The Interprovincial Lottery Corporation in Canada launched a “new, bigger LOTTO 6/49” with the September 14, 2022 draw. The new LOTTO 6/49 will now offer players a chance to win TWO multi-million dollar jackpots every Wednesday and Saturday, for the same $3 per play.
“What better way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic LOTTO 6/49 lottery than by bringing more excitement to our players with the new growing Gold Ball Jackpot Draw, while maintaining some of the classic LOTTO 6/49 features players love,” said Duncan Hannay, President and CEO, Ontario Lottery & Gaming (OLG). “This exciting product innovation has been a great collaboration with OLG’s provincial lottery partners across Canada, ensuring that our national lottery games always bring customers the fun they want, with the big jackpots to match!”
“After serving Canadians for 40 years, Lotto 6/49 was in dire need of a refresh. All regional lottery teams have been working on the re-launch for over three years, and we’re excited to premiere the new Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Jackpot, which has a guaranteed winner on every draw and can grow bigger than the Lotto 6/49 jackpot ever has,” echoed Paul Erickson, President & CEO, Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC).
The main Lotto 6/49 draw, where players select their numbers or play quick pick, will become the new Classic Draw and will offer a fixed $5 million jackpot for every draw, with additional prizes for matching as few as two numbers on one selection.
“There is no change to the way the game is played, however, players will now be playing for two multi-million-dollar jackpots on each draw,” stressed Patrick Daigle, President & CEO, Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC).
The new LOTTO 6/49 sees the previous $1 million Guaranteed Prize Draw become the new Gold Ball Draw. “The Gold Ball will guarantee a winner on every draw by awarding either $1 million, or the growing Gold Ball jackpot that starts at $10 million and can grow to more than $60 million,” said Daigle.
The Gold Ball Jackpot Draw is an elimination-style draw that determines how much the guaranteed prize winner receives. On the first draw in a sequence, a draw will be made from 30 possible outcomes: 29 white balls and one gold ball.
If a “white ball” is drawn, the winner receives $1 million. If the “gold ball” is drawn, the winner receives the $10 million Gold Ball Jackpot.
The white balls will continue to be removed—and $2 million added to the Gold Ball Jackpot—for every draw until the gold ball is drawn.
If white has been drawn on every draw for 29 consecutive draws, only the gold ball will remain. This means that the Gold Ball Jackpot will be won on the last draw of the sequence when the jackpot will exceed $60 million.