Lotteries
Lotto Max vs Lotto 6/49: Odds and Value per Dollar
Lotto Max or 6/49? The calculator below compares both games per play and per dollar: jackpot odds, chance of any prize and the share of sales paid back as prizes.
Dollar for dollar, the top prize is most likely in Lotto 6/49: 4.8 times the chance of Lotto Max. No game gives back more than it takes on average.
Lotto Max
Lotto 6/49
Highlighted: the better figure in the row. Fixed prizes per $1 count every fixed and shared prize at face value and a free play as one more play; jackpots and prize pools depend on sales and are left out.
How it is calculated
Source: OLG game conditions checked Oct 29, 2026 · OLG page checked Oct 29, 2026
Two games side by side
Lotto Max
- Price per play: $6
- Each play has four selections of seven numbers
- Seven main numbers and one bonus number are drawn
- 7 of 7 odds per play: 1 in 33,446,140
Lotto 6/49
- Price per play: $3
- Each play has one selection of six numbers plus a Gold Ball Draw Number
- Six main numbers and one bonus number are drawn
- 6 of 6 odds per play: 1 in 13,983,816
Per dollar, not per ticket
| Measure | Lotto Max | Lotto 6/49 |
|---|---|---|
| Any prize, per play | 1 in 5.83 | 1 in 6.62 |
| Any prize, per dollar | Lower chance | Higher chance |
| Top prize, per dollar | Lower chance | Higher chance |
| Prize return per dollar | 48.0% | 48.0% |
The calculator above divides each game's odds by its price to give the exact per-dollar numbers. The part of each dollar not returned as prizes is the expected loss.
Two jackpots in combinations
| Game | Possible combinations | Selections per play | Top-prize odds per play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lotto Max | 133,784,560 | Four | 1 in 33,446,140 |
| Lotto 6/49 | 13,983,816 | One | 1 in 13,983,816 |
Only one combination wins the top prize. Every combination has the same chance. A quick pick and your own numbers have the same odds.
How the top prizes are set
Lotto Max Main Jackpot
ILC sets the Main Jackpot at its discretion and makes it public before the Main Draw.
MAXPLUS series
After the Main Draw, extra series of seven numbers are drawn. A bigger Main Jackpot means more series. The prizes are shared.
MAXMILLIONS prizes
When the Main Jackpot would reach a set level, ILC sets a number of MAXMILLIONS prizes and announces it before the draw.
Lotto 6/49 top prize
Winners of 6 of 6 share a fixed prize named in the game conditions.
Gold Ball Draw
Each play also gets a Gold Ball Draw Number. One is drawn. Its holder gets a fixed prize or the Gold Ball Jackpot, by the prize ball drawn.
Unwon prizes
In both games, money from unwon top categories goes to later draws, as ILC decides.
More odds pages
Lotto Max odds
Odds of every Lotto Max prize tier, per play and per selection.
Lotto 6/49 odds
Odds of each Lotto 6/49 prize, from 6 of 6 down to the free play.
Lotto Max vs Daily Grand
The same per-dollar comparison for Lotto Max and Daily Grand.
All Canadian lotteries
Published odds of Canadian lotteries, compared in one table.
Sources
- OLG – Lotto 6/49 Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Lotto Max Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – Lotto Max Game Conditions, in effect 2026-04-10 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Conditions de jeu du Lotto Max · checked Oct 29, 2026
- Loto-Québec – Conditions de jeu du Lotto Max, en vigueur le 2026-04-10 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Conditions de jeu du Lotto 6/49 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – Lotto 6/49 Game Conditions, revision 2022-02-23 · checked Oct 29, 2026
Questions
Is Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49 easier to win?
It depends on the prize. Per play, the top-prize odds are 1 in 13,983,816 for Lotto 6/49 and 1 in 33,446,140 for Lotto Max. The odds of any prize per play are 1 in 5.83 for Lotto Max and 1 in 6.62 for Lotto 6/49.
Which has better odds per dollar, Lotto Max or 6/49?
A Lotto Max play costs $6 and a Lotto 6/49 play costs $3. Per dollar, Lotto 6/49 has better odds for both the top prize and any prize. The calculator above shows the exact numbers.
Which pays back more, Lotto Max or 6/49?
By the game conditions, Lotto Max pays 48.0% of sales back as prizes and Lotto 6/49 pays 48.0%. Right now the two numbers are the same. The part of each dollar that is not paid back is the expected loss.
Do quick picks have different odds in Lotto Max and 6/49?
No. In both games, every combination has the same chance. A quick pick and numbers you choose yourself have the same odds, and past draws do not change the next one.