The Melate lottery is part of Mexico’s national lottery, and more specifically of Pronósticos para la Asistencia Pública, a decentralised public body of the State of Mexico whose main purpose is to raise funds through betting, destined for public assistance.
Melate is the Mexican lottery most similar to other world lotteries, such as those that accumulate large prizes.
It is a game of chance that offers several possibilities to win prizes, distributed in up to 9 categories, in three consecutive draws: Melate, Revancha and Revanchita.
How is Melate played?
In 1984, this lottery started with a 6/39 range of play. That is to say, 6 balls numbered between 1 and 39 were chosen to form a winning combination.
Little by little the game has been evolving and has been adding difficulty of success in exchange for increasing considerably the prizes in each and every one of the categories.
How many numbers does Melate have?
The first change in the regulations took place when the number of numbered boxes on the ticket was increased, going from 39 to 44 and maintaining the need to mark 6 natural numbers for the winning combination.
It was from that moment that two different draws were created, on the one hand the traditional one is maintained and is now called Melate Retro, and they are held on Tuesdays and Sundays, at 21:15 h. in Mexico City.
The current Melate has been increasing the prize pool little by little, at the same time that the number of eligible numbers has also increased.
It went from the initial 39 to 44, then to 47, then to 51 until reaching the current 56.
How to win Melate?
The game of Melate consists of choosing 6 numbers from a table containing 56 boxes numbered from 1 to 56 respectively.
When the draw takes place, seven numbered balls are drawn and placed in a transparent container that rotates so that the balls are mixed and come out randomly one by one.
The first six balls drawn, also called “naturales”, form the winning combination of the draw.
The seventh ball, called the “additional” ball, is used for a special prize category for players who match certain numbers of the winning combination plus this additional ball, as shown in the box below:
| Successful numbers | Ctegory | Prize mount |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Natural Numbers | First category | Variable according to stock exchange |
| 5 Natural Numbers + additional | Second category | Variable |
| 5 Natural Numbers | Third category | Variable |
| 4 Natural Numbers + additional | Fourth category | Variable |
| 4 Natural Numbers | Fifth category | Variable |
| 3 Natural Numbers + additional | Sixth category | $161.29 |
| 3 Natural Numbers | Seventh category | $43.01 |
| 2 Natural Numbers + additional | Eighth category | $32.25 |
| 2 Natural Numbers | Ninth category | $26.88 |
The official game ticket consists of 5 columns that signify individual bets. You can play one or even all five, indicating in a box the total number of columns you wish to play.
This lottery allows you to play single bets, using one or several columns of the ticket, marking only 6 boxes in each column, or the possibility of playing multiple bets.
In the multiple bet, only the first column is used and from 6 to 10 numbers can be marked, as shown in the following quadrant, with the number of combinations to play and the equivalent price.
| Numbers played | Simple Combinations | Melate Multiple Combination Price |
| 6 | 1 | $15.00 |
| 7 | 7 | $105.00 |
| 8 | 28 | $420.00 |
| 9 | 84 | $1,260.00 |
| 10 | 210 | $3,150.00 |
What days and times do the draws take place?
The draws take place every Wednesday and Sunday, at 21:30 local time in Mexico City.
On the same Wednesdays and Sundays, following the Melate lottery draw, there is a new draw for the Melate Revancha lottery, and then for Melate Revanchita.
Types of Melate lottery draws.
There are other possibilities to play in the Melate lottery, and they correspond to the names of: Revancha, Revanchita, and Melate Retro. Each of these types of draws has its own specific characteristics.
Revancha
It consists of a complement to the main game of the Melate draw, giving a second chance with the same numbers chosen.
The balls from the previous draw are placed back into the drum, and a second draw of six balls is made to configure a new possible winning combination.
In this case there is no extra ball, nor the prizes that would correspond to this extra ball as in the case of the main draw.
To access this game you use the same ticket and the same play as in the Melate game, simply by marking the corresponding tab and paying a supplement of $10, added to the $15 for the main draw.
Revanchita
This is a complementary draw held on Wednesdays and Sundays, just 30 minutes after the Melate and Revancha draws.
