Best prize home lottery in Australia

How we compared them

Every operator here is a licensed Australian charity lottery, so the choice is not about legitimacy (they are all legit, as we cover in are prize home lotteries legit). It comes down to five things:

• Prize size, the headline value of the home and extras.
• Ticket price, how cheaply you can enter.
• Your odds, which depend on how many tickets sell (see prize home odds explained).
• The cause, which charity your ticket funds.
• Track record, how long and how reliably they have run.

The LootBiz score below is our own editorial opinion weighing all five. It is a guide, not a guarantee.

The full comparison

Quick take on each

RSL Art Union (Dream Home), score 9.3

The heavyweight. Prizes are routinely the biggest in the country, often luxury coastal homes worth well over $10 million, plus cars and gold. Tickets from $5. Funds RSL Queensland's support for veterans. Pick this if you want the largest possible prize. See the current RSL draw.

Mater Prize Home, score 9.0

Australia's most searched prize home and our best all-rounder. Strong multi-million-dollar homes, tickets from just $2, and a hospital cause with decades of history. The best mix of prize, price and trust. See the current Mater draw.

yourtown, score 8.6

Lifestyle homes on the Gold Coast, currently a Mermaid Waters home, tickets from $5, funding Kids Helpline. A feel-good option if a lifestyle home package and a cause aimed at young people appeal to you. See the current yourtown draw.

Endeavour Prize Homes, score 8.4

Solid hinterland and coastal homes, often bundled with solar and gold. Entry is a little higher at $10. Funds Endeavour Foundation's disability services. See the current Endeavour draw.

Surf Life Saving, score 8.3

Currently a canal-side penthouse at Hope Island on the Gold Coast, bundled with furnishings and gold, from $50 (usually a book of tickets). Funds beach patrols and rescue, one of the most recognisable causes in the country. See the current Surf Life Saving draw.

Deaf Lottery, score 8.1

The odd one out, usually a cash or car draw rather than a home, from $2, funding Deaf Connect. Pick this if you would rather win cash than a house. See the current Deaf Lottery draw.

So which should you choose?

If you simply want a shot at the biggest possible prize, RSL Art Union is the clear pick. If you want the best all-round balance of a big prize, a cheap $2 ticket and a trusted charity, Mater is hard to beat. And if the cause matters most to you, choose the charity whose work you care about, they are all genuine, and every ticket helps whether you win or not.

Whichever you pick, treat a ticket as a donation with a chance attached, not an investment. Read how the odds really work before you buy, and always confirm the current prize and closing date on the operator's own site.