Lottery vs. Slots: Which "One-in-a-Million" Chance Gives You a Better Return?: What Players Should Know Before Choosing a Game
25 Nov 2025
Both lotteries and slots can turn players into millionaires but if you are wondering which option is most likely to provide a good return, we explore the odds for hitting big jackpots and what your chances are of smaller but still significant wins.
Odds for Winning Lotteries in Canada
Lotto 6/49 is one of the most popular lotteries in Canada and the odds of winning the top prize are around 1 in 14 million.
To win the main prize on Lotto Max, the odds are around 1 in 33 million, as you need to match 7/7 numbers, whereas Lotto 6/49 is matching 6/6.
For winning smaller prizes, the odds are obviously more favorable. At Lotto Max, getting 3 balls from 7 to win $20 or 4 balls out of seven has odds of 1 in 82.9.
Odds for Winning Slots in Canada
For slots, the odds of winning are presented by the RTP (Return to Player). The RTP rate varies from game to game. RTP is typically around 94% to 97% which provides significantly better odds than winning small amounts while playing lotteries. However, these RTP rates apply to small wins and the closest comparison to winning the main lottery prize is winning a progressive jackpot that can often reach millions of dollars.
The chances of winning a jackpot of millions of dollars on slots is around 1 in 10 million or higher. It is difficult to provide an exact figure, as casinos do not always share these odds.
However, if we are looking at smaller wins on games on sites like PowerPlay, checking the RTP rate for each game will show you the odds of winning smaller amounts. Choosing games with a higher RTP will increase your chances of winning, so playing slots such as Mega Joker which has an RTP of up to 99% will give you a better chance of winning compared to the chances of winning the $20 prize in Lotto Max.
Which is the Better Bet: Lotteries or Slots?
There is a lot more to take into account when you are deciding between playing lotteries and playing slots. Here are some of the main factors to consider:
Enjoyment
While it can be exciting to anticipate the results of the lottery, this is unlikely to match the fun of playing slots. Lotteries have a very simple format with only one requirement, which is to choose the 6 or 7 balls that you think will win.
However, playing slots provides a huge amount of variation, you can choose different themes, games with different volatility and RTP rates, and games with features that add more excitement to your gaming.
Playing slots also rewards you for loyalty, with bonuses to use to extend your playing, which is similar to winning a free bet in the lottery. You can take advantage of good welcome bonuses when you join a new casino to increase your playing funds.
Risk Appetite
Another thing to consider when you are choosing between playing slots or the lottery is whether you are comfortable with taking bigger risks. With a lottery, you generally pay a set amount each time and it is easy to keep this amount consistent each week, for example, you will pay for the same amount of lines each draw.
With slots, you might be more tempted to stake more than you would on the lottery but you also know there is a good chance based on the RTP that you will be boosted with winnings as you go along.
For many people, playing the lottery does not feel as risky as playing slots and they don’t really count this as gambling. The riskier nature of playing slots can put people with low risk appetites off, as they don’t want to get drawn into regular slots playing.
Available Funds
Placing a small amount on the lottery each week is suitable for people who either don’t have lots of spare funds or who prefer to keep their spending budget tight. People who are comfortable with spending more money on betting won’t have the same reservations about spending more funds on slots.
Slots don’t necessarily lead to larger spending but it is generally easier to control spending when playing a lottery as you are not as tempted to increase the amount you put on.
To summarize, playing online slots will usually provide better small returns but in terms of winning the big jackpots of millions of dollars, the odds of both lotteries and progressive jackpots are quite similar at around 1 in 10 million or higher.
