Lucky 7 in South Africa: BetGames' Live Draw of Seven Balls from 42
Lucky 7 is the live number draw BetGames launched as its first game in January 2012. In its studio a machine mixes 42 numbered balls, 21 yellow and 21 black, and seven drop into a tube while a presenter calls them. A new draw starts every four minutes, and before each one you bet on the result: numbers, colours, sums, odd or even. BetGames lists over 70 outcomes at odds from 1.01 to 2000 and gives the RTP as 95%.
On this page
What Lucky 7 looks like
Images: BetGames, official game page (betgames.tv).
How a Lucky 7 draw works
BetGames draws Lucky 7 live in its studio. A machine mixes 42 balls, numbered 1 to 42 and split 21 yellow and 21 black, and the winning balls drop from its drum one by one into a tube. Seven make a draw, and the first, second and last ball have bets of their own.
Each draw has one betting round: about 3 minutes in BetGames' short description, "about several minutes" in its rule 3.1.1. Draws run every four minutes, 24/7 with maintenance breaks on demand: 15 an hour, by our count. Each draw has a unique number, and results can be found on the Results page.
If fewer than seven winning balls are selected, the rules void the draw and return all stakes; if more land in the tube, only the first seven count. If the sound drops or the presenter calls a wrong number, the video decides; technical faults in the studio or with the internet connection can cancel a draw.
The bets: numbers, colours, sums, odd and even
BetGames' official demo lists 73 bets in six groups; the odds here are the demo's, and your betslip shows your own.
- Numbers. One number drawn (5.70) or not drawn (1.14); two, three or four numbers all drawn (32, 225 and 2000); or seven numbers of your choice, none drawn at 3.50, at least one up to at least five at 1.25 to 1800.
- Colours and counts. The colour of the first or last ball or the majority colour at 1.90, the second ball the colour of the first (1.95) or not (1.85); or how many yellow or black balls come up, over or under a line or exactly, at 1.01 to 200.
- Sums. The seven numbers total 28 to 273 (our sum). Bet the total against lines from 100.5 to 200.5, or the yellow or the black balls' total against 73.5.
- Odd and even. More odd or even numbers, an odd or even total, the first or last ball odd or even, all at 1.90; the first two both odd or both even at 3.90; first odd and second or last even, or the reverse, at 3.70.
What Lucky 7 bets return
BetGames gives one RTP for the whole game, 95%. The chances and returns below are our arithmetic at the demo's odds; a return is the share of stakes a bet pays back over a very long run.
| Bet | Odds in the demo | Chance, our sum | Return, our sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| One chosen number drawn | 5.70 | 1 in 6 | 95% |
| One chosen number not drawn | 1.14 | 5 in 6 | 95% |
| Two chosen numbers both drawn | 32.00 | 1 in 41 | 78% |
| Three chosen numbers all drawn | 225.00 | 1 in 328 | 69% |
| Four chosen numbers all drawn | 2000.00 | 1 in 3,198 | 63% |
| At least five of seven chosen numbers | 1800.00 | about 1 in 2,117 | 85% |
| First ball yellow, more odd numbers, total over 150.5 | 1.90 | 1 in 2 | 95% |
| No yellow ball at all | 200.00 | about 1 in 232 | 86% |
| Total of all seven under 100.5 | 19.00 | about 1 in 22 | 87% |
Where the 95% holds and where it does not
By our arithmetic at the demo's odds, the simple bets return BetGames' 95%: one number drawn or not, the colour or parity of the first or last ball, more odd or more yellow balls, the total against 150.5. Most others return less, 16 of the 73 under 90%. The more of your numbers must all come up, the less the bet returns: two at 32 about 78%, three at 225 about 69%, four at 2000 about 63%. Some short odds sit low too, such as exactly three yellow at 3.00, about 88.5%. Our highest is about 96%, for at least two yellow, or two black, balls at 1.01.
In rand, by our arithmetic: 15 draws at R10 is R150 an hour, and over many hours such an hour costs about R7.50 on average at a 95% return, about R56 at 63%. No staking pattern, doubling up or waiting for a number that is due changes that: every draw starts again from all 42 balls.
Subscriptions, combinations and limits
- Subscription. One bet repeated over several draws. BetGames' example betslip offers 1, 3, 5, 10, 25 or 50 draws and multiplies the stake: 50 draws at R10 make a R500 slip lasting about three hours and 20 minutes (our sums).
