Calculators

Split Jackpot Odds: Will You Share the Prize?

When several selections match the jackpot numbers, the jackpot is split equally. The calculator above shows, for plays sold, your chance of being the only winner if you win the jackpot, and your expected share.

If you win 7/7, you keep it alone86.1%13.9% of wins are shared
Your expected share92.9%of the prize (Jackpot)
Someone wins this draw13.9%about 0.15 winning lines expected

With 5,011,872 plays sold, out of 100 people who hit 7/7, about 13.9 have to split it.

Chance to keep it alone, by plays sold

100,00099.7%
316,22899.1%
1,000,00097.1%
3,162,27891.0%
10,000,00074.2%
31,622,77738.8%
100,000,0005.0%

Model: every play is a random selection (1 in 133,784,560 per line). Many players pick birthdays and patterns, so a jackpot on popular numbers is shared more often than this; on random-looking numbers, a little less.

How it is calculated

Source: OLG game conditions checked Oct 29, 2026 · OLG page checked Oct 29, 2026

Is a ticket worth it →Lotto Max value by jackpot →

Woman offering one thin wedge of a cardboard disc

More plays, smaller share

Plays sold (example)Chance to be the only winner if you win the jackpotExpected share of the jackpot
10,000,00074.2%86.4%

Lotto Max, per-play jackpot odds 1 in 33,446,140, everyone picking at random. The example counts plays, not single selections. The calculator above shows other numbers of plays sold.

Fewer plays sold vs more plays sold

Fewer plays sold

  • Fewer other plays can match the same numbers
  • Higher chance to be the only winner
  • Expected share closer to the full jackpot

More plays sold

  • More other plays can match the same numbers
  • Lower chance to be the only winner
  • Expected share of the jackpot gets smaller

Sole winner chance if you win the jackpot

P(only winner) = (1 − p)^(n − 1); p = jackpot chance per play, n = plays sold

Example: For example, Lotto Max per-play odds: p is 1 in 33,446,140, n is 10,000,000. Chance to be the only winner: 74.2%.

Expected share of the jackpot

Expected share = (1 − (1 − p)^n) ÷ (n × p)

Example: For example, with 10,000,000 Lotto Max plays sold, a jackpot winner keeps 86.4% of the jackpot on average.

How a shared jackpot is paid

  1. Jackpot is setFor Lotto Max, ILC sets the Main Jackpot and makes it public before the draw.
  2. Numbers are drawnSeven main numbers and one bonus number are drawn from the Lotto Max number range.
  3. Winners are countedEach play has four selections. Every selection that matches 7 of 7 is a jackpot winner.
  4. Jackpot is dividedThe Main Jackpot is divided by the number of winning selections. Each winning selection gets one share.
  5. Shares are roundedEach jackpot share is rounded up to the next dime, as the game conditions set out.

What the rules say about sharing

Pool tiers are shared

From 6 of 7 + bonus down to 4 of 7 + bonus, each tier is a pool split equally among its winning selections.

Fixed tiers are not

4 of 7, 3 of 7 + bonus and 3 of 7 pay a set prize. The amount does not depend on the number of winners.

Extra prizes are shared

MAXPLUS and MAXMILLIONS prizes are also split when more than one selection matches the same numbers.

Why amounts change

Pool prizes depend on sales and on how many selections win each draw.

Quick pick vs birthdays

Same odds, but birthday numbers are shared more often.

Lotto Max expected value

What a play returns on average at different jackpot sizes, sharing included.

Sources

Questions

What are the odds of splitting a lottery jackpot?

It depends on the jackpot odds and on how many plays are sold. For example, with 10,000,000 Lotto Max plays sold, a jackpot winner has a 74.2% chance of being the only winner.

How is a Lotto Max jackpot split?

Each selection that matches all seven main numbers gets one equal share of the Main Jackpot. Each share is rounded up to the next dime, as the game conditions set out. MAXPLUS and MAXMILLIONS prizes are also shared.

Do quick picks share the jackpot less often?

A quick pick has the same odds as numbers you choose, and every combination has the same chance to be drawn. A jackpot is shared more often when many people pick the same popular combinations. See quick pick vs birthdays.

What share of a shared jackpot does a winner keep on average?

For example, with 10,000,000 plays sold, a Lotto Max jackpot winner keeps 86.4% of the jackpot on average, if everyone picks at random. More plays sold means a smaller expected share.