Frequently Asked Questions

Congratulations! For claim instructions, please call Customer Care at 1-800-665-3313 during regular business hours, Monday to Friday. More prize claim information can also be found here: Claiming a Prize

If you purchased your tickets in Manitoba through PlayNow.com, you will receive an email notification with instructions on how to claim your prize.

Yes. Under WCLC Rules and Regulations, the Corporation has no obligation to pay a prize unless the winner gives WCLC the right to publish the winner’s name, city or town of residence and recent photograph.  Names and photographs of major lottery winners are publicized to protect the integrity of the games – it verifies that prizes are won and shows that winners come from every walk of life.

You can claim your prize by mailing your ticket to:

Western Canada Lottery Corporation, Prize Payout
10th Floor, 125 Garry Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 4J1

Be sure to clearly print your legal name, address and a daytime phone number of the back of any tickets you are sending. Depending on the amount won, you may wish to send your ticket by registered mail. A winner’s interview and photo are required for all claims of $10,000 or more.

No. All cash and merchandise prizes paid by WCLC are tax-free within Canada. However, prizes with an annuity option may have tax implications if the annuity is selected.

No. All lottery tickets have specific expiry dates and no prizes can be paid after that time.

LOTTO MAX, LOTTO 6/49, WESTERN 649, WESTERN MAX, EXTRA, and PICK 3 tickets expire one year from the draw date.

KENO prizes must be claimed within 180 days from the purchase date.

SPORT SELECT ticket holders have 90 days from the date the last selected game was played to claim any prizes.

SCRATCH ‘N WIN tickets have an expiry date printed on the back of the ticket.

Unclaimed prizes on national games are returned to players through guaranteed Jackpots and Bonus draws. Unclaimed prizes on regional games are used to enhance existing prize structures, or are returned to the member provinces and territories as revenue.

The notification you received was not from  NWT/Nu Lotteries or WCLC and we can assure you that you have not won a prize from WCLC.   We do not charge taxes or service fees on any of our games.  To win a prize on our games players must first purchase a ticket while in our jurisdiction.

A number of these solicitations (scams) unfortunately occur from time to time and they often use logos or names of WCLC and other companies.  Please do not – under any circumstances – provide funds or personal information to the person who contacted you.   Ignore the request!

WCLC will forward information regarding various scams to local authorities and to Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, a fraud task force comprised of members of several Canadian police organizations, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

If you called the number on the letter and have spoken with someone or sent money, you may wish to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.  They can be contacted at 1-888-495-8501 (within Canada and the United States), at 705-495-8501 (if overseas) or through their website e-mail, info@antifraudcentre.ca.  The phone lines can be busy, so please leave a message and someone will return your call.   You may also wish to contact your local authorities.

Please note: Subscription players may receive notifications of wins (by telephone or mail for a Subscription, You must already be registered with either Subscription to win.

If you’re a Subscriber, you can call WCLC Subscription Services at 1-800-665-3313.

There are several ways to check your tickets.  It doesn’t take long to check your Selections, and this way you will know if you have won a prize and how much that prize is.

• Compare your numbers to the winning numbers on our website. whenyouplay.ca
• Sign up for the WCLC MVP Service and have LOTTO MAX, WESTERN MAX, LOTTO 6/49 and WESTERN 649 winning numbers emailed to you.
• Use the self-serve Ticket Checkers at Lottery Retailers.
• Check the winning numbers printed and posted at lottery retailers.

Download the Lottery Manager App from Google Play or the App store. You can now scan your tickets.

If you haven’t already, print your legal name, address and daytime telephone number on the back of your winning ticket. This prevents anyone else from claiming the prize, as all players who claim a prize through a Prize Payout Office must present identification. Any changes to the information on the back of the ticket have to be investigated before the prize can be paid.

