Australia's Set for Life Divisions, Match by Match

A winning Set for Life game lands in one of eight divisions, and which one depends first on how many of the draw's seven winning numbers it holds. All seven is Division 1. Below that, the two supplementary numbers come into play: a game holding six, five or four winning numbers climbs one division if it also holds a supplementary, and a game holding three wins only if it does. Those are the Set for Life divisions in Australia's daily game, running from Division 1 down to Division 8, where three winning numbers and a supplementary make the smallest combination that wins.

Nine numbers out of 44, read as seven and two

Every Set for Life draw takes nine numbers from a barrel of 44. Lotterywest, which sells Set for Life in Western Australia, sorts them into two groups in its guide to its games: "The first 7 numbers drawn are the winning numbers" and "The last 2 numbers drawn are the supplementary numbers." Western Australia's Lotteries Commission (Authorised Lotteries) Rules 2016 say the same in legal terms, describing a draw as "the random generation of 9 numbers (7 winning numbers and 2 supplementary numbers), from the numbers 1 to 44 inclusive".

Your side of the ticket is simpler. A game is seven numbers chosen from the same 44, or in the rules' words "7 selected numbers". Supplementaries aren't something you pick. They're the last two numbers out of the draw, and each game's seven numbers are compared against both groups.

So only the numbers on your game that missed the winning seven can match a supplementary. Match all seven winning numbers and there's nothing left to compare, which is why no division asks for seven plus a supplementary. A game holding six winning numbers has a single number left, which is why the rules describe Division 2 as six winning numbers "and 1 supplementary number", while Divisions 4, 6 and 8 each accept "1 or 2 supplementary numbers".

One ticket also reaches beyond one draw. Lotterywest says a Set for Life ticket gives "an entry in seven consecutive daily draws", and the entry can start on any day of the week. Each of those draws produces nine fresh numbers, so every game on the ticket is read against each draw separately, and the same game can win a division one day and nothing the next.

The eight Set for Life divisions and their odds

The odds are per game, from lottery.fm's Set for Life game facts as of 5 October 2026, and they agree with the odds table on Lotterywest's game page. Lotterywest notes that its figures "are approximate", rounded and based on one standard game. Its page writes each supplementary division as "+ 1 Supplementary"; the "1 or 2" in the table above is the wording of rule 115 of the WA rules. The bottom row is the overall figure, which Lotterywest defines as "the chance of winning any of the prize divisions in a game".

Nothing in past results moves those figures: every draw is random and independent of the last. The FAQ on Lotterywest's Set for Life page is blunt about it: "There's no skill or strategy that will increase your chance of winning as the chance of winning doesn't change."

Three winning numbers, both supplementaries, one prize per game

A game holding three winning numbers needs one or both supplementaries to reach Division 8; three winning numbers on their own appear neither on Lotterywest's table nor in rule 115. Two winning numbers or fewer win nothing, whichever supplementaries come with them.

Holding supplementaries doesn't raise the winning count, either. A game with five winning numbers and both supplementaries has all seven of its numbers among the nine drawn, yet it's a Division 4 game, not Division 2 or Division 1. The second supplementary adds nothing to it.

Nor does one game collect in two divisions at once. Rule 116 lets a player claim a prize "in only one division for each Set for Life game entered".

In WA, Lotterywest's guide points to the in-store ticket checker; there's also a ticket checker on lottery.fm.

Lump sums for Divisions 3 to 8, instalments for 1 and 2

"Divisions 3-8 are paid as a lump sum," says Lotterywest's guide. Neither the guide nor Lotterywest's game page puts a fixed amount on any of those divisions, and the WA rules explain how each one's money is shared instead. Under rule 117, "The prize pool for a division is to be divided equally between the winning games in that division", so the more games that win a division in a draw, the smaller each one's share of its pool. If nobody wins one of Divisions 3 to 8, rule 118 adds that division's pool to the next lower division with at least one winner in the same draw or, when no lower division has one, to the next higher division that does. Recent draws are on lottery.fm's Australian Set for Life page.

Divisions 1 and 2 are paid differently, as an upfront amount followed by monthly payments, for 20 years in Division 1 and for one year in Division 2. Lotterywest's guide describes both prizes as "guaranteed for up to four winners" and states that "The Division 1 and Division 2 prize pools are shared if there are more than four winners", working through an example with five winners in each division. The current amounts are on Lotterywest's Set for Life page.

Tickets, deadlines and which rulebook applies

In Western Australia, Lotterywest's guide says: "You have 12 months from the date of the draw to claim your prize before funds are returned to the WA community through Lotterywest grants." Prizes up to and including A$500 on a physical ticket can be collected from any Lotterywest retailer. Larger prizes can be claimed at Lotterywest Head Office during office hours; for a Division 1 or Division 2 prize, rule 120 of the WA rules says the holder of the winning ticket "must present it at the Commission's head office within the payout period for that draw".

The guide also says that if any conflict occurs between the Rules and information on Lotterywest's website, its app or in a game brochure, "the Rules must take precedence." The rule numbers in this article come from the Lotteries Commission (Authorised Lotteries) Rules 2016, in the official version as at 13 September 2026 on the WA legislation website.

Lotterywest's guide lists Set for Life as a national game with eight prize divisions. The claim details and rule numbers here are Lotterywest's and WA's, though, so for a ticket bought elsewhere in Australia, check the terms of the operator that sold it.

If gambling is no longer fun, free and confidential support is available 24/7 from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.

Always confirm winning numbers, prize amounts, and deadlines with the official operator before acting on a ticket — the operator's published results are the only ones that count.

Sources

• Lotterywest · viewed 4 October 2026 · Set For Life · Lotterywest's Set for Life page, with divisions and odds

• Lotterywest · effective from 14 September 2026 · A guide to our games · Lotterywest's "A guide to our games" brochure (PDF)

• Government of Western Australia · official version as at 13 September 2026 · Lotteries Commission (Authorised Lotteries) Rules 2016, Part 8: Set for Life rules · The Authorised Lotteries Rules 2016 on the WA legislation website

• lottery.fm game facts database · facts as of 5 October 2026 · Set for Life — game facts · Australian Set for Life game facts on lottery.fm