Lotto 6/49
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Lotto 6/49
#YouShouldPlayThe649
To be won: the Classic at 5 million and the Gold Ball from 10 to 60 million.
Three’s a happy crowd
Three friends, one dream... And one million dollars!
They’re complete strangers...
But each of them walked away with a share of $5M.
Lotto 6/49 - Summary
- COST: $3 for one play (composed of one Classic Selection and one Gold Ball Draw Number)
- CLASSIC JACKPOT: $5,000,000
- GOLD BALL JACKPOT: $10,000,000, increasing with each draw if it isn’t won
- DRAW FREQUENCY: Bi-weekly, every Wednesday and Saturday
- DEADLINE FOR WAGERS: Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m.
- ODDS OF WINNING A PRIZE: 1 in 6.6 with 1 play
- ODDS OF WINNING THE JACKPOT: 1 in 13,983,816
- ODDS OF WINNING THE GOLD BALL JACKPOT (OR $1,000,000): Varies according to the total number of Gold Ball Draw Numbers issued for that draw
- THEORETICAL PAYOFF RATE: 48%
- FIRST DRAW: June 12, 1982
- CANADA-WIDE LOTTERY
How Lotto 6/49 works
With Lotto 6/49's Classic Draw and the Gold Ball Draw, two jackpots are up for grabs on the same ticket. You can pick your own numbers for the Classic Selection, but the Gold Ball Draw Number is solely computer-generated.
Classic Draw
The Classic Selection is comprised of six numbers, and the Classic Jackpot is $5 million. To win the Classic Jackpot, the six numbers in the Classic Selection on your ticket must be identical to the six numbers drawn in the Classic Draw.
Gold Ball Draw
For each Classic Selection, you’ll be given a Gold Ball Draw Number. With that number, you’ll have a chance to win the Gold Ball Jackpot or $1 million. The prize is guaranteed: There’s a winner for every draw!
The Gold Ball Jackpot starts at $10 million and can grow to just over $60 million.
To determine the prize won, a ball is drawn from a draw machine, which starts off containing 30 balls: 29 white balls and one Gold Ball. White balls are worth $1 million and the Gold Ball is worth $10 million.
If a white ball is drawn, the player wins $1 million. If the Gold Ball is drawn, the player wins the Gold Ball Jackpot.
Each time a white ball is drawn, it’s removed from the draw machine. That means there’s one fewer white ball in the next draw and the Gold Ball Jackpot grows by $2 million. The bigger the Gold Ball Jackpot, the greater the chances of it being won!
When the Gold Ball Jackpot is won, all the balls are put back in the draw machine and the Gold Ball Jackpot returns to $10 million.
NOTE: The above depiction of a draw machine is provided for explanatory purposes only and does not represent how official draws are conducted.
How to play
- You may play online, using the mobile app or at a Loto-Québec retailer where you can pick your own numbers or opt for selections randomly generated by Loto-Québec’s computer. Gold Ball Draw Numbers are always computer-generated.
- Each play is composed of one Classic Selection made up of six numbers between 1 and 49, and one Gold Ball Draw Number made up of 10 computer-generated numbers.
- Lotto 6/49 is governed by the Rules and Regulations respecting Lotteries and Lottery Tickets of the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC), which include limitations of liability.
- Choose Double Jeu 49 to play Lotto 6/49 and Québec 49 simultaneously.
- Choose Super forfait to play Lotto 6/49, Québec 49, Lotto Max, Québec Max and Grande Vie simultaneously.
- Choose Forfait lottos to play Lotto 6/49, Québec 49, Lotto Max and Québec Max simultaneously.
- You may play as a group online with Formule groupe en ligne or at a retailer with Formule groupe and Formule super groupe.
- You may play combination.
- Extra is available with this game.
- You may purchase one or more plays valid for more than one draw.
- The Replay option is also available with this game.
Prize structure and odds of winning
Lotto 6/49 is a variable-prize game. In the Classic Draw, prizes are calculated according to sales and divided equally among the winners in each category.
Category | Prize | Pools Fund %** | Odds of winning |
---|---|---|---|
The Classic Draw | |||
6/6 | $5,000,000 | Fixed prize*** | 1 / 13 983 816 |
5/6+B | $104,177* | 32.15% | 1 / 2 330 636 |
5/6 | $1,042* | 13.5% | 1 / 55 492 |
4/6 | $78* | 54.35% | 1 / 1 033 |
3/6 | $10 | Fixed prize | 1 / 56.7 |
2/6+B | $5 | Fixed prize | 1 / 81.2 |
2/6 | Free play | Fixed prize | 1 / 8.3 |
The Gold Ball Draw | |||
Complete number (10 digits) | Gold Ball Jackpot or $1,000,000*** | Varies according to the total number of the "Gold Ball Draw Numbers" issued for that draw. | |
Total | 1 / 6.6 |
*Average prize
**The Pools Fund is the Prize fund (18.33% of sales) minus the sum of all prizes payable to the winners in the 2/6, 2/6+B and the 3/6 categories.
*** The $1,000,000 prize, the Gold Ball Jackpot and the Classic Jackpot come from the Draw Fund (29.67% of sales). This fund also allows us to occasionally offer additional prizes during a draw.
The bonus number is indicated with the "+B" symbol.