Two numbers are being dropped by the National Lottery as part of changes to the Lotto and Lotto Plus games.
The game updates, the first for Lotto in eight years, will come into effect this autumn.
The National Lottery said the number of balls will be reduced from 47 to 45 in each Lotto draw.
This means that the odds of winning the jackpot or top prize will improve from 1 in 10.7 million to 1 in 8.1 million.
The Lotto Plus 2 top prize will also increase from €250,000 to €1m, while the Lotto Plus 1 top prize will remain at €1m.
A new Lotto draw is also being added meaning there will be draws on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from later this year.
The date for the introduction of these game changes will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
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“These changes mark an exciting new chapter for our flagship game – Lotto. We’ve been listening to our players, and these enhancements have been designed with our players front of mind and with the goal of creating the best possible game experience,” National Lottery CEO Cian Murphy said.
“By removing two balls, the odds of winning have improved across Lotto and the Plus games, while the enhanced Lotto Plus 2 prize and an additional draw night will give players even more chances to win,” he said.
There are no changes to prices to play either Lotto or the Lotto Plus games.
Consistent with the current rules, the minimum purchase will remain two lines at a cost of €4.
It will also continue to cost €6 to play two lines of Lotto with Lotto Plus, which includes both the Lotto Plus One and Lotto Plus Two draws.
