Draw game's 40th anniversary to be marked by big adjustments
By Kate Northrop
The popular Canadian Lotto 6/49 draw game is going to be seeing some core changes later this year.
Last week, the Canadian Lotteries announced some adjustments to the multi-province game Lotto 6/49 that are going to impact the prizes players can win.
With Lotto 6/49 celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the organizers of the game decided to turn the main draw into what's called the "Classic Draw," which offers a $5 million (US$3.9 million) jackpot every drawing.
The guaranteed prize draw will then become the "Gold Ball Jackpot," which will continue to guarantee a winner on every draw. The catch is that the guaranteed winner will now win either a $1 million prize or a progressive jackpot starting at $10 million, which has the potential to grow to more than $60 million (US$47.3 million), a press release explains.
"These changes will create more excitement while maintaining the classic elements of the game that are important to players," a statement shared between the Canadian Lotteries reads. "The price will remain the same at $3 per play, and players will still be able to buy their tickets for Wednesday and Saturday draws in the same ways they're used to."
The overall odds of winning any prize in the Classic Draw will not change, remaining 1 in 6.6 at a $3 play. Players may select six numbers from 1 to 49 or have the computer generate numbers by opting for a Quick Pick.
Players may view current odds and prizes for the game by visiting the Prizes and Odds page on Lottery Post.
The game changes will go into effect starting Wed., Sept. 14, 2022.
How will this Golden ball jackpot feature work?
30 balls in the drum with one designated as the golden ball. If the golden ball is drawn, then the guaranteed prize of $1 million is increased to a minimum of $10 million. The $10 million amount is increased each draw by a minimum of $2 million until won.
Overall, they have made the game much more confusing. Sales will continue to decline.
So it will be like the Red ball promotion that some states in America do for the Pick 3 drawing.
Meaning if a white ball is drawn, that white ball is taken out and stays out of the drum until the Gold ball is drawn.
In looking at the game rules more closely, it was determined there is a possibility of a draw where a large jackpot, somewhere around C$70 million, is guaranteed to be won. Not a roll down jackpot either, the entire jackpot is guaranteed to be awarded to a single winning ticket.
That will be an interesting draw. For that to happen, the Golden Ball jackpot has to roll 29 times in a row.
I may not be in on this game anymore.....
Why Not?
It Won't Cost You Anymore.
Nothing Changes Except The Guaranteed Draw Amount.
That Number Is Given To You Regardless Of Your 6/49 Play.
Nothing changes?
A lot changes. For example, the jackpot does not grow. It stays fixed at $5 million.
I was going to purchase some lottery tickets when I was in Canada recently but just before I did they froze my bank account for blowing my horn in Ottawa. Luckily I had already purchased my permit for clubbing baby seals to death so my trip to the Great White North wasn't a total waste of time. A word of advice though, dress warm if you ever go up there to club baby seals to death cuz it gets very cold up there! Good luck!
Do You Mean The Regular 6/49 JP?
This Is From The OLG Site
(1) There will be thirty prize balls available to be drawn for thefirst Gold Ball Jackpot Draw. Twenty-nine of the prize balls will be for
a prize of $1,000,000 each and one Gold Ball will be for a jackpot prize (the “Gold Ball Jackpot”). The starting amount of the
Gold Ball Jackpot will be set by ILC at its discretion and revealed before the draw date. One prize ball will be drawn for each
Gold Ball Jackpot Draw, including for the first Gold Ball Jackpot Draw and all subsequent Gold Ball Jackpot Draws. Each timea
$1,000,000 prize ball is drawn, it will be removed from the subsequent Gold Ball Jackpot Draws, until the Gold Ball is drawn. If
the Gold Ball is not drawn, the subsequent Gold Ball Jackpot will increase by an amount determined by ILC, at its discretion.
Once the Gold Ball is drawn, twenty-nine $1,000,000 prizeballs and one Gold Ball will be available to be drawn for the
subsequent Gold Ball Jackpot Draw and the preceding process will be repeated.
(2) If there is no winning selection in any one or more of the 6/6, 5/6+, 5/6 or 4/6 categories of a Classic Draw, the amount of the
Prize or the Pool, as applicable, for each of those said categories for which there is no winning selection for that draw will be
allocated to the funding of prizes for subsequent Classic Draws and/or Gold Ball Jackpot Draws, at ILC’s discretion.
(3) “Share of $5,000,000” means an amount calculated by dividing $5,000,000 by the number of winning selections in the 6/6
category.
(4) “Share of Pool” means, with reference to each category of winning selections in the 5/6+, 5/6 and 4/6 categories, an amount
calculated by dividing the dollar amount of the Pool, for that category, by the number of winning selections in that category.
Maybe you should stick to squirrels and chipmunks in yore neck O The woods.
I mean roadkill or nil.
I believe that's good advice, LB.
I got squirrels up the ying yang in the holler and they taste good after eating all my dadgum walnuts. I never had chipmunk though and the buzzards get the roadkill pretty quick around here but I don't like possum too much anyway.
All The Best To Ya Ridge
Yes, that is correct. The jackpot for the Classic draw is fixed at $5 million.