How Classic Lotto Works
Classic Lotto is Ohio's premier in-state jackpot game. Pick 6 numbers from 1 to 49 and match them to the 6 numbers drawn. Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at approximately 7:05 PM ET. Tickets cost $1 per play.
Jackpots start at $1 million and grow with each drawing that produces no jackpot winner. There is no cap on how high the jackpot can go — it rolls until someone matches all 6 numbers.
Prize Tiers
Classic Lotto has four prize levels:
- Match 6 of 6: Jackpot (starts at $1 million, grows until won)
- Match 5 of 6: $1,500
- Match 4 of 6: $50
- Match 3 of 6: $1 (break-even on a $1 ticket)
The overall odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 54.
Jackpot Odds
The odds of matching all 6 numbers from a pool of 49 are exactly 1 in 13,983,816. This is calculated using combinatorics: C(49,6) = 49! / (6! x 43!) = 13,983,816. These are significantly better than Powerball (1 in 292,201,338) or Mega Millions (1 in 302,575,350).
Comparing Classic Lotto to Other State Games
Ohio's 6/49 format offers the best jackpot odds among comparable state lotto games:
- Classic Lotto (OH): 6/49 — 1 in 13,983,816
- Florida Lotto: 6/53 — 1 in 22,957,480
- Lotto Texas: 6/54 — 1 in 25,827,165
Ohio's smaller number pool (49 vs. 53 or 54) makes the jackpot nearly twice as easy to hit as Lotto Texas. For players focused on jackpot probability rather than jackpot size, Classic Lotto is one of the best options in the country.
The Kicker Add-On
Kicker is an Ohio-exclusive add-on available with any Classic Lotto ticket for an additional $1. When you add Kicker, the terminal generates a random 6-digit number. A separate Kicker drawing produces a winning 6-digit number. Prizes are based on matching digits from right to left:
- Match all 6 (exact order): $100,000
- Match last 5: $5,000
- Match last 4: $500
- Match last 3: $50
- Match last 2: $5
- Match last 1: $1
Kicker is essentially a separate game running alongside Classic Lotto. The odds of matching all 6 Kicker digits are 1 in 1,000,000. At $1, it's a low-cost way to add another chance at a prize on every Classic Lotto ticket.
Strategy Considerations
Classic Lotto's 6/49 format has been studied extensively worldwide — it's the same matrix used by the original Canadian Lotto 6/49 and many European games. Our Frequency Analysis and Hot & Cold tools track every Classic Lotto drawing, so you can review which numbers are running hot, which are overdue, and how odd/even and high/low distributions have trended over time.