Also make sure any large winning tickets are kept in a safe place until you can collect the prize. To make prize claim arrangements, call Customer Care at 1-800-665-3313 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

If you experience any difficulty while checking your tickets, or have any concerns about a lottery retailer, you can contact us via email or by phone at 1-800-665-3313, and follow the directions to speak with Customer Care. We are available Monday to Friday during regular business hours. Please have ready as much detail about the incident as possible.

The minimum prize on LOTTO 6/49 is a Free Play by matching two main numbers on one line.

Your ticket will only show seven numbers, but the computer uses those seven numbers to arrange all possible six-number selections, so in fact, seven Selections are registered in the Central Computer System.

For example, if you choose 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; your seven selections are:

1-2-3-4-5-6
1-2-3-4-5-7
1-2-3-4-6-7
1-2-3-5-6-7
1-2-4-5-6-7
1-3-4-5-6-7
2-3-4-5-6-7
You can find more information about Combo Play here!

It sounds like you received a Play Both.  This option allows players to play the same selections for both LOTTO 6/49 and WESTERN 649, excluding the Guaranteed Prize Draw Selection for LOTTO 6/49. Play Both costs $4 per play and is available by marking the Play Both box on the Selection Slip or by asking for a Play Both Quick Pick.  Play Both is also available on LOTTO MAX and WESTERN MAX.

For every $3 LOTTO 6/49 Selection on your ticket, you will also receive a 10-digit Selection for the Guaranteed $1 million Prize Draw. Guaranteed $1 Million Prize Draw selections will appear as a range and each selection is a separate chance to win. For example, a ticket with five boards played will show the Guaranteed Prize Draw selection as 12345678-01 to 12345678-05.

One winning selection will then be drawn only from those issued to guarantee there is a single winning ticket for each draw. The Guaranteed $1 Million Prize selection is drawn separately from the main LOTTO 6/49 draw.

Each Guaranteed Prize Draw selection includes an 8-digit number followed by a 2-digit trailer (22345678-01). The 8-digit number is unique to that ticket.

•  the FIRST DIGIT identifies the region where the ticket was sold (all WCLC selections begin with a 2 or 3), and
• the LAST TWO DIGITS identify the number of selections purchased on a ticket. So a customer who purchases a single LOTTO 6/49 selection will always have a Guaranteed Prize Draw number ending in “01.” If the ticket contains multiple selections, the player receives multiple Guaranteed Prize Draw selections – the first eight digits are the same for all entries on that ticket; the two-digit number following the hyphen starts at 01, and increases by one for each additional selection. For example, a ticket with three LOTTO 6/49 selections will have three Guaranteed Prize Draw selections with the same first eight digits, and last two digits will range from 01 to 03.

The format ensures that each Guaranteed Prize Draw selection issued is unique.

No. Guaranteed Prize Draw selections are unique, so no two tickets can share the same number.

The Guaranteed Prize Draw number is set up in such a way that the first digit identifies the region where the ticket was sold. All WCLC selections will begin with a 2 or 3, indicating that the ticket was purchased within Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba or the Territories. No two Guaranteed Prize Draw selections are the same for any given draw.

The last two digits of the Guaranteed Prize Draw number identify the number of selections purchased on a ticket. For example, a customer who purchases a single LOTTO 6/49 selection on a ticket always has a Guaranteed Prize Draw number ending in “01.” If the ticket contains multiple selections, the player receives multiple Guaranteed Prize Draw entries. So a ticket with three LOTTO 6/49 selections will have three Guaranteed Prize Draw selections with the same first eight digits, and last two digits will range from 01 to 03.

To win, your number must exactly match the winning number drawn.  There are no subsidiary prizes.

Like with LOTTO 6/49, any LOTTO MAX jackpot amount not won carries over and is added to the Jackpot amount generated by sales for the next draw. The difference, however, is that the LOTTO MAX Jackpot stops growing when it reaches $60 million, and any additional 7/7 funding creates multiple $1 million prizes (MAXMILLIONS). MAXMILLIONS prizes generated by sales not won are added to those available for the next draw. However, please note that the rollover does not take into account any guarantee which the ILC may have given as to the jackpot or MAXMILLIONS.

