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Canada
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Winning the lottery in Canada is extremely rare. In fact, the odds of winning are less likely than being struck by lightning, attacked by a shark, or having identical quadruplets.
Despite this, numerous individuals have won life-changing sums, making it a popular gambling activity in Canada.
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Choose a Canada lottery game. Make sure to research the odds of winning, draw dates and jackpots available.
Find an online lottery provider or website with access to the lottery games you’ve chosen.
Create an account with your chosen provider and deposit funds into it.
Select the numbers you wish to play and submit your entry to play online lottery in Canada.
Check your ticket for the draw results. You will be notified if you have won a prize.
Like most countries around the world, the purpose of the lottery is to fundraise for public services, such as building roads and bridges, sewage systems, and bin collection. Indeed, 1976, the lottery helped raise money to host the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
The lottery is thought to have been around for the best part of the 17th century in Canada, becoming more structured throughout the 1800s until the Canadian government decided to step in and ban the practice in 1875, which was shortly followed by a prohibition of all forms of gambling by 1892 as part of the Canadian Criminal Code.
Fewer than 100 years later, the Criminal Code was amended to allow lotteries to run once more for the funding of special nationwide projects both provincially and federally. In 1974 the first national lottery in Canada was held in what was referred to as the Canada Olympic Lottery, named as such because it helped raise money to host the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
In the modern era, Canadians can play three national lottery games - Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, and the Daily Grand.
While there are three main national games, the Canada lottery landscape is vast. There are plenty of lotteries in Canada - here are a few examples:
This is a popular national lotto in Canada, with draws on Fridays that offer prizes of up to $60 million. Players choose seven numbers from 1 to 50 for each ticket.
The prize can vary significantly from a few dollars to millions. For example, popular lottery games such as LOTTO 6/49 and Lotto Max offer jackpots that start at $5 million and can go up to over $60 million. In addition, there are unique draws such as Super 7, which has seen an enormous payout of more than $50 million!
Progressive jackpots are also popular in Canadian lotteries. These increase every time the lottery is drawn without a winner, so it is impossible to put a cap on the maximum amount of money that can be won.
| Lottery | Total Winners | Total Won | Odd/Even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto Max | 731,661 | $9,332,769.40 | 3/4 |
| Lotto 649 | 820,773 | $39,199,924.40 | 3/3 |
| BC 49 | 11,025 | $189,790.00 | 5/1 |
| Western 6/49 | 53,127 | $38,884.00 | 3/3 |
| Quebec 49 | 20,538 | $213,845.00 | 2/4 |
While the odds of winning a national lottery are monumental, there are still plenty of examples of players striking it big to win incredible money.
In the first half of 2023 alone, there have been three examples of multi-million dollar prizes going to lucky players.
Check them out below:
🎉 18 Year-Old Lands Big With First Try
At the beginning of 2023, teenager Juliette Lamour of Sault Ste Maria in Ontario won a Lotto 6/49 $48 million jackpot with her first-ever lottery ticket, which she bought for her birthday. Talk about beginners' luck!
🏖️ Retired Couple Have Best Days Ahead
Randy and Janice Glays, a Winnipeg couple who claimed to be previously living paycheque to paycheque, scooped a whopping $60 million jackpot from the LottoMax game back in April 2023 after purchasing a $6 quick-pick ticket in a St. Anne's Road Superstore.
💑 Anniversary Celebrations Will Escalate For This Lucky Pair
Lahsen Rezrazi and Debbie Ramsay, a couple from Victoria, bagged a vast $35 million Lotto Max jackpot just before their wedding anniversary - splitting the jackpot with another lucky winner.
It is perhaps stories like these, which all occurred within six months of the first half of 2023, which makes the Canadian lottery so exciting for so many.
There are some national statistics backing up the popularity of the lotto. For example, in 2018, Canadians spent over $7 billion on lottery tickets - that's a number that would have only increased over the past five years.
In those same figures, it was revealed the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) was the largest lottery corporation in Canada, with sales of $2.2 billion, while the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is next highest, with sales of $2.1 billion in the same year.
Many dream of joining the ranks of these lucky winners, but understanding strategies can be just as thrilling as playing the game. Learn how to win at lottery by exploring tips and insights that might improve your odds.
In Canada, lottery tickets can be purchased with cash or card from convenience stores, depending on the province. In addition to these locations, big-win hunters can play lotto online via the official website of each provincial lottery corporation or a lottery provider. Some lottery tickets in Canada are only valid for selected jurisdictions - make sure to check the terms and conditions and rules of each lotto ticket to get all the information.
Other lotto ticket-buying locations include:
The Canadian lottery is regulated by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC), an organization that oversees lottery operations in all Canadian provinces and territories. Each jurisdiction has its own set of rules for those who play lottery online or via other means, but there are some common regulations.
To play a Canadian lottery game, players must be at least 18 years old and purchase a ticket from an authorised retailer. Tickets can also be purchased online in some areas. In most provinces, players are allowed to purchase tickets for multiple draws at one time.
Generally, prizes must be claimed within a certain period of time and may require the winner to present valid identification and proof of purchase. The ILC also has regulations in place for winners who choose to remain anonymous.
Unfortunately, there are some examples of lottery scams and fraudulent behavior by criminals within the Canada lottery online and land-based sphere.
Some examples include:
There are several steps players can take to avoid the risks of gambling addiction from playing the lottery online in Canada.
They include:
What are the odds of winning the lottery in Canada?
The odds depend on the game. For example, the odds of winning the Lotto Max jackpot are 1 in 33,294,800.
How much does it cost to play the lottery in Canada?
Lottery tickets in Canada can cost as little as six dollars.
What is the largest jackpot ever won in Canada?
The largest-ever jackpot was $70 million, won in 2023.
How are lottery winnings taxed in Canada?
Lottery winnings are not taxable in Canada.
How do I claim my lottery winnings in Canada?
For winnings over $1,000, players should contact the lottery operator. Winnings under $1,000 can be claimed at a store.
Where is the lottery money coming from?
Lottery jackpots are primarily funded by ticket sales.
