Loto-Québec: Rules, Price & Odds

How to Play Loto-Québec

A lottery is a drawing game that’s based on numbers. Your objective in any lottery is to choose a set of numbers that have a chance of being drawn at the lottery. You get bigger prizes if you manage to get multiple numbers right.

Since Loto-Québec is based out of Canada, it follows the same ticket system for Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49 as per the standards set nationally. Your ticket only contains your chosen numbers and nothing else. Such as, for Lotto Max you’d need to pick 7 numbers. For this guide, we’ll be talking about Lotto Max to explain how lotteries work. We’ve chosen it because it is the most popular and highest-paying lottery in Canada.

So in your typical Lotto Max ticket, you’ll have 3 lines of 7 numbers. The first line contains the numbers that you choose when you buy the ticket. The rest of the 2 lines contain random numbers giving you 3 chances at the jackpot.

There are multiple ways by which you can get your lottery ticket. You can get it from a retailer at any authorized shop. You can also get it from the official app or the Loto-Québec website. 

When purchasing from a retailer, you’ll be handed a selection sheet to choose your 7 numbers from 1 to 50. Once you’re done selecting your numbers, you hand in the sheet and get your printed ticket that you will need to find out the results. When you want to find out the results, take your ticket to the retailer and scan it at the booth. You can also do the same using the official mobile app. It’ll give you the same results.

To make the purchase online, you can use the official app to purchase your ticket. You can also visit the website to do the same as well. The ordering procedure is the same for both cases. 

Under the umbrella of Loto-Québec falls a number of lotteries. The list of these lotteries includes Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49, Daily Keno and Ontario 49 to name a few. Each one of these has different odds and different prizes so make sure to check them all out. You can also randomize your selections by selecting the "Auto Pick" option at checkout. You can also do the same by asking your retailer and they will print out the randomized numbers for you.

Rules of Loto-Québec

Rules are what make any game stand out. Like any other best online lottery, the lotteries offered at Loto-Québec have their own sets of rules and concepts that you need to understand. In keeping with the theme of Lotto Max as an example, we’re going to take at the rules for that game to get you started.

Odds to Win the Prizes

In any lottery game, the trick to understanding how the game works, you need to know the odds. The odds also determine the prize. The worse the odds, the better the prize. Because of the huge popularity of the game, Lotto Max has 9 kinds of rewards that you can enjoy. Here we have listed the odds for those 9 rewards.

• All 7 main numbers have odds of 1 in 33,294,800.
• 6 main numbers along with 1 additional number have odds of 1 in 4,756,400.
• 6 main numbers only have odds of 1 in 113,248.
• 5 main numbers along with 1 additional number only have odds of 1 in 37,749.
• 5 main numbers only odds of 1 in 1,841.
• 4 main numbers along with 1 additional number only have odds of 1 in 1,105.
• 4 main numbers only odds of 1 in 82.9.
• 3 main numbers along with 1 additional number only have odds of 1 in 82.9.
• 3 main numbers only odds of 1 in 8.5.

Price of Loto-Québec Tickets

We’ve already said this before, but to participate in the lottery you need to buy a ticket. Since you already know by now where to find them, let’s take a look at the pricing. The standard ticket for a Lotto Max will cost you C$5. This ticket will contain 7 numbers of your choosing along with 14 other numbers that will be randomized. With 3 lines in the ticket, you get 3 shots at the jackpot.

You can purchase multiple tickets in this way. There’s no limit to how many tickets you can buy. But owing multiple does not increase your odds of winning. So make sure not to waste too much money. The Lotto Max ticket also has a bonus game called "Encore". You can participate in this for a chance to win a million dollars for just C$1. "Encore" is available for other lotteries at Loto-Québec. Check the ticket to find out more.

Loto-Québec Jackpot

We know that you’re excited about this part of the guide since it concerns the jackpot. You will be happy to know that there is a rollover system in place to increase the jackpot value. It starts at 10 million dollars, but can go all the way up to 70 million dollars!

Other than the jackpot, all other prizes are percentages of the fund. So for 6 numbers, you will receive 2.5% of the fund. Getting 5 numbers right gets you 3.5% of the fund. The rewards only go lower from here. There are rewards involving the bonus numbers too. But they are not that good. But they’re not the worst thing in the world. So it’s still worth it if you manage to get it right. 

As for any other additional prizes, as we have stated before, Encore gives you a chance to win a million dollars! Considering that you only need to pay a dollar, we recommend that you participate in it if possible.

Biggest Win Made

Lotto Max has to be the highest-paying lottery at Loto-Québec. Due to the rollover cap, the highest you can get from Lotto Max is 70 million dollars. But when you think about the odds, it seems quite impossible, right? Well not really. Dale McEwen made the best decision of his life when he bought that lottery ticket from the gas station. He never thought he’d win. Imagine his shock and surprise when he found out that he actually did win 70 million dollars!

Results of Loto-Québec

There are 2 draws that take place each week. These draws take place every Friday and Tuesday. Tickets are up on sale until the last minute. So grab your tickets before that! The draws will start at exactly 10:30 pm on these two days. The draw is completed within 10 minutes. The results are also uploaded to the website online within a couple of minutes. To check the results from there visit their website here.

How to Claim Loto-Québec Prizes

Depending on the amount you win your withdrawal process will differ. For winnings less than a thousand dollars, you can collect it from the retailer. Those who win between C$1000 and C$49,999 need to make a claim for their winning online or via mail. Once that’s done the prize will be sent to the winner. You can also collect the prize from a prize centre.

If you win more than the amounts mentioned above, you need to contact Loto-Québec directly. They will get you started on the process to claim your money. In case of unclaimed prizes, they have a list up on their website, so in case you missed out, check it out.

Taxes of These Prizes

No state in Canada taxes lottery winnings. According to the regulations set by the government, lotteries are not considered capital. Hence they are not subject to any type of income tax. The same will apply to any international resident living in Canada. They will enjoy the same services as normal residents. No extra tax will be imposed on them for being international residents.

Our Opinion on Loto-Québec

Lotteries in Canada have always been enjoyable. Since the lottery games are the same in all provinces, and there’sno difference in the pricing, we recommend checking it out. The prices of the tickets are relatively low, so what’s the harm?

Loto-Québec FAQs

If we missed covering anything, this section should cover it for you.