On MAXMILLIONS numbers, players can only win by exactly matching an entire number drawn. There are no subsidiary prizes for matching less than all seven numbers.

Whether or not there are MAXMILLIONS draws, Ticket Terminals and self-serve Ticket Checkers will show any prizes a LOTTO MAX ticket may have won – whether on the main winning numbers, MAXMILLIONS winning numbers, or even on an EXTRA number ‘entered’ on that ticket.

However, after draws when MAXMILLIONS draws are held, when checking your ticket manually by comparing your selections to the winning numbers, you will have to keep in mind that there are more winning numbers to check. After comparing your selections to the main winning number to see if you’ve won the main jackpot (for matching all seven Main Draw winning numbers on one line) or a subsidiary prize (for matching between three main numbers and six main numbers and the Bonus on one line), you will also have to check each of your selections against each set of MAXMILLIONS numbers. If one of your selections exactly matches all seven numbers of one set of MAXMILLIONS numbers, you win or share the $1 Million prize; there are no subsidiary prizes for MAXMILLIONS draws.

In order for the EXTRA number to be eligible for a draw, the word “ENTERED” must appear above the EXTRA number.  If it reads, “NOT ENTERED” you wouldn’t be eligible for any prize. You should also make sure the winning EXTRA number corresponds to the date on your ticket.

No. The EXTRA only pays for matching all 7 digits, or the last 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 digits, in the correct order. You can find the complete EXTRA prize structure here.

You can find what prizes of $100 or more are remaining on current SCRATCH ‘N WIN tickets here.

The “CNTL. NO” (Control Number) is a four-digit number concealed under the latex in one of the Play Areas on the front of the ticket.  One of the ways a retailer can check to see if a ticket is a winner is to scan the barcode on the back of the ticket and manually enter the Control Number. Until a ticket is scratched, the retailer cannot complete the validation to determine whether or not a ticket has won a prize. Because the Control Number is related to the validation, these numbers are not part of the game and can’t be used to win a prize.

All draws take place shortly after the ticket purchase cut-off time of 7:30 pm PT/8:30 pm MT/9:30 pm CT the evening of the draw.

Draws for national games like LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX take place in a secure location in Toronto, Ontario, and are conducted by Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC) under the management of its members, the five Canadian lottery regions.

Draws for regional games – including WESTERN 649, WESTERN MAX and PICK 3 – are conducted by WCLC in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Draws for WCLC’s regional games – WESTERN 649, WESTERN MAX, EXTRA and PICK 3 – are done on stand-alone computerized draw machines, and stringent controls and security measures are in place for each regional game draw.

Two computerized draw machines are available for each draw, and they are located in a secure location that is monitored by video surveillance 24 hours a day. An external Auditor, who oversees the draw, selects which draw machine is to be used for any given draw. Security personnel attend each draw, and all draws are videotaped using an automated time-date stamp.

The computerized draw machines’ Random Number Generators were initially tested by two independent laboratories to ensure the randomness of their number selection. Draw software was also tested independently and certified as accurate. Independent testing of randomness and software continues from time to time, and it is mandatory when regional games are added or removed, or significant changes are made to existing games.

While most players would be happy to win a $1 million or $2 million jackpot, our research has shown that the majority of players prefer to purchase lottery tickets for a chance to win a larger, “life-changing” jackpot.

Bigger jackpots also generate excitement and lead to group play and more tickets sold. Because of this, large jackpots often go to multiple winners, who each receive a more moderate prize.

Jackpots on LOTTO 6/49 will start at a minimum of $5 million, however jackpots are always advertised as estimates because they could be higher. For jackpots above $5 million, it’s estimated because fluctuations in sales or variations in the number of winners in lower categories can impact the amount available for the jackpot category.

