Newfoundland Lottery

Newfoundland is a member of the Atlantic Lottery Corp. The ALC was formed in 1976 to oversee lottery games at retail outlets, online gambling and video lottery terminals. The province has seen its share of lottery winners over the years.

In 2018, a resident won the Lotto Max for $60 million. This turned into a bigger story after significant time went by before the lucky winner(s) claimed the prize. Other wins have included an $18.6 million prize and multiple $1 million+ windfalls.

This page covers what you need to get the best from the lottery in Newfoundland. You will find details of the major national draws, Atlantic province draws, scratch cards and instant games, along with info on buying tickets online and additional topics like slots and sports betting.

How the Newfoundland lottery works

The Atlantic Lottery Corp. is a crown corporation that covers Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The ALC oversee lotteries and other gambling. It launched in 1976, offering draws that were restricted to this region. As part of the Interprovincial Lottery Corp., the ALC now offers national draws. You can take part in Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49 and the Daily Grand from Newfoundland.

This region was the first in Canada to see video lottery terminals introduced. The ALC also pioneered online lottery ticket sales — going all the way back to 2004. These days you have multiple options for online ticket sales. The main way to get them is via the alc.ca website. Here you can purchase tickets for a single draw, subscribe for up to a year – or buy bundles of tickets with bonus “TAG” entries. You can also download an app that lets you check numbers from anywhere.

Since its inception, the Atlantic Lottery Corp. has raised more than $5.9 billion for the provinces that share it. This money goes to the general fund to support causes like community projects and education.

How to claim lottery winnings in Newfoundland

If you are lucky enough to win any prize with a paper ticket, you should sign it right away. How you claim your prize will depend on how much you won.

Wins up to $250: Claim these at any retail lottery outlet. Some outlets will process wins all the way to $999.
Wins up to $9,999: You can claim these at any branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia, or in person at the ACL head office in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Wins of $10,000+: Big winners should call 1-800-561-3942 and make an individual arrangement with the ALC. It has rules in place for group wins.

If you bought your ticket online, wins under $10K are processed automatically into your account. Taxes are not payable on lottery wins in Newfoundland.

Lottery games in Newfoundland

You can choose from lottery draws, scratch cards, instant online games, slots and casino games, bingo and second-chance games via the ALC gambling portal. Here is a summary of each option:

National draws: This is where the giant jackpots reside. You can access the Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49 and Daily Grand draws.
Atlantic region draws: Twice weekly draws for the Atlantic 49 have $1 million+ prizes. You can play Hit or Miss, Salsa Bingo, Poker Lotto, Lotto 4 or Bucko every day.
Scratch cards: These appear under “Instant Wins” and include retail cards and, including games with progressive jackpots.
Sports betting: Newfoundland online sports betting is available using the Pro-Line system. This includes pooled bets (under “Fantasy”), futures and stadium betting options.
Bingo: Enjoy 75-ball bingo games online, many with Atlantic Province themes like East Coast Bingo and Oceanside Bingo.

Newfoundland lottery: National draws

The national lottery draws have the largest jackpots. Prizes are seeded at $1,000 per day for life, $5 million and $10 million. With two draws each per week, you will have plenty of opportunities to shoot for life-changing prizes. Here are the details:

Lotto Max: This draw costs $5 to enter. That gets you three sets of seven numbers, between 1 and 50. You can (optionally) pick one set yourself, with the others picked at random. Draws take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings. The smallest jackpot is $10 million, and it grows from there up to $70 million max. There is a separate draw each time, based on the ten-digit serial number on your ticket. This guarantees one winner of $1 million. A $60 million prize was shared by a group of iron workers in St John’s. 350 people shared the Lotto Max prize in 2018.
Lotto 6/49: You pay $3 per ticket for this draw, which has a jackpot that starts at $5 million. To win, you need to match all six numbers, plus your bonus ball. Any time the jackpot reaches $50 million, it awards additional million-dollar prizes each week. There have been lottery winners in Newfoundland for this draw, including a recent win of over $18 million. Draws take place on Wednesday and Saturday evening.
Daily Grand: Instead of a regular jackpot, this draw offers winners $1,000 every day for the rest of their lives. Alternatively, you can take a $7 million lump sum. The Daily Grand uses six numbers, each ticket costs $3 and the draws take place on Monday and Thursday. If you just miss the big prize, you could win a runner-up prize of $25K per year for the rest of your life. Additional draws are included with these big jackpots. This is an optional bet; you pay $1 on top of either the Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49 draws. There are guaranteed prizes of $500K each time, plus smaller prizes. Note that buying “value packs” for multiple draws on the ALC website will get you free bonus entries into these guaranteed prizes.

Entering Atlantic province draws in Newfoundland

There is one big twice-weekly draw, plus multiple games with smaller prizes that run nightly via the ALC.

