By Josephine Lim, MSN Money

If you live in Quebec, you'll be happy to know that you live in the province with the best chances of winning multiple lotteries.

Learn about different types of lotteries. Visit PlaySmart to discover interesting facts about Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49, Lottario, Ontario 49, Encore, and more. Numbers for the latest Canada Lotto Max draw are available to view on this page shortly after each draw. Lotto Max draws are held at 21.15 ET every Tuesday and Friday night, with full prize breakdowns added as soon as the information is made available. On occasion, Lotto Max results may be delayed. This usually occurs when MaxMillions draws take place, as the extra draws and calculations for each prize.

Lotteries draw people in even though the odds of winning are definitely not in any one individual’s favour. You’re more likely to find a four-leaf clover on your first try (1/10,000) or be struck by lightning (1/835,000) than you are to win the Lotto 6/49 (1/14 million), according to MoneySense magazine.But the odds haven't stopped people from playing. A Bank of Montreal survey found that 34 per cent of Canadians hoped to win the lottery to fund their retirement and 14 per cent of Canadians admitted to relying heavily on a future win.If you insist on playing to win, at least buy into the games listed in this gallery. They’ll give you the best chances at success.** Statistics calculated in 2013 by MoneySense magazine.* Video: Lottery winner who lost ticket claims $50-million prize
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Lottery

What are the odds of a lottery win?

The odds of winning in draw-based lottery games are based on two factors:
1. How many numbers must be matched
2. The size of the number pool

Canadian Lotteries Lotto Max

For example: For LOTTO 6/49, the odds of winning the jackpot are based on matching 6 numbers out of a number pool of 49 numbers.

Different Lotteries In Canada

The more numbers there are to match, and the more numbers in the overall pool of numbers, the greater the odds.

LOTTO MAX

Jackpot
$10 – $70 million
ODDS OF WINNING JACKPOT
1 in 33,294,800
Matching Numbers Require to Win Jackpot
7/7
Number Pool
50

LOTTO 649

Different Lotteries In Canada

Jackpot
$5 million – grows until it’s won
ODDS OF WINNING JACKPOT
1 in 13,983,816
Matching Numbers Require to Win Jackpot
6/6
Number Pool
49

DAILY GRAND

Jackpot
$1,000/day for life or $7 million lump sum
ODDS OF WINNING JACKPOT
1 in 13,348,188
Matching Numbers Require to Win Jackpot
5/5+Grand Number
Number Pool
49 +
Grand Number (7)

LOTTARIO

Jackpot
$250,000 – grows until it’s won
ODDS OF WINNING JACKPOT
1 in 4,072,530
Matching Numbers Require to Win Jackpot
6/6
Number Pool
45

Ontario 49

Jackpot
$2 million
ODDS OF WINNING JACKPOT
1 in 13,983,816
Matching Numbers Require to Win Jackpot
6/6
Number Pool
49

Encore

Jackpot
$1 million
ODDS OF WINNING JACKPOT
1 in 10,000,000
Matching Numbers Require to Win Jackpot
7/7 (Right to Left)
Number Pool
9

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Picture the odds

Consider this: The odds of winning the jackpot in a game like Lotto 6/49 are approximately 1 in 14 million, similar to the odds of putting the name of everyone in Ontario in a hat - a very tall hat - and randomly pulling out your own.

That would be amazing, but when it comes to winning the lottery, it’s all about chance. There’s no system or skill to beat the odds.

Winning numbers are chosen randomly, and all that affects the odds is the total number of possible combinations as determined by the game mechanics – not the number of people playing.

Which Lottery Is Best In Canada

Are the odds affected when a jackpot rolls over, such as in a progressive jackpot? No, odds don’t change – they’re based solely on the numbers that must be matched and the number of possible combinations for a given game.

In case you were wondering: OLG ensures that draws are completely fair and random. It’s regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and there are precautions to make sure the odds of winning can’t be changed by OLG employees or lottery retailers, in any way.

United States Lotteries

The odds of lotteries are different from raffles. With raffles, the odds change based on the number of players. With lotteries, the number of players makes no difference to the odds of winning.

For example: ONTARIO 49 and LOTTO 6/49 have the same odds of winning the jackpot, because for both games you must match 7 numbers from a pool of numbers ranging from 1-49, even though, historically, fewer people play ONTARIO 49.

Why are there more winners from cities?

Yes, it’s true there are more big-city winners, because there are more people in big cities to buy tickets. And the more tickets sold, the higher the chances that a winning ticket is in that batch.

So, the GTA will often yield more winners than sparsely populated Northern Ontario. But there are winners in smaller towns too, because winning numbers are picked completely at random.

Free Online Lotteries To Play

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