Yes. WCLC provides a Group Buying Agreement (GBA) as a way to help lottery groups coordinate who is participating. You can find an electronic copy of the GBA on the Forms & Publications page. Your group can also create its own form. For more details, visit Group Play.

Such a form will not eliminate all risks of dispute, but it certainly may reduce them.

No. Unless a group is claiming a lottery prize from a Prize Payout Office, the GBA is for the group’s own records and does not have to be registered with WCLC.

We suggest that the group Trustee (administrator) print or legibly sign his or her name on the back of the ticket after purchase and then write the words “In Trust” after the name. This indicates the ticket is a group ticket.

Any winning tickets that the retailer pays a prize on are handled under a ‘Tear & Return’ policy. Therefore, we suggest groups provide photocopies of their tickets (with the bar code blacked out) to give to each member prior to the draw.  However, all non-winning tickets and Validation Slips are to be returned to the player in one piece.

For any winning ticket, only one prize cheque can be issued – to a maximum of two people.  If there are multiple holders of a winning ticket – as with a group win – WCLC pays the complete prize to the individual designated by the group as its Trustee. The Trustee would then disburse it to the remainder of the group.

No.

Your total and selections will not be displayed because this form is not connected to the game system. When you select Play Same Again, Subscription Services will process your Subscription with the same selections that you previously played. The cost of your Subscription will be dependent on the number of draws you select.

Yes. For instructions on how to get this set up, please call Customer Care at 1-800-665-3313 during regular business hours, Monday to Friday.

Subscription orders must be paid in full prior to the Subscription being processed. Visa or MasterCard are accepted for all order types; cheque or money order are accepted for mail orders.  Debit cards, including Visa or MasterCard Debit cards, are not accepted for payment.

If you wish to pay for a Subscription with a credit card, you may want to confirm with your card provider what, if any, additional fees may apply to a lottery Subscription purchase.  Some card providers (banks, credit unions, etc.) use a “cash advance” code for lottery purchases.  WCLC does not set these codes, and the additional fees go to the card provider. Some consumers have successfully argued to have these additional charges removed – but this is something that must be negotiated between you and your credit card provider.

Any prizes won totaling $50 and up to $1,000 are mailed to you within a few business days of the draw. If your prize is less than $50, Subscription Services will wait for the prize to accumulate to $50, and then send a cheque. If you have chosen Direct Deposit, your winnings between $2 and $1,000 are deposited on the first business day following the draw.

All Free Plays won will accumulate until the end of the Subscription.  At the end of the Subscription a new set of Quick Pick numbers are generated for the number of draws on which you have won Free Plays. (Example: if at the end of the Subscription you have won 24 Free Plays, you will get a Quick Pick set of numbers entered for 24 consecutive draws.)

Winners Certificates are mailed to subscribers when their Subscription has expired.  It is a detailed breakdown of the prizes that were won over the duration of the Subscription.

Each group should appoint a group trustee.  The name of the trustee should be the name on a group Subscription.  A group name (up to 20 characters) can be added to the Subscription, however, the Subscription cannot be held in the group name.

Subscription Services should be advised of a change to a group’s trustee via email or letter. The letter should include the former trustee’s information, the new trustee’s information and both the former and new trustees’ signatures approving the change.

Once the Subscription is processed, a Subscription Certificate is mailed to you, which will list all the numbers in play.

Please allow four to six weeks for processing. Your payment will not be processed until your Subscription has been processed.

No.  If you have more than one address a good alternative would be to sign up for Direct Deposit.

No.  A Group Buying Agreement should be kept by the trustee of the group for your records. However, the agreement may requested by the Prize Office should a large jackpot be won.

No. Subscriptions are only available to those who reside within Western Canada Lottery Corporation’s jurisdiction, which consists of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the three Territories.

A bonus number is drawn in addition to the game’s main winning numbers for LOTTO 6/49, LOTTO MAX, WESTERN 649 and WESTERN MAX, and it does not appear on your ticket. Several prize categories pay prizes when you match the bonus number – read the game pages for details.