Online lottery
Players choose a set of numbers — or buy a “quick pick” where numbers are randomly assigned — and wait for a scheduled draw. Matching more numbers wins larger prizes; matching all numbers wins the jackpot. Draws are random. No strategy affects the outcome.
In Canada, all officially authorised lottery products are operated by provincial Crown corporations. In Ontario, that means OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation). AGCO-registered private online casino operators — the same operators that run licensed blackjack, slots and sports betting — do not sell draw-based lottery tickets. These are two separate regulatory lanes.
Provincial Lottery Games Available Online
All major Canadian draw games can be purchased online through the relevant provincial lottery site.
National draw games (cross-provincial, managed by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation):
| Game | Pick | Draw days | Jackpot starts | Jackpot odds |
| LOTTO MAX | 7 from 52 | Tuesday & Friday | $10,000,000 | 1 in 33,446,140 |
| LOTTO 6/49 | 6 from 49 | Wednesday & Saturday | $5,000,000 (Classic) | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| DAILY GRAND | 5+1 Grand | Monday & Thursday | $1,000/day for life | 1 in 13,348,188 |
LOTTO MAX was restructured in April 2026 — the pick expanded from 7 of 50 to 7 of 52, ticket price rose from $5 to $6, and the jackpot cap rose from $70M to $90M. MAXMILLIONS side prizes of $1M each are added when the main jackpot reaches $50M or higher.
LOTTO 6/49 now runs two parallel jackpots: the Classic Jackpot (minimum $5M guaranteed, odds 1 in 13,983,816) and the Gold Ball Draw (separate growing jackpot starting at $10M, rising up to $68M, identified by a 10-digit number printed on each ticket).
Ontario-specific draw games on OLG.ca:
- ONTARIO 49 — 6 from 49, $1/play, Wednesday & Saturday draws, $2M guaranteed jackpot.
- LOTTARIO — 6 from 45, $1/play, Saturday draw, jackpot starts at $250,000.
- DAILY GRAND — available via OLG.ca.
- DAILY KENO — pick 2–10 numbers, $1–$10/play, two draws daily; top prize up to $2.5M.
- PICK-2 / PICK-3 / PICK-4 — simple digit-matching, $1–$2/play, two daily draws; top prize on PICK-4 is $5,000.
- ENCORE — $1 add-on to any draw-game ticket; top prize $1,000,000.
Prize Return in Provincial Lotteries
Provincial lotteries return roughly 50% of every dollar wagered as prizes. The remaining 50% covers operating costs and contributes to provincial government revenue.
This return rate is substantially lower than casino games. A pass-line bet at craps returns ~98.59% theoretically; the same dollar on a lottery ticket returns ~50% theoretically. Lotteries are not wagering products in the same sense as casino games — they are low-cost tickets with a small chance of a transformative jackpot.
Lottery winnings are tax-free in Canada for recreational players. The Canada Revenue Agency treats them as windfalls rather than income.
Where to Buy Lottery Tickets Online in Canada
Each province operates its own online lottery portal:
| Province | Authorized portal |
| Ontario | OLG.ca |
| British Columbia | PlayNow.com (BCLC) |
| Quebec | Espacejeux.com (Loto-Québec) |
| Alberta | PlayAlberta.ca |
| Atlantic Provinces | ALC.ca (Atlantic Lottery Corporation) |
| Western Canada | WCLC.com (Western Canada Lottery Corporation) |
Note: geo-fencing applies. Ontario residents buy through OLG.ca; you can’t use PlayNow from Ontario. Minimum lottery age in Ontario is 18+ (two years lower than the 19+ casino minimum).
Offshore Lottery Sites — What Canadians Should Know
Beyond provincial channels, some Canadians use offshore lottery messenger services or lottery-betting sites to access foreign jackpots like US Powerball or EuroMillions.
Lottery messenger services (theLotter, Lotto Agent) buy physical tickets in the originating jurisdiction on a customer’s behalf. The player receives a scanned copy of the ticket and is entitled to winnings. theLotter, operating since 2002 and licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, has publicly described Canada as one of its largest markets for US lottery ticket purchases.
Lottery-betting sites (Lottoland) let players bet on the outcome of a foreign lottery without purchasing an underlying ticket. Winnings are paid by the operator rather than from the official lottery prize fund.
Neither category is authorized under AGCO’s iGaming Ontario framework. Canada’s Criminal Code (s. 207) reserves lottery schemes to provincial conduct-and-manage authority. These services are not explicitly prohibited for individual purchasers by Canadian law, but they operate in a regulatory grey zone in Canada and are not endorsed by provincial authorities. For fully regulated lottery play, OLG.ca and the relevant provincial portals are the authorised channels.
Online Lottery in the Regulated Ontario Market
OLG.ca is the only AGCO/province-authorized channel for draw-based lottery tickets purchased online by Ontario residents. Private iGO-registered operators (BetMGM, FanDuel, bet365 etc.) do not sell Lotto Max or 6/49 tickets — their licensed product scope covers casino games, sports betting, peer-to-peer poker and bingo, not draw-based lotteries.
OLG.ca also carries digital INSTANT games (scratch-style) and video poker alongside its lottery products — the platform spans both lottery and online casino functions.
Suitable for players who want a low-cost ticket with a chance at a large jackpot; suit infrequent, casual buyers rather than frequent wagerers; lottery winnings are non-taxable in Canada, which is a relevant practical advantage over some other product categories.