Lotteries
Lotto Max Prize Breakdown: Where the Money Goes
From each $6 play, $2.88 goes to Lotto Max prizes. Below: how that money splits between the jackpot, the extra draws and each prize tier, from the official game conditions.
One play, split
Draw FundFixed prizesPools FundNot set aside for prizes
- $6One play
- $2.88Set aside for prizes
- $1.69Draw Fund – Main Jackpot, MAXPLUS, MAXMILLIONS, special draws
- $1.19Prize Fund
- $0.96Fixed prizes, expected per play
- $0.23Pools Fund: what is left, shared by the pool tiers
- $3.12Not set aside for prizes
Fixed prizes
Pool tiers in a draw of 10,000,000 plays
Winning lines expected: 2.1. A winning line gets about $175,521.
Winning lines expected: 92.1. A winning line gets about $4,636.
Winning lines expected: 276. A winning line gets about $1,004.
Winning lines expected: 5,940. A winning line gets about $105.
Winning lines expected: 9,899. A winning line gets about $52.
More plays sold means bigger pools, but also more winners to share them. The 7 of 7 jackpot is paid from the Draw Fund and set by ILC before the draw, so it is not part of the pools.
Estimate: the fixed prizes are counted at their expected number; in a real draw the Pools Fund depends on how many fixed prizes were won. A pool with no winner goes back to the Draw Fund.
How it is calculated
Source: OLG game conditions checked Oct 29, 2026
How Lotto Max works →Why pool prizes change →MAXPLUS and MAXMILLIONS →
One play, split
| Part | Amount per play | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Price of one play | $6 | One play of four selections |
| Allocated to prizes | $2.88 | All prize funds together |
| Draw fund | $1.69 | Main Jackpot, MAXPLUS and MAXMILLIONS |
| Prize fund | $1.19 | Prize tiers below the jackpot |
| Pools fund | – | Prize fund left after fixed prizes are paid |
| Not allocated to prizes | – | Rest of the price, outside the prize funds |
Amounts are per play recorded for one Main Draw; a free play also counts as $2.88. The pools fund is what remains after fixed prizes.
Words used on this page
- ILC
- Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, which sets the Lotto Max game conditions.
- Selection
- One line of seven numbers. Each play has four selections, and each selection can win on its own.
- MAXPLUS
- Extra series of seven numbers drawn right after the Main Draw. The number of series depends on the jackpot size.
- MAXMILLIONS
- Extra prizes ILC adds when the jackpot reaches the level set in the rules. ILC announces how many before the draw.
Fixed prizes and pool shares
| Tier | Prize type | Share or amount |
|---|---|---|
| 7 of 7 | Main Jackpot, set by ILC before the draw | Paid from the draw fund |
| 6 of 7 + bonus | Pool prize | 18.5% of the pools fund |
| 6 of 7 | Pool prize | 18.85% of the pools fund |
| 5 of 7 + bonus | Pool prize | 12.25% of the pools fund |
| 5 of 7 | Pool prize | 27.5% of the pools fund |
| 4 of 7 + bonus | Pool prize | 22.9% of the pools fund |
| 4 of 7 | Fixed prize | Same amount for every winning selection |
| 3 of 7 + bonus | Fixed prize | Same amount for every winning selection |
| 3 of 7 | Fixed prize | Same amount for every winning selection |
Each winning selection gets one share of its tier's pool, so one play can win several shares. Fixed prize amounts are listed in the game conditions.
Why pool prizes change
Sales set the pool
The pools fund grows with every play recorded for that draw. More plays sold means a bigger pool for each tier.
Winners split the pool
$1,000,000 ÷ 3 = $333,333.30A tier's pool is divided equally among its winning selections, for example:
No winner in a tier
The unwon pool goes to the draw fund for later draws, at ILC's discretion.
Fixed tiers stay fixed
4 of 7, 3 of 7 + bonus and 3 of 7 pay the same amount however many selections win.
Jackpot and extras vs pool tiers
Jackpot, MAXPLUS, MAXMILLIONS
- Paid from the draw fund
- Main Jackpot set by ILC before the draw
- MAXPLUS series depend on the jackpot size
- Shared if more than one selection wins
Pool tiers
- Paid from the pools fund
- Each tier has a fixed percentage
- Prize amount known only after the draw
- Split equally among winning selections
Sources
- OLG – Lotto Max Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – Conditions de jeu du Lotto Max · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – Lotto Max Game Conditions, in effect 2026-04-10 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- Loto-Québec – Conditions de jeu du Lotto Max, en vigueur le 2026-04-10 · checked Oct 29, 2026
Questions
How are Lotto Max prizes calculated?
ILC sets the Main Jackpot before the draw. Five lower tiers each get a fixed share of the pools fund, split equally among winning selections. The bottom three tiers pay fixed amounts.
Does matching 3 of 7 on Lotto Max pay a fixed amount?
Yes. 3 of 7 and 3 of 7 + bonus are fixed-prize tiers: every winning selection gets the amount set in the game conditions, however many win. Odds for each tier are on Lotto Max odds.
Where does the rest of the Lotto Max ticket price go?
The game conditions allocate $2.88 of each $6 play to prize funds. The rest of the price is outside the prize funds; this page covers only the prize allocation set in the game conditions.
What happens if nobody wins a Lotto Max prize tier?
For the jackpot and the five pool tiers, the unwon amount goes to the draw fund for later draws, at the discretion of ILC (Interprovincial Lottery Corporation).