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Lotto 6/49  -  Doesn't Change You,
except...

Did you know?

   Over a period of 30 years, Québec consumers have been slightly luckier playing Lotto 6/49 than the national average. In fact, Quebecers purchased 28% of tickets sold throughout Canada, winning 28.4% of jackpots.

A total of 649 prizes worth $1 million or more were paid out by Loto-Québec.*

A total of $6.8 million were won in Québec.*

More than 2,200 cheques for $100,000 or more were paid out to Quebecers since the lottery was launched.*

The following are the highest jackpots won in Québec
(individual or as a group):

 • $32,912,981 in 2009 (Montérégie)
 • $30,000,000 in 2008 (Chaudière-Appalaches)
 • $27,000,000 in 2007 (Montréal)
 • $25,000,000 in 2007 (Montérégie)
 • $24,426,784 in 2004 (Montérégie)
 • $22,915,322 in 2006 (Québec City)
 • $22,605,130 in 2008 (Côte-Nord)
 • $22,442,363 in 2011 (Eastern Townships, Montérégie and Montréal) -
    Formule Groupe
 • $20,663,498 in 2011 (Montréal)
 • $20,663,498 in 2011 (Montréal) - Lotomatique
 • $20,000,000 in 2007 (Eastern Townships)

On August 7, 1982, a Quebecer was the first to win the Lotto 6/49 jackpot, worth $1.6 million.

Now here's a lucky Quebecer: In October 1983, a Saguenay resident took home the $747,348 Lotto 6/49 jackpot. In 2003, playing the same lottery, he won a second jackpot worth $1 million. Winning the jackpot twice is an extremely rare occurrence.

In the November 28, 1987, draw, a group of 118 co-workers won the $5,363,085 jackpot. They represent the largest group to win a jackpot. The highest Lotto 6/49 jackpot in Québec was won in May 2009 by a group of 12 Montérégie residents who shared $32,912,981.

In February 2011, a group of Lotomatique subscribers won $20.7 million. That was the largest prize ever paid out to Lotomatique members.
   June 12, 1982: The first weekly Lotto 6/49 draw was held, offering a jackpot of $500,000.

December 1983: People rushed to Loto-Québec retailers for a chance to win the huge cumulative prize. Lotto 6/49 was the main topic of conversation among Quebecers and in the media. Long lines formed at sales counters. It was total frenzy! On January 14, 1984, the $13.8 million jackpot was finally won.

September 1984: Loto-Québec introduced Quick Pick, a new, computerized way of playing that reduced waiting time at sales counters.

September 1985: Lotto 6/49 became a twice-weekly game, with draws conducted Wednesdays and Saturdays.

1987 1988: For the first time, Loto-Québec lottery sales topped the million dollar mark. That figure included Lotto 6/49 sales of $602 million, accounting for over 50% of lottery revenues.

April 1990: Loto-Québec added the Extra to its terminal lottery products, including Lotto 6/49.

1994 1995: Loto-Québec added bar code scanners to its points of sale equipped with lottery terminals, including Lotto 6/49.

June 2004: The price of a Lotto 6/49 ticket was raised from $1 to $2 per selection. Jackpots increased and a new $5 prize category was added to the mix.

October 26, 2005: The Lotto 6/49 jackpot hit a record, $54.3 M.

November 2010: Loto-Québec launched Formule groupe, a simplified way to form groups and play Lotto 6/49 and other terminal-based games.

June 12, 2012: Lotto 6/49 celebrates its 30th anniversary!
  September 2, 2004: Five of the six numbers drawn were identical to those of the previous week's draw, while the sixth was only one digit away.

34: The most frequent number drawn (470 times).*

2,959: The number of draws since the lottery was launched.*
  POPULAR SLOGANS

"Lotto 6/49 - Doesn't change you, except…"

"Bye, bye, boss!"

"Always be nice to people who play Lotto 6/49"

Since 2009, Lotto 6/49 has returned to its
tried-and-true slogan "Lotto 6/49 - Doesn't
change you, except…"


ADVERTISING AWARDS

Over the years, Loto-Québec has been awarded a number of prizes for its ads.

In 1988, the Publicité-Club de Montréal awarded a certificate of excellence to Loto Québec for the "La Bombe" ad. In the ad, a well-dressed woman addresses the camera saying that her life hasn't changed since she won Lotto 6/49 and that she is the same as ever… then, fully dressed, she jumps into her very big swimming pool.

In 2005, the Publicité-Club de Montréal's Gold Prize went to the "Marc" TV ad, which launched the "Always be nice to people who play Lotto 6/49" campaign. The ad showed a convenience store clerk being very solicitous to customers who bought a Lotto 6/49 ticket.

In 2005, the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries awarded Loto-Québec the prize for best use of humour for its "Mariachis" TV ad. The clip showed a couple seated at a restaurant, and the young man had obviously planned a big surprise for his beloved: a huge lobster is on the table and, behind the young lady, is a Mariachi band about to play in front of a giant banner that reads, "Honey I won the jackpot!" But things take a twist when the lady tells him that she wants to break up and he desperately tries to signal the Mariachi band to stop before she realizes that she should have been nicer to him…

In 2012, the "Raccroche" ad won two Créa awards. In the ad, Lotto 6/49 treated customers to bonus prizes of $100,000 a year for life in addition to the usual jackpot. To illustrate this new twist on an old standard, Loto-Quebec uses humour to portray the disbelief among players used to the lottery's previous pay structure.


 VISIT OUR WALL OF FAME


*As of May 31, 2012
 
 
 
© 2013, Loto-Québec and Subsidiaries. All rights reserved. In the event of a discrepancy between the draw results presented on this Web site and Loto-Québec's official winning list, the latter shall prevail.