Learn
Overdue Lottery Numbers: Is Any Number Ever Due?
The tool compares the longest pauses of numbers in real Canadian draw archives with what fair random draws give. Short answer: no number is ever due.
The longest pause in our archive of this game: 73 draws. Fair archives of the same size usually hold a pause of about 74 draws (simulation).
Every game we have: the longest pause of any number
| Game | Longest pause in our archive (draws) | Fair archives: usual longest pause, 95% range | Chance in the next draw | A number comes up on average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto Max 7 of 50 | 61 | 57 (47 to 79) | 14.0% | every 7.1 draws |
| Lotto 6/49 6 of 49 | 73 | 74 (61 to 97) | 12.2% | every 8.2 draws |
| Daily Grand 5 of 49 | 88 | 83 (67 to 114) | 10.2% | every 9.8 draws |
| Québec Max 7 of 50 | 58 | 57 (47 to 79) | 14.0% | every 7.1 draws |
| Québec 49 6 of 49 | 87 | 74 (61 to 97) | 12.2% | every 8.2 draws |
| Tout ou rien 12 of 24 | 15 | 16 (13 to 20) | 50.0% | every 2.0 draws |
| Banco 20 of 70 | 33 | 36 (31 to 46) | 28.6% | every 3.5 draws |
| Keno (WCLC) 20 of 80 | 55 | 52 (47 to 64) | 25.0% | every 4.0 draws |
A pause is a run of draws in a row without the number, counted in the draws we have saved for one drum (the pause before its first appearance and the current one are cut by the ends of our copy). The fair archives are a simulation: random draws of the same game, as many as we have saved; the range holds 95% of them.
Unofficial: a copy of published results – verify with the official source. Official source: wclc.com, lotoquebec.com.
Snapshot of our saved copy: every game up to its newest saved draw (Oct 29, 2026 to Nov 1, 2026).
One game in detail
Lotto 6/49
6 of 49, 1,861 draws Jan 3, 2009 – Oct 31, 2026
Longest pause: number 14, not drawn in 73 draws in a row (Mar 29, 2017 to Dec 6, 2017). For one given number such a pause is rare (1 in 13,839), but with 49 numbers and 1,861 draws, pauses this long or longer are expected about 0.78 times.
| Pauses of at least | Expected | Found | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 draws | 928 | 946 | |
| 36 draws | 100 | 96 | |
| 54 draws | 9.4 | 7 | |
| 72 draws | 0.89 | 1 |
- chance alone (exact)
Simulation: in 1,000 fair archives of 1,861 draws (seed 1), the longest pause was usually 74 draws, 95% of them between 61 and 97; 55% of them had a pause at least as long as ours.
Away the longest right now
| Away now | Not drawn for | Chance of such a wait | Chance in the next draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 41 draws | 0.47% | 12.2% |
| 44 | 26 draws | 3.4% | 12.2% |
| 36 | 21 draws | 6.4% | 12.2% |
A long absence does not make a number due. In the next draw every number has the same chance: 6 in 49, about 12.2%.
Unofficial: a copy of published results – verify with the official source. Official source: wclc.com, lotoquebec.com. Copy updated Nov 2, 2026
Draws up to the end of last year come from the yearly archives of Loto-Québec; newer draws from the WCLC results pages, checked against Loto-Québec.
How long numbers stay away
| Lotto 6/49 measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A number comes up on average | once every 8.2 draws | Pool size divided by numbers drawn |
| Longest pause in our archive | 73 draws | Some number missed that many draws in a row |
| Chance one given number waits that long | 1 in 13,839 | Rare for one number chosen in advance |
| Pauses that long expected by chance | 0.78 | Exact count over all numbers and all draws |
| Usual record in fair archives | 74 draws | Simulation: median of 1,000 random fair archives |
| Range of the record in fair archives | 61 to 97 draws | Simulation: central range, same archive length |
One given number rarely waits this long. With many numbers and many draws, some long pauses are expected. Simulated values use random fair draws with a fixed seed.
Away for long vs due next
The pause
- A fact about past draws
- Counted from our saved archive
- Shown in the tool as history only
- Some long pauses are expected by chance
The next draw
- The draw machine does not use past results
- Lotto 6/49: a given number has a 12.2% chance
- WCLC Keno: a given number has a 25.0% chance
- Same chance after a short or long pause
How we check it
- Count every pauseFor each number in each archive, we count the draws between one appearance and the next.
- Work out the exact expectationWe calculate how many pauses of at least a given length fair draws give, over all numbers and draws.
- Simulate fair archivesA computer runs random fair draws of the same length with a fixed seed and records the longest pause in each.
- Compare with our archiveWe set the real record and real pause counts against the exact counts and the simulated range.
- Mark the copy unofficialOur archive is an unofficial copy. The tool links the official results from WCLC and Loto-Québec.
Related checks
Gambler's fallacy trainer
Guess whether a number is due, then see what random draws actually do.
Hot and cold numbers
How often each number came up, compared with what chance alone gives.
Repeats from the last draw
How often numbers from one draw come up again in the next one.
Same numbers twice
Whether a full set of winning numbers has come up more than once.
Lotto 6/49 number frequency
How many times each Lotto 6/49 number has been drawn in the archive.
Sources
- OLG – Lotto Max Game Conditions · checked Nov 2, 2026
- Loto-Québec – Règles des loteries · checked Nov 2, 2026
- WCLC – Legal · checked Nov 2, 2026
- Loto-Québec – Conditions of use · checked Nov 2, 2026
- OLG – Lotto 6/49 Game Conditions · checked Nov 2, 2026
- OLG – Conditions de jeu du Lotto 6/49 · checked Nov 2, 2026
- WCLC – KENO Game Conditions and Prize Structure Statement (2016) · checked Nov 2, 2026
- WCLC – KENO page · checked Nov 2, 2026
Questions
Are overdue lottery numbers more likely to be drawn?
No. Each draw is independent. After any pause, a given number has the same chance to come up in the next draw; the comparison above shows that chance for Lotto 6/49 and WCLC Keno. No number is ever due.
How long can a lottery number go without being drawn?
Any length is possible in fair draws; long pauses are just rarer. The tool and the table above show the longest pause in our Lotto 6/49 archive next to the usual record in simulated fair archives, counted over the same number of draws.
Do lottery numbers have to even out?
No. Each draw is independent: the next draw does not correct past results, and no number has to catch up.
What are due numbers in the lottery?
Some players call a number due when it has not come up for a long time. The idea is wrong: the chance of that number in the next draw is the same as for any other number.