Ontario 49 Exposed — Encore, Bonuses and Excellent Odds Await You in Canada
Ontario 49 Review
What’s great about Canada apart from universal health care? No, it’s not a trick question, and we’re not going off-topic. The country has a couple of great lotteries, Ontario 49 being one of those. True, it’s yet another lottery that follows the 6 out of 49 format. Still, it has a couple of fun characteristics that make Ontario 49 worth exploring.
Ready to add yet another fun international lottery to your wish list? Buckle up, and let’s get started with the exploration of Ontario 49.
Ontario 49: The Beginning
First launched in 1982, Ontario 49 is also known as Lotto 6/49. It’s one of the games included in the Ontario Lottery Corporation (OLC) portfolio – an entity that has its history dating back to 1975. Currently, Lotto 6/49 is one of the most popular games in Ontario and across Canada.
Ontario 49 was the first game of its kind in Canada to let players choose their numbers. Before its launch, OLC operated Wintario – a viral game that took place from 1975 to 1996. OLC also began operating Lotario, a launched game in 1978 and is popular today.
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Is Ontario 49 a Scam?
As already mentioned, Ontario 49 is run and operated by the Ontario Lottery Corporation – an official entity that deals with ticket sales, prize distribution, and allocating some funds to good causes. In this sense, Ontario 49 is a lot like many other states or nationwide lotteries from other parts of the world.
OLC is a member of the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The entity consists of five regional lottery companies. The headquarters of ILC is in Canada’s Toronto. ILC is an organization aimed at organizing joint lotteries across Canada. The games that it currently administers are Lotto 6/49, Celebration, Lotto Max and Millionaire Life.
Thus, there are two official entities responsible for ensuring that the Ontario 49 operations are within the legal framework. The lottery is 100 percent legitimate and an excellent opportunity for both Canadians and international players to try.
How to Play Ontario 49?
To play Ontario 49, you have to choose a set of 6 lucky numbers out of a pool of 49. Each selection costs one dollar. Players that match anywhere between 2 and 6 numbers for the respective drawing will win a prize. The lowest tier prize is a free ticket for the upcoming drawing.
It’s also possible to purchase a quick pick ticket, in which the numbers are randomly assigned.
For an additional dollar, players can activate one more lottery playing opportunity known as Encore. The bonus game makes it possible to win additional prizes, the highest one being 1 million dollars. A 7-digit Encore number is printed on a regular Ontario 49 ticket. Players can win prizes by matching the number from left to right, from right to left, or both ways.
Encore is only available for tickets purchased in Ontario because the 7-digit number has to be printed on the ticket during the purchase process.
The odds of winning a prize after activating Encore are 1 in 9.17, which is pretty impressive regardless of the lottery that Ontario 49 is compared to.
Ontario 49 Prizes, Awards, and Odds
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 13,983,816. Ontario 49 comes with a minimum guaranteed jackpot of 2 million dollars per drawing. If there’s no winner, the amount will roll over towards the upcoming drawing. The largest Ontario 49 jackpot ever won was 63.4 million dollars.
Apart from the main 6 numbers, Ontario 49 drawing also features a bonus number. The bonus doesn’t impact the jackpot, but it can significantly increase the lower-tier prizes. Players that have 5 correct numbers and the bonus will win 50,000 dollars. The odds of getting this numeric combination are 1 in 2,330,636. Having 5 numbers correct will produce a prize of 500 dollars, and the odds are 1 in 55,492.
| Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|
| 6/6 | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| 5/6 + Bonus | 1 in 2,330,636 |
| 5/6 | 1 in 55,492 |
| 4/6 | 1 in 1,033 |
| 3/6 | 1 in 56.7 |
| 2/6 + Bonus | 1 in 81.2 |
| 2/6 | 1 in 8.3 |
A set of 4 correct numbers will produce a cash prize of 50 dollars. According to the official Ontario 49 website, the overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 6.6 (this includes getting a free ticket for 2 correct numbers).
All of the prizes have to be claimed within 12 months of the respective drawing. The best aspect of choosing a Canadian lottery is that the prizes are tax-free, regardless of the sum. They’re paid in the form of cash. Prizes exceeding 250,000 dollars have to be claimed at the OLC headquarters, irrespective of the winner’s nationality and country of residence.
Can You Buy Ontario 49 Tickets Online?
Several online lottery agents have Ontario 49 tickets available for purchase. This means that international players can give the game a try. The lottery purchasing websites have their local representatives responsible for ticket purchases on behalf of the clients.
The only thing you have to keep in mind is that if you win a more significant sum, you’ll have to travel to Canada and claim the prize personally. All other amounts will be credited to your account.
Why You Should Play Ontario 49
Pros:
Open to international players
Low ticket prices
Additional features can be activated for one more dollar
The lottery features a fun Encore bonus that can produce additional prizes of up to 1 million dollars
There’s a bonus number that increases second-tier prizes significantly
Two drawings take place per week
There’s a minimum guaranteed jackpot of 2 million dollars
The jackpot rolls over in the case of no winner
The overall odds of winning any prize are excellent
An official local/regional entity operates the lottery
Prizes are paid in the form of tax-free lump sums
Players have 12 months to collect their prizes
A portion of the revenue generated through ticket sales will go to charitable causes
Why You Shouldn’t Play Ontario 49
Cons:
The odds of winning the jackpot aren’t that high
If the bonus number isn’t correct, the lower prize tiers aren’t that impressive
People who win bigger sums will have to travel to Canada to collect their prizes
Is Ontario 49 Legit?
Ontario 49 is a viral game because it comes with high odds and a couple of fun features that don’t cost an awful lot to activate.
It’s already easy to see that the list of advantages far outweighs the shortcomings of Ontario 49. The low ticket price and several bonuses are a great way to earn some cash and test your luck. Ontario 49 is an official game that’s a favorite of millions of people across Canada. Join their ranks and check it for yourself. And don’t forget to share the outcome with us!
kim
I think it is a low cost ticket and the payout is better then the odds of Lottario think about the cost and how many numbers you need to win anything I think it’s worse it I love it
Rhonda McMahon
My provincial lottery is great
I’ve never won but play it faithfully hopefully soon
The prizes aren’t as big as 649 or lotto max but it supports our province
Phil
Well here is my review. I have been following Ontario 49 for decades so I know what I’m talking about. In a calendar year the grand prize was won up to eight times not every year some years it was five times and the same with the $50,000 prize it was 5 to 8 times a year then they stop airing the ball drop on television and the price of the ticket went up to 1.00. from that time forward this lottery went for two years and not a single grand prize was won. As a man who studies numbers this is random action is nothing short of impossible so I ask you or anyone else out there how do you think this was even possible. And even now let’s take last year for instants how many grand prize tickets were sold I haven’t checked so I’ve lost track but it would be interesting to look back and say just saying
I have made the same observation. I play my father’s numbers faithfully (he died in 2008). Sadly, they almost NEVER award the grand prize of $2,000,000. The second prize of $50,000 is also rarely won. It is a total waste of money.
I’m discovering the same thing, they do not pay out, or haven’t in a very looong time the Ontario 49 jackpot, I’ve stopped buying the ticket
Hey Phil,
It is simple math. Did you check the total sales for each week? It has the same odds as lotto 6/49 but way less sales each week which obviously mean chances of someone winning are also way smaller. Probability Phil probability
J. Zions
Free tickets are not a prize but another chance. Should not be included in announcements as winnings. Like printing money, but cost’s nothing! Only distorts the real Lottery winners circle.