Lotto Max prizes are massive right now with $107 million up for grabs — Here's how it works

For those of you who believe fortune favours the bold, this could be a good time to test the theory. The Lotto Max jackpot is currently at its max capacity of $70 million — the largest single payout available in Canada. And, since no one has managed to snag it over the past couple of weeks, that means it's still available for the taking... as early as Friday's draw on August 9.

It also means excess funds have been pouring into the Maxmillions pool. Some weeks there are no Maxmillions, other weeks there are just a few. This week? A whopping 37 of them, each worth $1 million.

That's a total of $107 million in prizes up for grabs.

For context, as of March 2023, the record for the highest Lotto Max prize pool ever reached in Canada was $140 million, with $70 million available to be won in the jackpot and 70 Maxmillions also on offer.

While there's clearly room for the pool to grow before another record is broken, the current offerings are still more massive than usual. If you want to get in on the action ASAP in case prizes hit a new milestone — whether you're a seasoned lottery player or getting your feet wet for the first time — here's a basic rundown of how it works.

How does Lotto Max work?

Lotto Max is a Canada-wide lottery game. Draws happen twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

For every $5 play that you buy, you get three sets of seven numbers between 1 and 50.

In order to win, a single set must have three, four, five, six or seven numbers that match the winning numbers. Certain prize categories also allow you to make use of a bonus number, which is selected at each draw.

Here's what matching numbers could win you, on average:

• 7/7 — jackpot (on average: $47,493,142)
• 6/7 plus bonus — on average: $194,40
• 6/7 — on average: $4,629
• 5/7 plus bonus — on average: $926
• 5/7 — on average: $105
• 4/7 plus bonus — on average: $50
• 4/7 — on average: $20
• 3/7 plus bonus — on average: $20
• 3/7 — free play

The Lotto Max jackpot starts at $10 million, and if not won, it increases each draw up to $70 million. Once the jackpot reaches $50 million, there are individual prizes called Maxmillions up for grabs that are worth $1 million each, and the amount of Maxmillions offered increases with each subsequent draw where the main prize was not won.

All three sets of numbers you get with a $5 play are eligible for both the main draw and the Maxmillions draw. To win Maxmillions, you need all seven numbers to be identical to one of the Maxmillions draw selections.

Tickets are sold until 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the days the Lotto Max numbers are drawn.

Your odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 33,294,800 per play.

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.