The Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot is at a record level heading into Wednesday’s draw.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) says the jackpot stands at $58 million, up from $56 million in the April 1 draw, while the Classic Draw remains at its fixed $5 million.
It’s the largest jackpot since changes to Lotto 6/49 took effect last year and the Gold Ball Draw was introduced.
Prior to this sequence, the largest Gold Ball jackpot was $48 million, the OLG said. That was won on Jan. 7 by 18-year-old Juliette Lamour from Sault Ste. Marie.
Despite the record Gold Ball jackpot in Wednesday’s draw, it’s not quite the largest Lotto 6/49 jackpot ever. That happened prior to the new 6/49 format being brought in — on Oct. 17, 2015 a Mississauga woman won $64 million.
The Lotto 6/49 format changed in September, with the main “Classic Draw” — where players select their numbers or choose a quick pick — fixed at a $5-million jackpot.
The $1-million guaranteed prize, meanwhile, became the Gold Ball Draw.
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The Gold Ball Draw guarantees that a winner will take home either $1 million or a growing jackpot that starts at $10 million and can exceed $60 million, the OLG said. The Gold Ball jackpot continues to grow by $2 million in each draw until it is drawn and won.
More information on how the Gold Ball Draw works can be found on the OLG website.
Lotto 6/49 is played on Wednesdays and Saturdays.