece. But remember: the odds per rupee spent are roughly similar to weekly draws, so do not view it as a "better investment."

For details on when each lottery draws, see our weekly draw schedule guide. And for information on how much of your winnings you actually keep, read the tax implications guide.