Education
Lotto support for Ukraine in 2022: comparing Polish and Ukrainian lotteries
· Updated: Mirosław Gajewski
Archive article restored on 11 November 2026. The original address and publication date are retained. The Pewniaki editorial team corrected errors, updated the context and added sources; this is not an unchanged copy of the original article.
At a glance
How did Totalizator Sportowy support refugees, and how does Poland’s Lotto 6/49 differ from Ukraine’s Super Loto 6/52? Aid history, a comparison table and the maths.
What does this article cover?
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 forced many residents to flee. This article describes humanitarian support involving Totalizator Sportowy and the LOTTO Foundation. It does not describe support for Russia or justify the invasion. The historical section concerns 2022; the lottery comparison was added when the article was restored.
The page content remains available.
How did Lotto support refugees?
Totalizator Sportowy reported providing accommodation for 45 refugees at its centre in Krynica-Zdrój. Employees volunteered, and the LOTTO Foundation supported an aid point at Warsaw’s West railway station. These activities addressed basic needs: shelter, food and help arranging further assistance. The source is the company’s account of its activities, not an independent audit of its spending by Pewniaki.
What were the special draws for Ukraine?
In spring 2022, an additional lottery was organised to raise funds for aid to Ukraine. LOTTO’s March 2022 announcement described its charitable purpose. This campaign should not be confused with every later Lotto draw or presented as an offer still available today. Current campaigns and arrangements for distributing aid must be checked with the organiser.
Does Ukraine have a lottery comparable to Lotto?
Ukrainian National Lottery, or UNL, operates Super Loto, in which players select six numbers from 52. Poland’s Lotto has a similar structure but uses 49 numbers. Another Ukrainian lottery is Loto-Zabava, operated by M.S.L.; it is neither the Polish Lotto game nor a Totalizator Sportowy product. Names, operators and rules need to be distinguished.
Lotto and Super Loto compared
| Feature | Lotto, Poland | Super Loto, Ukraine |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Totalizator Sportowy | Ukrainian National Lottery (UNL) |
| Basic selection | 6 numbers from 49 | 6 numbers from 52 |
| Distinct selections | 13,983,816 | 20,358,520 |
| Chance of matching all six with one selection | 1 in 13,983,816 | 1 in 20,358,520 |
| Currency used for prizes | Polish złoty (PLN) | Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) |
Why do the probabilities differ?
We count combinations without replacement: C(n,6) = n! / (6! × (n−6)!). Each unordered selection of six numbers is one possible outcome. A pool of 49 gives 13,983,816 combinations; a pool of 52 gives 20,358,520. The latter has about 45.6% more combinations, so the probability of matching all six with one selection is about 31.3% lower. This is our calculation for the stated rules, not a comparison of financial returns.
The jackpot alone cannot establish which game offers better value. Ticket prices, prize allocation, taxes and an exchange rate for a specified date would also be needed. We do not convert historical amounts using an arbitrary exchange rate or promise an advantage from analysing previous draws.
Does helping require buying a ticket?
No. You can support an aid organisation without gambling. This comparison is informational and does not establish that a foreign lottery ticket can be purchased from Poland. Participation conditions must be checked in the relevant organiser’s rules. Polish Lotto results and our calculators help distinguish draw history from probability calculations.