Want to win when rolling up the rim? This researcher has tips for Tim Hortons online prizes

John Dalusong · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

If you privation to triumph prizes from the Tim Hortons Roll Up To Win crippled this year, a University of Waterloo subordinate prof says the champion clip to play online is successful the greeting connected weekends.

"I had the astir occurrence astatine 8:30 a.m. [on] the weekend, winning astir 1 clip successful three,"  Michael Wallace, who's successful the University of Waterloo's Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, told CBC News.

Almost each twelvemonth since the java chain's crippled moved to a integer platform, Wallace has been utilizing information Tim Hortons publishes connected its website to effort to fig retired the champion clip to play for the highest winning rate.

In 2023, Wallace said helium won 3 retired of 4 times at 3 a.m., the champion clip to play astatine slightest for that year. That's a winning complaint of 75 per cent. He said helium did not bash the mathematics for 2024. 

Paper cups are back

Wallace said the crippled was simpler erstwhile it was conscionable the carnal cups.

"You bought a drink, you got the cup, you rotation up the rim," helium said. "Your likelihood are 1 successful six and there's thing you could truly bash astir it."

In 2020, the crippled moved to a digital app, but this year, Tim Hortons decided to bring backmost the insubstantial cups portion inactive keeping the integer mentation of the game. 

With the carnal cups added into the equation, Wallace said players person had to strategize a small more. He said players had to take wherever they would get the highest chances of winning.

"Are you amended disconnected getting that other integer entry, oregon are you amended disconnected with those 1 successful six odds connected the insubstantial cup?" helium said. 

Austin Adair, who plays the game, who spoke to CBC News arsenic he was astir to spell into the downtown Kitchener, Ont., Tim Hortons.

Adair said helium was amazed to larn that idiosyncratic had figured retired strategies for the highest winning rates.

"That's really benignant of cool," helium said. "I find myself getting much thing than I bash a escaped java oregon a doughnut even."

With winning rates connected insubstantial cups being low, Wallace said players tin get integer entries alternatively and play erstwhile the winning chances are higher. 

He said the champion clip to play this twelvemonth appears to beryllium astir 8:30 a.m. during weekends, erstwhile — according to his calculations — a person's chances of winning are astir 1 successful three.

Adair said it's bully radical are inactive paying attraction and playing the game. 

"It's conscionable wide large to spot that immoderate radical are [still] having fun."

Changes to prizes distribution

Wallace besides noticed however Tim Hortons redistributed the prizes this twelvemonth truthful much of them "are disposable erstwhile much radical are playing." 

He said 3 a.m. is nary longer a bully clip to play, dissimilar successful erstwhile years erstwhile the crippled was afloat digital. This year, the winning complaint astatine 3 a.m. is 1 successful nine, oregon astir 11 per cent.

"Fewer prizes are available, say, successful the mediate of the night, erstwhile less radical are playing," helium said. "[It's] drastically much complicated, the strategies successful presumption of erstwhile to clip your entries to maximize your ain chances of winning."

Tim Hortons says it appreciates the "passion" behind Wallace's efforts. 

"We cognize determination are galore Roll Up enthusiasts similar Prof. Wallace who are committed to playing the crippled each year, and we admit their passionateness for maximizing each the ways they tin gain rolls," a Tim Hortons media typical told CBC News successful an email.

Wallace said that adjacent successful erstwhile years, Tim Hortons has not expressed immoderate interest astir what he's been doing.

"Once we benignant of had a chat and established what was going on, they were truly helpful," helium said. "They really helped donate immoderate of my prizes to foundation … that was truly bully of them."

LISTEN | University of Waterloo's Michael Wallace increases odds of getting a Roll Up To Win prize:MEDIA]

Not successful it for the prizes

The Tim Hortons Roll Up To Win crippled this twelvemonth features a wide scope of prizes, including afloat electrical vehicles, all-inclusive trips, electronics, acquisition cards, coffee, doughnuts and Timbits.

Despite his strategies, Wallace said he's mostly won coffees and doughnuts passim the years. In fact, helium said, helium really won his biggest prize this year. 

"For the archetypal clip ever, I won thing bigger than a java oregon a doughnut," helium said. "You got to clasp connected to your hats … I won a $25 Tim Hortons acquisition card."

Wallace said he's not trying to ace the crippled for the prizes. 

"As I said, you're lone truly going to triumph java and doughnuts," helium said. "I chiefly bash this due to the fact that I'm conscionable benignant of funny astir the numbers … [and] due to the fact that it gives maine truly bully stories and examples I tin usage successful my statistic class."

Tim Hortons said successful its email that it's "proud Roll Up has go an breathtaking mode for the prof to present his students to the satellite of statistic and probabilities."

Roll Up To Win runs until March 23. Prizes must beryllium claimed by May 4.