Canada Lotto 6/49

Canada Lotto 6/49 (or 649) should immediately feel familiar to players who know the 6/49 lotto format by heart. What’s different here, however, is the Guaranteed Prize Draw which offers the chance to take home an even bigger prize amount. Beyond that, Canada Lotto 6/49 also offers tax-free prizes, rollover mechanics, and bi-weekly draws. Curious what else this mid-range lottery has on offer? Join me now as I take a closer look!

About Canada Lotto 6/49

Canada Lotto 6/49 is known as one of Canada’s most popular lotteries—and is one of the country’s three national games. Established in June 12, 1982, it became famous for disrupting the widely used model of pre-picked, pre-printed lottery numbers by letting players pick their own. Since its launch, Canada Lotto 6/49 has undergone several minor changes to its format—but in September 2013, the lottery experienced a major overhaul wherein several new features were introduced.

Quick Canada Lotto 6/49 Facts

• Simple Mechanics: As its name suggests, Canada Lotto 6/49 adheres to the classic 6/49 lotto format—so understanding this game should be a piece of cake for both novices and veterans alike.
• Bi-Weekly Draws: Canada Lotto 6/49 draws are held twice a week, every Wednesday and Saturday.
• Jackpots Roll Over: Whenever no one is declared a winner, Canada Lotto 6/49 jackpots will simply carry over to the next drawing—making it grow until someone wins.
• The Guaranteed Prize Draw: In addition to jackpot rollovers, Canada Lotto 6/49 also features a raffle called the Guaranteed Prize Draw where CA$1 million can be won.
• Advance Tickets: You can purchase your Canada Lotto 6/49 tickets up to 26 weeks in advance.
• Tax-Free: All Canada Lotto 6/49 prizes are tax-free.

How Does Canada Lotto 6/49 Work?

The Basics

If you’re already familiar with the 6/49 format used by a lot of lotto games, then you probably already know the basics of Canada Lotto 6/49. For the uninitiated, you simply pick six numbers from a pool of 1 to 49, and there is also a bonus number that will be drawn.

Matching all six plus the bonus will net you the jackpot, while matching less will net you one of the lower prize-tiers. For example, matching 5 main numbers plus the bonus means you win the second-tier prize. Winning only 5 and no bonus means you win the third-tier prize, and so on.

If more than one first or second-tier winner is declared, the winnings are split among them equally. However, if no one wins the jackpot, it will simply roll over to the next draw until someone wins. In other words, you might just win big if you happen to match all your numbers during a draw that had multiple rollovers prior.

The Guaranteed Prize Draw

Here’s where Canada Lotto 6/49 sets itself apart from the pack. Every ticket you purchase entitles you to an automatic entry to the Guaranteed Prize Draw—a raffle that gives you the chance to win an additional CA$1 million. So, if you win the jackpot and the Guaranteed Prize Draw, you could potentially end up with a ridiculously huge windfall. A couple more things to note is that only one ticket holder will win the raffle, and no other prize tiers are available.

The Odds of Winning

Canada Lotto 6/49 has a total of seven prize tiers you win in and your odds of winning are pretty good. Compared with bigger lotteries, your chances here are much better. Check out the quick breakdown below:

So What Happens if You Win?

All Canada Lotto 6/49 prizes are paid out in lump sum form, and—like I mentioned earlier—all tax-free. Of course, if you play from another country using online lottery agent services, then you’d have to deal with your local tax laws. It’s still great because you won’t have to worry about tax deductions twice.

Take note that winners have a year from the draw date to come forward and claim prizes. If no one comes forward before the deadline is up, then the unclaimed or expired prizes will be diverted to the national fund, where it will be used for upcoming draws.

The Biggest Canada Lotto 6/49 Winners

Canada Lotto 6/49’s jackpots haven’t gotten as big as, say, the $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot record in 2016, but you can at least expect to win millions. In fact, many people have already become millionaires thanks to Canada Lotto 6/49. Here are some of the game’s biggest wins so far:

Canada Lotto 6/49 Fun Facts

• Before Canada Lotto 6/49 entered the scene, Canada’s lottery games featured pre-printed numbers (i.e. players couldn’t choose their own).
• In Ottawa, a group of 18 co-workers won the CA$7 million Canada Lotto 6/49 jackpot—exactly a day after they had all been laid off at their company.
• Around 6 out of 10 draws, at least one winning number from the previous draw has repeated in the next.
• 31 is recorded to be one of the numbers most frequently drawn.
• For most draws, at least one prime number is drawn.

Bottom Line on Canada Lotto 6/49

Canada Lotto 6/49 is a simple, no-frills lottery game that anyone can easily get into. It follows the classic 6/49 format, but adds the Guaranteed Prize Draw to make things more interesting. On top of that, the odds are pretty good, jackpots rollover until someone wins, draws are held twice a week, and prizes are tax-free. Sure, the jackpots here don’t reach 9 figures, but it is still a good mid-range lottery worth checking out.