8 lucky winners share $19.4 million Toto Hongbao jackpot

SINGAPORE - Eight punters shared a jackpot of $19.4 million from the annual Toto Hongbao draw by Singapore Pools this year, the results of which were announced on Friday night (Feb 11).

The jackpot was $19,416,908, so each winner will collect around $2.43 million.

The prize money is double of last year's $9.6 million jackpot and the highest in recent history, according to Singapore Pools' website.

The winning numbers - 09, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 28, along with an additional number, 10 - were drawn at 9.30pm on Friday.

The prize money had earlier snowballed to $16 million when there was no winner for the Group 1 prize of $1,568,402 in last Thursday's draw, and no one bagged Monday's Group 1 prize of $4,024,761.

Over the past week, long queues of punters snaked out of Singapore Pools outlets islandwide.

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The state-owned lottery firm extended the operating hours of its outlets on Friday, with most branches operating from 8.30am to 9pm.

To play Toto, punters pick at least six numbers between one and 49.

Each draw yields six winning numbers and an additional number, and punters are guaranteed a cash prize if at least three of their chosen numbers are included in the six winning ones.

To win the jackpot (Group 1 prize), all six chosen numbers must match the winning ones. The jackpot can be shared among multiple winners.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.