The Atlantic 49 works in the same way as the National Lotto 49. You choose six numbers, plus a bonus ball, and shoot for the $1 million+ top prize. It takes place each Wednesday and Saturday, at 11:29 p.m. AT. Jackpots continue to grow until they are won, with some $20 million+ prize pools available. Tickets cost $1, with an optional $1 “TAG” number for a separate drawing. Prizes are awarded all the way down to two regular numbers with the bonus ball. Here are the daily/quick-fire lottery games available in Newfoundland:

Hit or Miss: This draw takes place every night at 11:30 AT. It gives you a chance to win $250,000 by matching 12 numbers from 24 — or matching no numbers at all. Tickets cost $2 and include a chance for an instant win of up to $25,000, plus the additional TAG wager for $1 more.
Salsa Bingo: This is a lottery draw with a bingo theme that takes place every night at 11:29 AT. You get two bingo cards for $2 (plus the optional $1 TAG). Winners are selected based on matches with the 28 bingo balls drawn each night. Jackpots are seeded at $10,000 and grow until won.
Poker Lotto: This draw uses a poker theme. You get two shots at winning. First, when you buy a ticket, the poker hand can give you an instant win (jacks or better required). Second, there is a nightly draw where cards are drawn instead of numbers. Tickets cost $2, with the draw offering a nightly top prize of $100K.
Lotto 4: You pick four numbers between 0 and 9 for this draw. Bets can be from $1 to $5 per game. To win the big prize, you need to match your numbers in the correct order that they are drawn. For a $5 bet, the top prize is $25K.
Bucko: This quick and easy daily draw costs just $1 to enter. You need to match three, four or five numbers to win, with the top prize set at $20K. As a boost, if you fail to match a single number on your ticket, you will get a free entry as a consolation prize.
Keno Atlantic: You can win up to $250,000 playing a daily keno game in Newfoundland. Draws take place at 11:29 p.m. AT, and bets vary between $1 and $10. You get to choose how many numbers (between two and 10) using your own selections or “insta pik.”

Newfoundland lottery draw schedule

Here are the draws you can enjoy throughout the week in Newfoundland:

Draws take place at 11:29 and 11:30 each evening, Atlantic Time.

Monday: Daily Grand
Tuesday: Lotto Max
Wednesday: Lotto 6/49, Atlantic 49
Thursday: Daily Grand
Friday: Lotto Max
Saturday: Lotto 6/49, Atlantic 49

Scratch and win cards from the Newfoundland lottery

If you buy physical scratch cards from retail outlets, the ALC website is a valuable resource. It has a list of the remaining prizes for each type of card. This shows you how many jackpots and other big wins are still in circulation for each card, letting you pick the cards with the most prizes still available. While it won’t guarantee that you win, at least you will have the best possible chance.

Scratch cards are priced from $1 all the way to $30. Some are themed as crosswords, some as bingo and others simply need you to reveal three matching amounts to win.

Notable cards for Atlantic Lottery players include Set for Life. This is a $4 card with a top prize of $1,000 per week for the rest of your life. Other top prizes include $2 million (on the 200x Multiplier card) and $1 million on the Big Ten Grand card that costs $10.

Many cards have a second-chance element. Whether your card wins or loses, you can type in the serial number online for a shot at $40K in monthly prizes.

Instant wins (online scratch cards)

Under the Instant Wins section of the ALC portal, you will find online scratch cards and novelty games. The major difference between the retail and online cards is that you can choose your own stake with the online games. The prizes will adjust as a proportion of your bet. Many games have entertaining themes, for example “Halloween Extreme” or “Beehive Bonus.”

Some instant win games are branded. Examples here include Wheel of Fortune cards and games themed on the famous Cleopatra Slots.

Online casino games in Newfoundland

The ALC offers a limited range of popular slots online, including classic slots from IGT and Scientific Games. Titles include Cleopatra, Da Vinci Diamonds, Spartacus Gladiator of Rome and Siberian Storm. Some slots share the IGT MegaJackpots prize — you can win this on any of the participating games. You will find the new MegaWays slots with random numbers of symbols on the reels every spin.

All the table games are software-based, with no live dealer casino option available at the time of writing. You will find roulette games, three card poker, blackjack, pai gow, Let It Ride and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

The final game is the Game King video poker terminal, which offers a variety of the best-known variants.

Sports betting via the ALC Lottery with Pro-Line

Under the multiple-game betting laws that cover the country, you can try multiple ways to bet on sports via the lottery in Newfoundland. Pro-Line will be familiar to sports fans. It allows for game bets, props and novelty bets. You can also find available futures bets (single bets are available for this).

Fantasy sports contests let you compete with the rosters of other players for prizes. The final variant is “Stadium Bets.” These let you pick outright winners or use adjustable spreads.

Responsible gambling and the Newfoundland Lottery

Protection and assistance for anyone prone to gambling problems is under the “PlayWise” section of the ALC website. This includes resources to learn about various games and your odds of winning. It also includes the ability to self-exclude from the games.

You will find a page with helpful resources, including a helpline specific to Newfoundland. There are also website links to national groups that can provide advice to individuals and concerned family members.

If you are unsure whether you have a gambling problem, there is also an “assess your play” section, which covers the warning signs in-depth.

How do lottery proceeds help Newfoundland?

The money that the Atlantic Lottery Corp. raises goes back into the community. The most recent figures show that more than $121 million went to Newfoundland in 2019-20. This does not include commissions on sales for retailers, or the prizes awarded. Since the lottery started in 1976, more than $10.6 billion has been raised among the participating provinces.

Wrapping up: Playing the lottery in Newfoundland

By joining with the other three Atlantic provinces, Newfoundland is able to offer a comprehensive lottery portal. The ALC gives players access to national draws, including Lotto Max and the Daily Grand. It also allows for regional games, including the $1 million+ prize of the Atlantic 49.

There are many lottery options online. You can subscribe to buy tickets in bulk, check your numbers and participate in daily games. Instant win games are available at retail outlets, including scratch cards and tickets that combine instant wins and TV draws. By including legal slots, casino table games and sports betting, the ALC has created a comprehensive gambling portal.