What is Lotto 6/49?
Lotto 6/49 was the first Canadian lottery to let players pick their own numbers. It launched in 1982 and is run by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, the same consortium that operates Lotto Max. Draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday at approximately 10:30 PM Eastern Time, with ticket sales closing at 9:30 PM ET.
In September 2022, the game was overhauled: the ticket price rose from $3 to $3, a guaranteed $1 million draw was replaced by the Gold Ball Jackpot, and the Classic Jackpot's minimum was set at $5 million. Today the game is defined by two jackpots running in parallel: a rolling Classic and a growing Gold Ball.
How to play Lotto 6/49
A single Lotto 6/49 play is $3 and gives you one set of six numbers plus a computer-generated Gold Ball ticket number. Unlike Lotto Max, you are not buying multiple sets with a single play — each $3 buys exactly one six-number combination.
- Pick 6 numbers from 1 to 49, or accept a Quick Pick.
- Each $3 play includes one Gold Ball entry automatically.
- A bonus number is drawn after the six main numbers for the second-tier prize.
- There is no MAXMILLIONS-style secondary draw — the Gold Ball replaces it.
The Gold Ball Jackpot — explained
The Gold Ball Jackpot is a parallel jackpot that runs alongside the Classic Jackpot. It is not shared with the Classic winner — it is a separate prize drawn in a separate way.
After every 6/49 draw, one of the colored balls in the jackpot pool is the designated Gold Ball. If the Gold Ball is drawn, the Gold Ball Jackpot is won outright by whoever holds the matching ticket number printed on their 6/49 ticket.
If the Gold Ball is not drawn, the jackpot grows by $1,000,000 for the next draw. It starts at $1,000,000 and grows up to a maximum of $68,000,000. When it is finally won, it resets.
Classic prize tiers and odds
The Classic portion of 6/49 has seven prize tiers. Overall odds of winning any Classic prize are approximately 1 in 6.6. The Gold Ball is an additional top-level prize on top of anything you win in the Classic draw.
| Match | Prize share | Odds per play |
|---|---|---|
| 6/6 | 79.5% of the Pools Fund (jackpot) | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| 5/6 + bonus | 6.0% of the Pools Fund | 1 in 2,330,636 |
| 5/6 | 5.0% of the Pools Fund | 1 in 55,492 |
| 4/6 | 9.5% of the Pools Fund | 1 in 1,033 |
| 3/6 | $10 (fixed) | 1 in 56.7 |
| 2/6 + bonus | $5 (fixed) | 1 in 81.2 |
| 2/6 | Free $3 play | 1 in 8.3 |
The bonus number
After the six main numbers are drawn, a seventh 'bonus' number is pulled from the remaining 43 balls. The bonus number only matters for two specific tiers: 5/6 + bonus (the second-biggest Classic prize) and 2/6 + bonus (a small fixed $5 prize).
Matching the bonus number alone, or matching 4 main numbers plus the bonus, does not change your prize — the tier still counts as whatever main-number match you hit.
Claiming a Lotto 6/49 prize
Claim rules for Lotto 6/49 mirror Lotto Max: 52 weeks to claim, retailers handle small prizes, and jackpot-level wins go through regional lottery offices. Gold Ball winners follow the same process as Classic Jackpot winners.
- Under $1,000: usually paid in cash at the retailer.
- $1,000-$9,999: regional claim centre or mail-in.
- $10,000+: in-person at a regional lottery office with signed ticket and photo ID.
- Jackpot ($1M+): full verification, financial-planning support offered, public announcement typically required.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Gold Ball Jackpot the same as the Classic Jackpot?
- No. They are two separate prizes. A single 6/49 draw can produce a Classic Jackpot winner, a Gold Ball Jackpot winner, both, or neither. The Gold Ball pool is not shared.
- How much of the Gold Ball history is available?
- The Gold Ball Jackpot launched in September 2022. LottoResult.ca tracks the per-draw Gold Ball amount from launch date to present. Before September 2022, 6/49 used a flat $1 million guaranteed draw, not a Gold Ball.
- Can my Gold Ball ticket number be shared with another player?
- No. Each Gold Ball entry has a unique ticket number. Even if two players pick the same six main numbers, their Gold Ball ticket numbers will be different.
- Do 6/49 and Lotto Max tickets cost the same?
- No. A Lotto 6/49 play is $3 for one set of six numbers. A Lotto Max play is $5 for three sets of seven numbers.
- What was the biggest Lotto 6/49 jackpot ever?
- The record single-ticket Classic Jackpot was $64 million in 2015. The Gold Ball Jackpot record is approaching $68 million (the current cap), split among recent large-cap wins.