Lotto 6/49 has been one of the top lottery games in Canada since its introduction in 1982. The nationwide availability of the game and the player’s ability to choose one’s own numbers for each draw makes it a popular choice.

Lotto 6/49 continues to offer exciting jackpots worth millions of dollars. The game also recently introduced the Gold Ball, a feature that provides a guaranteed $1 million jackpot.

One additional feature you might see in Lotto 6/49 is Encore. This feature is also called Extra in Quebec and Western Canada, plus it is called Tag in Atlantic Canada.

The Encore/Extra/Tag feature lets a player add a six or seven-digit number to a ticket for $1. The player can win a prize if that person matches enough numbers. This feature adds a fun way to win, plus you can get multiple numbers on each ticket you purchase.

How Does Encore/Extra/Tag Work?

The Encore, Extra, or Tag feature on Lotto 6/49 entails a six or seven-digit number. The OLG Encore number and the WCLC and Loto Quebec Extra numbers all have seven digits each. The Tag number from the Atlantic Lottery has six digits.

A random number generator program will produce the six or seven-digit number after the initial Lotto 6/49 drawing. Depending on where you play the game, the goal will be to do one of these:

• Match consecutive digits from left to right
• Match those digits from right to left
• Get a combination of matching digits; for example, you could get the first two digits and the last two digits to match

You will win a payout if you get the proper matching numbers. The smallest payout for any game is $2, which you will get if you match the last digit on your number.

The highest payout will come if you match all of the digits in your number. The maximum payout is $1 million in Ontario and Quebec, $250,000 in Western Canada, or $100,000 in Atlantic Canada.

How Do You Play With Encore/Extra/Tag?

You can add an Encore, Extra, or Tag number to your Lotto 6/49 ticket by using these steps:

1. Pick up a Lotto 6/49 slip at your local lottery retailer. You can also visit the website of your local lottery to purchase a ticket.
2. After selecting your numbers for the main draw, choose the option to add an Encore, Extra, or Tag number.

You can get up to ten of these numbers on a draw on each ticket.

3. Add $1 to your ticket for each of these numbers you purchase.
4. Check your ticket to see what Encore, Extra, or Tag numbers you get.

The numbers should appear right below the main numbers on your ticket and the Gold Ball number.

5. The winning six or seven-digit number will appear separate from the Classic Draw, Bonus, and Gold Ball numbers.
6. Check and see if the digits on your ticket appear in the exact order as what the final number lists.

An Example of How It Works

Here’s an example of how this feature on Lotto 6/49 works. Let’s say in this example that you have a number of 5984135.

Now let’s say that the winning number is 5881235. You will have matched the first, third, sixth, and seventh digits on this entry.

You will win a prize for matching the last two digits in this case. The third digit would not qualify, as it is not in consecutive order.

If you played this game in Ontario, you wouldn’t qualify for a combination win. You would have to get at least the first two digits and the last one correct to get a combination win.

A Comparison of How the Game Works By Lottery

	Ontario	Quebec	Western Canada	Atlantic Canada
Name of Feature	Encore	Extra	Extra	Tag
Number of Digits	7	7	7	6
Possible Ways to Win (besides matching all numbers)	Match digits from right to left Match digits from left to right Combination of digits; this goes from the first two digits plus the last one up to the first five digits plus the last one Last digit	Match digits from right to left Match digits from left to right Last digit	Match digits from right to left Last digit	Match digits from right to left Last digit
Maximum Payout	$1 million	$1 million; the total can be divided if multiple people win it at once	$250,000	$100,000

A Final Note

The Lotto 6/49 Encore, Extra, or Tag feature is an entertaining way for players to aim to win more on this nationwide lottery game. But be sure before playing it that you know what the rules are in your area. The rules vary over where you play, but you can potentially get a big payday regardless of where you play.

FAQs