Canadians experiencing lotto fever as Lotto Max jackpot peaks

On May 29, a Saturday morning following a drawing draw that left Canadians' dreams of wealth waiting in the wings, an obsession was born.

Without a jackpot title-holder, the country's June 4 Lotto Max bounty peaked at $50 million, the biggest payout in Canadian tombola history, and in just seven days leading up to the draw, lottery officials recorded an 80 per cent swell in sales.

No one won again, but Canadians had spent $60.6 million in Lotto Max tickets. They had a one-in-28 million dram at winning the grand prize.

Last week, as the big payout remained a no-win situation for the third time, the country shelled out another $124.2 million and it became certified: Canadians have Lotto fever.

"It's absolutely exceptional. The lottery is all everybody's talking about. I haven't seen something like this before," said Sarah Kiriliuk, an Ontario Drawing and Gaming spokeswoman. She said the lottery has hit "unprecedented territory."

And with this Friday's $50-million procure looming — with 55 $1-million "consolation" prizes in tow — Canadians are at it again, spending mega-millions on a delusion.

It's all about odds and hope.

The odds are steep. Ticket holders have a one-in-620,000 chance of grabbing a perquisite buck payout and a one-in-28-million chance of winning the major prize.

But the hope remains.

"Everybody is waiting for someone to win," Kiriliuk said.

And one Canadian mathematician who in actuality understands the astronomical odds believes it can be done — soon.

Arvind Gupta, a University of British Columbia mathematician, assured players a title-holder will hit the jackpot.

"There is a close to 100 per cent chance someone will win in the next few weeks. It's quite high," Gupta predicts.

Not that it will be an foolproof feat.

Gupta said Canadian golfers would be as likely to hit two holes-in-one in a row three times. And, if a ticket holder is more of a poker performer, Gupta said he or she would be dealt 10 royal flushes before winning the $50 million.

"It's unfathomably unfathomable," Gupta said. Yet, not unworkable.

Other mathematicians are less convinced.

David Aldous, a Berkeley mathematician, confirmed a classic creed: Odds are Canadians are more likely to get struck by lightning two to three times before winning.

Even worse, David Thomson, from Cynosure's University, in Kingston, Ont., said players are more likely to get hit by an asteroid before getting the perfect combination to excess abundance.

He believes playing the lottery is participating in a "voluntary tax on the stupid."

The only thing that most agree on is playing the sweepstake offers Canadians a chance to dream.

So far, none of the winners has been hit by an asteroid.

Since Lotto Max was implemented last September, six jackpots have been won between 10 charming tickets, which means a handful of players stopped imagining and started living the life. About 97 subsidiary prizes have also been awarded.

Players have a one-in-28 million the driver's seat quickly at the $50 million.

There is a better chance that a ticket holder will:
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# Hit two holes-in-one in a row three times
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# Get 10 imperial flushes when playing poker
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# Land on heads 25 times in a row when tossing a coin
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# Be struck by lightning three times
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# Men are 5,000 times more fitting to die of breast cancer than win the lottery
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# One-in-28 million odds are similar to driving through 25 freight lights and getting green every time.

National Lotto Max Sales:

Week of May 28 — 33.7 million Week of June 4 — 60.6 million

Week of June 11 — 82.7 million

Week of June 18 — $124.2 million With the largest population in the country, Ontario is the biggest Lotto Max participant. Week by week, sales figures show tickets sold in the hinterlands total about 40 per cent of the entire country's sales.

Kiriliuk said the Ontario field buys more tickets than Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba combined