Gold Ball? What is it? Does it cost extra? How much can I win?
All very good questions. We will examine this most recent change to Lotto 649.
On September 14, 2022 Lotto 649 went through a bit of an overhaul and broke the 649 prizes into 2 categories, the Classic Draw and the Gold Draw.
Classic Draw
The Classic Draw selects 6 randomly generated numbers.
The jackpot to the Classic Draw is $5 million. This is fixed and doesn't change. If you are lucky enough to match the 6 numbers drawn, then you share the winnings of the jackpot of $5 million.
If no one wins then the following draw the jackpot will still be $5 million.
Gold Draw
Since the Classic Draw has a fixed jackpot, then the Gold Draw is the one which grows over time.
Prior to the Gold Draw, Lotto 649 had a guaranteed winner every draw of 1 million dollars. This winner was randomly chosen from all the players who played that draw.
There is still a guaranteed winner, but now that winner could win anywhere between $1 million to $68 million.
How?
The Gold Draw jackpot starts out at $10 Million.
There is a pool of 30 balls, 29 of them are colored white and one is colored gold.
Every draw when they chose the prize for the guaranteed winner, it is determined by drawing one of the 30 balls.
There are 2 possibilities every draw. Either a white ball is drawn or a gold ball is drawn.
If a white ball is drawn then 3 things happen:
- The guaranteed winner wins $1 million.
- The Gold ball prize is increased by $2 million.
- The white ball is removed from the draw machine.
If the gold ball is drawn, 3 things happen as well:
- The guaranteed winner wins the Gold Ball jackpot.
- The jackpot is reset to $10 million.
- All 30 balls are put back into play.
The cost of Lotto 649 did not change. It is still $3 for one draw selection. Each $3 play give you a chance to win the Classic jackpot and a chance to win the Gold Ball jackpot.
Questions and Answers
Q: Can there be more than one winner of the Classic jackpot?
A: Yes. Since multiple players can choose the same numbers, the Classic jackpot would be split amoung all the lucky winners
Q: Can there be more than one winner of the Gold Ball jackpot?
A: No, there is only one winner, and that would be the guaranteed winner chosen from all the players that particular draw.
Q: What happens if I buy more that one row on one ticket?
A: Every $3 spent is good for one chance at winning the Classic jackpot and 1 chance of winning the Gold Ball jackpot. Each Gold Ball ticket is comprised of the ticket number, followed by a sequence. For example, if a player bought 3 rows on the same ticket, then their Gold Ball ticket will end in "xxxxxxxx-03", so they would have 3 chances with their ticket, ie. xxxxxxxx-01, xxxxxxxx-02, xxxxxxxx-03.
Q: Can the Gold Ball jackpot ever reach the maximum of $68 million?
A: Yes. It would be very rare. However, on September 27, 2023 the Gold Ball jackpot grew to a maximum payout of $68 million for the first time. This jackpot was won by one lucky player from Toronto, Ontario.
Q: What are the odds of winning the guaranteed winner draw?
A: It varies draw to draw. Since the guaranteed winner is chosen from all the tickets played for a particular draw, this changes. Chances are the higher the Gold Ball prize, more players buy tickets, so the odds get slimmer.