- Combination. Two bets on one slip that wins only if both do. The odds multiply: BetGames' example pairs a Lucky 7 bet at 1.14 with a Lucky 5 bet at 1.50 for 1.71. The returns multiply too, so two 95% bets make about 90%, by our arithmetic.
- Limits and disputes. The rules leave the minimum and maximum stake to the gambling company, and a claim about a result goes to the operator within 30 days of the draw.
Instant Lucky 7 and other games with the name
Instant Lucky 7, also by BetGames, is a different game: a random number generator picks the seven balls, a payout table sets the odds by how many numbers you pick and how many match, and its rules give an RTP of 94.05% to 94.89%. In April 2022 BetGames also announced a branded green-screen studio for the Betway Group, based on Lucky 7.
Ezugi and RTG each have a game called Lucky 7 as well, and neither is this draw. Nor is it Lucky Numbers, a bookmaker's bet on real lottery draws.
Lucky 7 RTP and volatility 📊
BetGames gives Lucky 7's return to player as 95%.
BetGames rates the volatility as medium, but in Lucky 7 the bet you pick moves it: a bet at short odds wins often and pays little, one at long odds rarely wins and pays a lot.
Top payout: 2000x on a single bet.
Paying for Lucky 7 in rand
Lucky 7 is in the lobby at 12 operators we list: all of them take Ozow and cards; 9 take Capitec Pay; 11 take cash vouchers.
The smallest first deposit for Lucky 7 among them is R1, at Luckyfish.
Lucky 7 winnings are paid by EFT to an account in your own name, after FICA.
Get FICA done first · How to deposit in rand · Every payment method
Is Lucky 7 legal in South Africa? 📜
Lucky 7 is a live dealer game, which licensed bookmakers carry under their provincial betting licences.
All 12 operators we list for Lucky 7 hold a South African provincial licence.
Before you play with real money ⚠️
Set your Lucky 7 budget and a deposit limit before the first round, not after a losing one. If it stops being fun, the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation helpline is free on 0800 006 008.
Pros, cons and verdict ⚖️
- A physical draw you can watch, with written rules for void draws
- Simple bets return BetGames' 95%, by our sums
- Numbered draws, with results on a Results page
- Multi-number long shots return far less: four numbers about 63% by our sums
- Subscriptions multiply the stake and combinations stack the house edge
- Other games share the name, so check the studio
Lucky 7 is BetGames' first game: 42 balls, seven drawn, and odds on their numbers, colours, sums and parity, a draw every four minutes. By our arithmetic, the simple bets return BetGames' 95%, most others somewhat less and the multi-number long shots far less. Choose the bet with that in mind, and count draws as well as stakes.
Lucky 7 FAQ ❓
How often is there a Lucky 7 draw?
Every four minutes, by BetGames' own account, 24/7 with maintenance breaks on demand: 15 draws an hour, by our count. Betting on the next draw opens as soon as the previous round closes.
What is the highest payout in Lucky 7?
The top odds on a single bet are 2000, for four chosen numbers all drawn, so R10 would return R20,000 (our sum). By our arithmetic the chance is 1 in 3,198, the lowest-returning bet in the demo at about 63%.
Is Lucky 7 a lottery?
Not a national one. BetGames calls it a lottery-like game with a live draw: you bet on the seven balls drawn in its studio, at the odds on your betslip.
What happens to my bet if my connection drops during a draw?
It still counts, as long as the broadcast can be found in the archive. BetGames' rule 5.2.2 says so for a draw you could not see for technical reasons at your end, such as no internet or no electricity.
Who makes Lucky 7, and when did it launch?
BetGames. Its tenth-anniversary post of 6 January 2022 says: "We officially registered BetGames on January 6, 2012. On January 7, we launched our first game, Lucky 7!" Its April 2022 post about a studio built for Betway calls Lucky 7 its flagship lottery game.
Where to play Lucky 7 in South Africa
Licensed South African operators we have found carrying Lucky 7, each with its licence and our score, and the date where we saw the game in the lobby ourselves. Ordered by that score. How we score Offers checked September 2026.
Also carrying Lucky 7. Bonus, payment and payout terms for each are on its review.