Lotto 649 Exposed — Playing It for Years!
Lotto 649 Review
Years ago, I would have hesitated recommending Canada’s Lotto 6/49 for jackpots. With the strengthening of the Canadian dollar, this is one very attractive lottery. Okay – I admit it. This is one that I’ve been playing for years. I haven’t hit the big jackpot yet but have won enough to fund my play, plus picked up a few trinkets along the way. Admittedly, my new Calloway Black RAZR golf clubs are not considered a trinket, but they do make me smile.
Can Lotto 649 be played through 24Lottos?
Wednesday and Saturday – Try Your Luck at 649 Lotto
Canada’s Lotto 6/49 is played bi-weekly, Wednesday and Saturday. Players chose six numbers from 1 to 49 using their favorite, lucky or regular numbers. The quick pick is also available where the computer randomly selects six numbers. The big jackpot is won by choosing the six numbers drawn. The second prize pays out for five correct numbers and the bonus. The bonus ball is drawn from the same 1 to 49 numbers.
Multiple winners share the prizes at all levels except nailing 3 numbers out of 6 ($10) and 2 numbers out of six with the bonus number ($5). It’s a rollover jackpot that starts at CDN $3 million and grows.
Lotto Numbers 649
All prizes – yes, that includes the big jackpot, are paid out in full and considered by the Canadian government as tax-free. If you are an international player, you might have tax considerations in your own country.
| Prize Divisions | Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning |
| Division 1 | 6/6 | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| Division 2 | 5/6 + Bonus | 1 in 2,330,636 |
| Division 3 | 5/6 | 1 in 55,492 |
| Division 4 | 4/6 | 1 in 1,033 |
| Division 5 | 3/6 | 1 in 57 |
| Division 6 | 2/6 + Bonus | 1 in 81 |
But I’m Not Canadian!
Anyone can play Lotto 6/49, and this is underlined by the fact they have a special page supplying the correct form for non-Canadians to claim their winnings. Anything under $1,000 can be claimed directly from a retailer. Anything over $1,000 has to be claimed at the specific provincial head office. Lotto 6/49 must be claimed in the province the ticket was issued.
Who Is Lotto 649?
This lottery is officially run under the rules and regulations of the International Lottery Corporation. Each province has its own Corporation for operating the Lotto 6/49, owned by the province. The rules and regulations are obvious and straightforward in nice simple English.
Lotto 6/49’s Customer Service
I’m not sure why anyone would contact Lotto 6/49. Still, they offer local telephone numbers (which can be dialed internationally), a free call telephone number, a snail mail address, and an online form. Their provincial websites have everything most players would need to learn, including the forms to claim their big jackpot. Of course, if you are an international player, most good concierge lottery services will have those forms for you.
You’ve Won – Whoops, it’s a Scam
Lotto 6/49, like so many well-respected lotteries worldwide, has experienced the usual scams that arrive by regular mail or email. These scam artists claim that you’ve won but require taxes and/or service fees are paid upfront. Some of them also include a check (deducted from your winnings) to help pay for taxes, though you have to send it through Wal-Mart (go figure) back to them. Of course, the check bounces. Just remember, if you haven’t bought a ticket, then you can’t win.
Newsflash at 6/49 Lotto
On the 15th of September 2013, Lotto 6/49 changed its prize format. They added a new free play prize simply by matching just 2 numbers. More importantly, they added a new unique number with each lottery line played for an additional draw of CDN $1 million. This draw is guaranteed to be awarded each draw – that’s twice a week. With these two changes, Lotto 6/49 claims the overall odds also changed from 1 in 32 to 1 in 7.
Why You Shouldn’t Play Lotto 649
Pros:
Big Jackpots
Biweekly
Tax-Free
Official Lottery
Why You Shouldn’t Play Lotto 649
Cons:
Currency Fluctuations
Going To Canada to Get My Big Jackpot
Is Lotto 649 Legit?
This was a hard one to investigate and review as I’ve been playing it for years. Okay – I admit it – I’m biased. But it was a great exercise to go in and look at it from the perspective of someone who had never played.
I like the $1 million new prize tier Lotto 649 is offering that is won every draw. I would have wanted to be the winner of the $17 million paid out in April, but I am still confident I will get my turn to nail that big jackpot. Overall, Lotto 649 is very legit.
Trevor Johnson
Changes to Canada’s Lotto 649, effective Sept. 13, 2022, do little more than put more money in the pockets of OLG execs. I believe the payout pool amounts to LESS THAN HALF of the total money collected/played for each draw.
As far as I’m concerned, the payout pool should be substantially MORE THAN HALF of what is played. No 6-7 figure salaries and bonuses for OLG execs!!!
OLG brags amount how much money they contribute to local charities, sports clubs, etc. They also spend far too much on prime-time TV ads to entice people to play. To make the TV ads even more annoying, my opinion is that the ads imply that lottery players are shallow idiots. For example, there used to be one TV ad where a middle-aged couple sees another couple approaching their front door. Those in the house make some sort of comment how much they dislike the couple at their door. However, when the couple at the door asks those in the house if they want to go to the casino, the couple in the house quickly change their tune and are eager to go to a casino with the couple they said they disliked. This is just one example that implies OLG thinks lottery players are shallow morons.
I play 649 regularly but have never won more than $20. Give the money back to players, not to ad agencies, TV stations, salaries for execs, or sponsorship of basketball teams.
Read Orwell’s 1984 to understand lotteries better. He nailed it long before the lotteries were popular.
Peter Ford
I bought a lotto 649 quick pick for the August 13th, 2022 draw. The supposedly RANDOM numbers that the computer generated for the draw were 05,06,07,14,18,19. How RANDOM is that? I sent emails to several entities, lotto Canada, algc, and one other with respect to this with absolutely NO response. These numbers are in no way random with an absolute 0% chance of winning anything at all. This is an OBVIOUS SCAM by the Lottery Corporation in a cash grab effort. I want an answer to this outright robbery. The people that take the money have a responsibility and obligation to run a legitimate game, which with the above revelation they blatantly are NOT!!
Keith Ballantyne
I have noticed that the numbers are sequential and not random, not the first time, today November 27.2021 bought three separate tickets and the guaranteed draw was 01034313-01 / 01034242-01 / 01034272-01 the winning numbers commenced 3 to 9 and ranged-01 to -08. Purchased approximately 5pm.
Have also noticed same correlation on the six number main draw, there is no true random draw, have concluded that the computer generated numbers are manipulated mathematically in their programs to limit winners: i.e the spate of draws without winners until high values are reached in both main draw and guaranteed numbers.
Keith.
I would rate 649 minus 10 I’ve waited over Year for a paltry sum and still haven’t received it. Now whenever I see one of their idiotic commercials where the person shouts I’ve won I turn the channel before they have a chance to complete the sentence. They are so mechanical when they answer the phone. You never get any satisfaction. They can take me winnings and stuff it where the sun don’t shine. Phonies!!
sean
looks Lotto 649 belong to Quebec and Lotto max to Ontario
I agree 100%, thank you for this
Jacky Olsen
One of the games I used to play on regular basis. The jackpots are quite big and the odds are quite fair.