A lottery is a type of gambling game that involves selling numbered tickets and giving prizes to the holders of the winning tickets – determined by numbers drawn at random.

Nationwide lotteries

Canada has three nationwide lotteries: Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max and Daily Grand, which are administered by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC). The ILC is a Canadian corporation that is jointly owned by the five provincial lottery commissions. Its head office is located in Toronto Ontario.

The five provincial lottery commissions represent all Canadian provinces and territories:

1. Atlantic Lottery Corporation – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador
2. Loto-Québec – Québec
3. Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) – Ontario
4. Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC)– Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
5. British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC)– British Columbia

Provincial lotteries

Provincial lotteries bring in revenues ranging from about 2-6 billion dollars per year. Provincial lotteries are managed and regulated by their respective provincial lottery commissions, and in some cases, a separate provincial organization:

• Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC)
• Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LGCA)
• New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC)
• Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA)
• NWT & Nunavut Lotteries
• Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG)
• Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission

For more information on nationwide lotteries, view the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, Rules and Regulations Respecting Lotteries and Lottery Tickets.

Refer to your provincial gaming organization for more information on lotteries where you live.

								
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