The popularity of Lotto 6/49, this lottery that Quebecers have loved for more than forty years, continues to decline in recent years, recording a decline in sales of more than 40% over the last decade.
• Also read: Loto-Québec: Quebecers won more than $1.6 billion in 2023
According to Loto-Québec, sales of 6/49 have never been so bad due to the Access to Information Act, except for a short period – in 2020-2021 – when they fell victim to health measures imposed during the COVID -19 pandemic were imposed.
In fact, just over 56 million tickets for this lottery were purchased by Quebecers in the last fiscal year, 2022-2023. Although this harvest is significant, it is 43%, or more than 30 million banknotes, less than what the state-owned company recorded ten years ago (almost 88 million banknotes).
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Big prizes
“To tell the truth, I don't see a big drop in sales at 6/49,” notes Marie-Douce Bélanger, a ticket seller at the Loto-Québec counter at La Place Versailles in Montreal. In my eyes, a lot of them are still selling, especially when the big lots are big.”
Marie-Douce Bélanger, Loto Quebec ticket seller Photo Martin Jolicoeur
In last night's drawing, the Lotto 6/49 Golden Ball jackpot was $38 million. Lotto Max, its counterpart and rival for 15 years, held out hope for a $40 million jackpot in Friday's drawing.
“This time I took Lotto-Max,” explains a man accompanied by his father, whom I met not far from a Loto-Québec kiosk. Sometimes I buy the 6/49, even though I feel like the jackpots at Loto-Max are more generous. But regardless of the game, my chances of winning one day are probably no better!”
“Here to stay”
Loto-Québec has experienced some decline in popularity since its first draw in June 1982, at 6/49. Since its inception, this lottery has enabled the distribution of nearly $9 billion in winnings in Quebec alone.
Despite the observed decline (more than 40% in the last decade), the state-owned company rejects the idea that this train product is so outdated that we should expect its imminent disappearance. “For 40 years, Lotto 6/49 has been one of Quebecers' favorite lotteries […]. That’s why it will stay,” assures his spokesman Renaud Dugas.
At best, the latter says that he is noticing “a certain migration” of Lotto 6/49 sales to other lottery products, including Lotto Max. Lotto Max was launched in 2009 and, like 6/49, has been offering two draws per week since 2019.
Such details could partly explain the decline in sales of 6/49, but without sounding the death knell for all draw lotteries. Instant lotteries and online gambling, whether legal or not, are also becoming increasingly popular.
Regardless, Loto-Québec claims to have had the best lottery year in its history in 2021-2022.
“The following year 2022-2023 was also excellent,” says the spokesman. And in the first half of the current financial year, 12.5% of sales still depended on it.
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