Israeli Singer Osher Biton Wins NIS 40 Million Lotto Jackpot
The winner did not fill out a Double Lotto ticket, and therefore received half of the maximum possible prize. Had the ticket been doubled, the prize would have reached NIS 80 million.
Israeli singer Osher Biton has been revealed as the winner of the latest Lotto jackpot, after correctly guessing all six numbers and the strong number in Saturday night’s draw.
Biton, known from his Eurovision bid and later music releases, won NIS 40 million, the maximum prize available in a regular Lotto ticket. He did not fill out Double Lotto, which means the prize was not doubled to NIS 80 million.
The singer shared the news himself overnight on Instagram, posting a photo of the winning ticket and writing: “Turns out I’m a millionaire. I didn’t understand.”
The story quickly spread across social media, with many users sharing the post and congratulating him on the unexpected win.
The draw came after weeks without a first-prize winner and five consecutive draws in which the jackpot had reached the legal maximum. Mifal HaPais had planned that if no winner emerged by June 9, the accumulated prize would be distributed among secondary winners, ending the streak without a jackpot winner.
The second-place winner received NIS 375,000 after correctly guessing six numbers without the strong number. Another 79 people won NIS 6,748 each after guessing five numbers and the strong number, while 352 winners who guessed five numbers received NIS 964 each.
The odds of correctly guessing all six numbers and the strong number in a single table are 1 in 16,273,488.
Large lottery prizes in Israel are subject to 35% tax, plus an additional 5% surtax, bringing the total tax rate to 40%.
The previous first-prize Lotto win was on April 18, when one winner took NIS 15 million. Since then, 16 consecutive draws passed without a jackpot winner, increasing public interest in the draw and bringing large crowds to Lotto stands across the country.
Biton joins a small group of lottery winners who chose to share their win publicly, posting the ticket and announcing the news directly to his followers.