It is played with the same ticket and the same combination of numbers chosen for the Melate or Melate and Revancha draws. (You cannot play Revanchita only). A new 6-ball draw is made between 1 and 56.
The fee to participate in this draw is $5, which must be added to the $25 for the Melate plus Revanchita play.
The minimum guaranteed prize for this draw is $10 million (£460,000).
Melate Retro
A return to Melate’s origins, this draw involves picking 6 numbers between 1 and 39 inclusive, and as with the Melate lottery, single and multiple bets can be placed.
Six numbered balls are drawn, plus a seventh for the additional number.
The price of each single bet is $10 and there are up to seven different prize categories, with the minimum guaranteed prize for the first category being $5,000,000.
Draws are held every Tuesday and Saturday at 21:30 local Mexico City time.
Differences between the various Melate draws
Despite being complementary draws in some cases, there are notable differences between them, which are shown in the box below:
| Melate | Revancha | Revanchita | Melate Retro | |
| Price | $15 | $15 + $10 | $25 + $5 | $10 |
| Award categories | 9 | 5* | 1** | 7 |
| Guaranteed minimum | 30,000,000 | 10,000,000 | 5,000,000 | |
| Odds first prize | 1 / 32.468.436 | 1 / 3.262.623 | ||
| Odds any award | 1 / 10 | 1 / 15 | ||
| *Since there is no extra ball in the Revanchita drawing, there are only five categories of prizes. ** There is only a first category prize for the Revanchita draw. | ||||
Melate lottery cold numbers and hot numbers
As with all lotteries, there are statistics that show which numbers come up most frequently in the various draws, and those numbers that are more sleepy and come up less frequently.
In the case of Melate, the most frequently drawn numbers (also called hot numbers) are 12, 13 and 20, while the least frequently drawn numbers (called cold numbers) are 53, 54 and 55.
What is the probability of winning?
Matching the winning numbers of any lottery is not an easy task, and Melate is no exception, but nevertheless, statistically it is proven that in a period of every 2 or 3 months, someone hits the winning combination, and for this reason the prize pool does not reach the levels of other lotteries such as the American Powerball or Megamillions.
This would be a quadrant of the chance of winning any prize in Melate:
| Award Category | Hits | Prize probability |
|---|---|---|
|
1º |
6 |
1 / 32.468.436 |
|
2º |
5 + Extra ball |
1 / 5.411.406 |
|
3º |
5 |
1 / 110.437 |
|
4º |
4 + Extra ball |
1 / 44.175 |
|
5º |
4 |
1 / 1.840 |
|
6º |
3 + Extra ball |
1 / 1.380 |
|
7º |
3 |
1 / 88 |
|
8º |
2 + Extra ball |
1 / 117 |
|
9º |
2 |
1 / 10 |
Where to buy Melate?
To participate in any of the draws of these lotteries, just go to any of the more than 9000 points of sale authorised by Pronosticos para la Asistencia Pública.
The validation of the tickets can be done by asking the dispatcher to mark in the terminal the numbers that the player dictates or to give him/her a physical ticket with the combination of numbers and plays that he/she wishes to carry out.
Single or multiple plays, and even program advance plays for later draws.
It is also possible to make purchases and bets on Malate online, as some platforms offer this possibility even to non-residents of the country.
How to cash in the winning ticket?
Melate tickets with prizes up to $3,000 can be cashed through banks authorized by the National Lottery.
A higher prize range up to $9,999 can be cashed in cash or by cheque at the central offices of Pronosticos para la Asistencia Pública.
Prizes in excess of $10,000 can also be paid at the Pronostico para la Asistencia Pública headquarters, and are paid exclusively by cheque, and the winner must prove ownership and place of residence by means of a document that proves domicile.
Are taxes paid in the Melate lottery?
All prizes have a fiscal payment that is determined by the federal tax (1% of the amount) to which must be added the state tax that represents an additional 6%.
Except in the case of Zacatecas which pays 2.65% in total, in Veracruz 6.99%, in Durango 6.95%, in Morelos 6% and in Puebla 1%, in the rest of the states the total amount to be paid is 7% of the prize.