Lotteries
Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Odds: Balls Left in the Drum
How the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw works, the chance of the gold ball as the drum empties, and how long a cycle lasts. The simulator below counts down the balls.
Loading the simulator
How the drum empties
- Each play gets a numberEvery play has a computer-generated Gold Ball Draw Number printed next to the Classic Selection.
- One number is pickedOn each draw date, one Gold Ball Draw Number is picked from all numbers issued for that draw.
- One prize ball is drawnThe drum starts with 30 balls: white balls and one gold ball. The ball drawn sets the prize: $1,000,000 or the Gold Ball Jackpot.
- White ball stays outA white ball pays the fixed prize and is not put back. The next draw has one ball fewer.
- Gold ball resets the drumA gold ball pays the Gold Ball Jackpot. The white balls go back and a new cycle starts with 30 balls.
Chance of the gold ball
Chance the prize ball is gold = one ÷ number of balls left in the drum
Example: For example, with a full drum of 30 balls, the chance is 1 in 30.
Chance by balls left
| Point in the cycle | Chance the prize ball is gold |
|---|---|
| Start of a cycle (full drum) | 1 in 30 |
| After the first white ball | 1 in 29 |
| After the second white ball | 1 in 28 |
| A third of the drum gone | 1 in 20 |
| Half of the drum gone | 1 in 15 |
| Two thirds of the drum gone | 1 in 10 |
| Gold ball and one white ball left | 1 in 2 |
| Only the gold ball left | 1 in 1 |
These chances apply only to the ticket already picked in the Gold Ball Draw. The simulator above shows every step of the countdown.
How long a cycle lasts
Median wait
15 drawsHalf of all cycles end on or before this draw from a full drum.
Average wait
15.5 drawsThe average number of draws from a full drum until the gold ball comes out.
Longest possible cycle
30 drawsEvery white ball leaves first and the gold ball is the last ball in the drum.
Each draw equally likely
1 in 30From a full drum, the gold ball is as likely to come out on any one draw of the cycle as on any other.
Run your own countdown
Repeat many cycles and see how the wait spreads out in the Gold Ball simulator.
Classic Draw vs Gold Ball Draw
Classic Draw
- Uses your Classic Selection of six numbers
- Six main numbers and a bonus number are drawn
- Prize depends on how many numbers match
- Odds for each tier: Lotto 6/49 odds
Gold Ball Draw
- Uses the computer-generated Gold Ball Draw Number
- One number is picked from all numbers issued
- Chance of being picked depends on how many plays are sold
- Then one prize ball sets the prize
Sources
- OLG – Lotto 6/49 Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – About Lotto 6/49 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Conditions de jeu du Lotto 6/49 · checked Oct 29, 2026
Questions
How does the 6/49 Gold Ball work?
Each play has a Gold Ball Draw Number. One number is picked from all issued for the draw. That ticket gets one prize ball from the drum, which sets the prize: $1,000,000 or the Gold Ball Jackpot. See how Lotto 6/49 works.
What are the odds of the gold ball?
For the ticket picked in the Gold Ball Draw, the chance is one in the number of balls left: 1 in 30 with a full drum, up to 1 in 1 when only the gold ball is left.
How many balls are in the Gold Ball drum?
Each cycle starts with 30 balls: one gold ball, the rest white. White balls stay out after they are drawn. When the gold ball comes out, the drum resets. More on the 2024 changes.
Do I need to match Classic numbers for the Gold Ball prize?
No. The Gold Ball Draw uses the separate Gold Ball Draw Number on each play. The Classic Draw has its own prizes and odds.
Does a smaller drum make my ticket more likely to win?
No. Fewer balls only raise the chance that the prize ball is gold for the ticket already picked. The chance of your number being picked in the Gold Ball Draw stays the same.