If you’ve watched a UK Lotto draw, you’ll know the Bonus Ball appears after the six main numbers. It has a specific role in how prizes are paid, which naturally leads to the question: Which Bonus Ball turns up most?
Looking at how often each number has been drawn as the Bonus Ball is a neat way to understand how a randomised draw can still show uneven totals over time. Patterns appear in the record simply because of how randomness behaves across many draws.
In this guide, you’ll find clear explanations of what the Bonus Ball does, which numbers have shown up the most in past results, and how those counts are worked out using official draw records.
What Is The Bonus Ball And How Does It Work?
The Bonus Ball is an extra number drawn after the six main numbers in UK Lotto. It comes from the same pool of balls. If the game uses 1 to 59, the Bonus Ball is one of the remaining balls not already drawn.
Its purpose is to improve certain prize tiers. Matching five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball pays more than matching five main numbers alone. It does not apply to the jackpot, which always requires all six main numbers.
Players do not choose the Bonus Ball itself. If the Bonus Ball that appears happens to match one of your selected numbers, it can boost your prize, but only when combined with the right count of main numbers. This design gives an extra outcome for tickets that are one number short of the top line.
With that in mind, many people naturally wonder which numbers have appeared most often in that Bonus Ball slot.
Which Bonus Ball Number Is Most Common?
Under the current 1 to 59 format, every number has the same chance of being drawn in any given game. Still, when you add up a long run of results, some numbers will have higher tallies than others, simply because totals wobble with time.
Across historic records, numbers such as 38, 7 and 45 have frequently sat near the top of the Bonus Ball counts since the 59-ball format began in 2015. The exact order changes as new draws are added, and it can vary depending on the date range you look at.
If you want the freshest figures, check the National Lottery’s official results and statistics pages. They publish cumulative counts and recent-trend views so you can see how the table looks right now. We keep our own round-up updated too, so you can compare both at a glance.
So, how are those tables produced, and what exactly do they measure?
How Bonus Ball Frequency Is Calculated
Bonus Ball frequency is simply a count of how many times each number has appeared in the Bonus Ball position. Analysts compile the full results archive, note the Bonus Ball from each draw, and add one to that number’s total. The outcome is a table where every number from 1 to 59 has a tally.
To make the data easier to compare, you’ll often see:
- Cumulative totals since a chosen start date, most commonly from 2015 when the 59-ball format began
- Percentages or rates, which show each number’s share of Bonus Ball outcomes within that period
Some charts also include recent windows, such as the last 50 or 100 draws, to show short-term swings alongside the long-term picture. Figures are checked against the official results archive to keep them consistent and current. Bear in mind that format changes matter, so most frequency tables focus on the present 1 to 59 era rather than mixing in older systems.
With a clear view of how counts are built, the obvious question follows: do these tallies tell us anything about what will happen next?
Does Past Frequency Predict Future Draws?
It’s common to look at a frequency table and wonder if a number that has appeared often is somehow more or less likely next time. In Lotto, each draw is independent. The equipment and procedures are designed so that every number from 1 to 59 has the same chance in every new draw, regardless of what came before.
That principle, known as statistical independence, means past results do not influence future outcomes. A number that has not shown up for months is no more due than one that appeared last week, and a number that has a high historical tally does not gain any extra edge next time.
Frequency tables are best viewed as a record, not a forecast. They help you see how the results have added up over time, and they are interesting to track as the totals shift. If you want to dive deeper, check our updated stats alongside the official archive to see how the Bonus Ball leaderboard changes from draw to draw.
**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.