What is Lotto Max?
Lotto Max is Canada's nationwide jackpot lottery, launched in 2009 to replace Lotto Super 7. It is operated by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC), a consortium of the five regional lottery operators: WCLC (western provinces), OLG (Ontario), Loto-Québec (Quebec), ALC (Atlantic provinces), and BCLC (British Columbia).
Draws are held twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday evenings, with sales closing at 9:30 PM Eastern Time and the official draw following at approximately 10:30 PM ET. Tickets cost $5 each and are sold by every provincial lottery retailer across Canada.
The game's defining feature is its jackpot structure: a guaranteed minimum of $10 million, growing each draw it is not won, with excess value spilling into $1 million MAXMILLIONS prizes once the main jackpot reaches $50 million.
How to play Lotto Max
A single Lotto Max play costs $5. That $5 buys three sets of seven numbers — not one. Each set is a separate entry drawn from the same winning numbers, so a single $5 ticket gives you three chances at every prize tier.
- Pick 7 numbers from 1 to 50 per set (or accept Quick Pick for random selection).
- Each $5 play produces three seven-number sets on one ticket.
- A bonus number is drawn after the seven main numbers for the second-tier prize.
- When the main jackpot is $50 million or more, additional $1 million MAXMILLIONS draws are added. These use the same ticket — no extra purchase.
Prize tiers and odds
Lotto Max has eight prize tiers based on matching the seven main numbers and one bonus number. Overall odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 7, meaning roughly one in seven $5 tickets wins something — usually a free play.
| Match | Prize share | Odds per $5 play |
|---|---|---|
| 7/7 | 87.25% of the Pools Fund (jackpot) | 1 in 33,294,800 |
| 6/7 + bonus | 4.35% of the Pools Fund | 1 in 4,756,400 |
| 6/7 | 3.40% of the Pools Fund | 1 in 113,248 |
| 5/7 + bonus | 3.50% of the Pools Fund | 1 in 37,749 |
| 5/7 | $20 (fixed) | 1 in 1,439 |
| 4/7 + bonus | $20 (fixed) | 1 in 1,105 |
| 4/7 | $20 (fixed) | 1 in 82.9 |
| 3/7 + bonus | Free $5 play | 1 in 82.9 |
| 3/7 | Free $5 play | 1 in 8.5 |
MAXMILLIONS explained
When the advertised Lotto Max jackpot climbs to $50 million, a MAXMILLIONS draw is added for every additional $1 million the pool would have grown by. Each MAXMILLIONS is a separate draw with its own set of seven winning numbers — each paying a flat $1 million prize.
Players do not buy MAXMILLIONS separately. Every Lotto Max ticket is automatically entered into all available MAXMILLIONS draws for that date. On lottery result screens and official result pages, MAXMILLIONS numbers are listed alongside the main Lotto Max numbers (sometimes labelled MAXPLUS).
To win a MAXMILLIONS prize you must match all seven numbers in one of the MAXMILLIONS draws with one of your three seven-number sets. Matches below 7/7 pay nothing on MAXMILLIONS — it is strictly a match-all-seven-or-nothing prize.
The $80 million jackpot cap
The Lotto Max main jackpot is capped at $80 million. Once the jackpot reaches $80 million, it stays at $80 million on subsequent rollovers and all excess jackpot growth is converted into MAXMILLIONS draws. This is why you often see 50+ MAXMILLIONS draws attached to a capped $80M Lotto Max night.
The cap has been hit multiple times in recent years. When the main jackpot is finally won at the cap, MAXMILLIONS prizes can collectively total more than the main jackpot itself. The specific MAXMILLIONS numbers that are not won roll into the next draw as separate $1 million prizes until claimed.
Claiming a Lotto Max prize
Winners have 52 weeks (one year) from the draw date to claim any Lotto Max prize. The claim process depends on the prize size and the province where the ticket was purchased.
- Under $1,000: most retailers will pay cash directly at the counter.
- $1,000 to $9,999: usually paid at a provincial lottery claim centre or by mail-in.
- $10,000 and above: in-person claim at the regional lottery office, with photo ID and the signed ticket.
- Jackpot ($1M+): full verification process, financial planning meeting offered, public announcement is typical but not always required.
What about strategy?
There is no mathematical strategy that changes Lotto Max odds. Every number from 1 to 50 has an equal chance of being drawn, every draw is independent of the last, and no 'hot' or 'cold' number pattern affects future results.
The only real choices are (a) how much to spend — spending more multiplies your tickets linearly, with a fixed house edge on each ticket, and (b) whether to join a group buy. Group buys (office pools, family pools) are a popular way to buy many tickets without individual cost, but require clear written agreements to avoid disputes if a prize is won.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest Lotto Max jackpot ever?
- The largest single Lotto Max jackpot was $80 million, reached multiple times since the cap was introduced in 2019. Total prize payouts on capped nights (main jackpot + MAXMILLIONS) have exceeded $150 million on several occasions.
- Can I play Lotto Max from outside Canada?
- Tickets can only be purchased from authorized retailers inside Canada, but there is no Canadian residency requirement to claim a prize. A tourist who purchased a winning ticket in Canada can claim it.
- Do Lotto Max numbers need to be in order?
- No. The seven main numbers can be matched in any order. Only the combination of numbers matters, not the order they are drawn or printed.
- What happens if nobody wins the Lotto Max jackpot?
- The jackpot rolls to the next draw and grows. Once it reaches $50 million, additional $1 million MAXMILLIONS draws are added instead of growing the main pool beyond $80 million.
- Are Lotto Max draws televised?
- Lotto Max draws are streamed on the provincial lottery websites (WCLC, OLG, Loto-Québec, ALC, BCLC). They are no longer broadcast on traditional national TV in most provinces.