State Lottery Drawings in the United States

State Lottery drawings are a common form of legalized gambling in the United States. Every state except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah has a state lottery. Lotto drawings can be state-specific or share prize pools across multiple states.

Lottery prize values may also vary based on the number of winners. Some prize pools are divided evenly amongst all winning tickets, while others may be reduced. US Casino Advantage encourages players to check the rules of specific games before purchasing tickets.

US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Multi-state lottery drawings

With multiple states entering the same lottery drawing, players see jackpot prizes increase. Players in participating states contribute to the jackpot value when purchasing tickets, regardless of location. A single drawing is held to determine the winner(s) of each prize pool. If there is no winning ticket(s), the jackpot continues to grow until the next drawing. This continues until the jackpot is won, which is another reason for larger jackpot values.

Mega Millions

All forty-five states with lotteries, Washington DC, and the US Virgin Islands participate in Mega Millions drawings. The first drawing was held on May 17, 2002. Originally, it was a collaboration between Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Virginia.

Players select five white numbers from 1 to 70 and one gold mega ball number from 1 to 25. The jackpot is won if a player(s) matches all six numbers. If there are multiple winning tickets, then the jackpot is split equally. If a player(s) matches the five white numbers but not the mega ball, then they win $1,000,000.

Most states also offer a multiplier feature, called a Megaplier. Depending on the multiplier ball drawn, it increases non-jackpot wins by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x. It costs an extra $1 per ticket.

Another feature offered in some states is a jackpot-only option. A $3 ticket gives players two chances to win the jackpot value only.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2. Drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11pm ET at the WSB-TV studio in Atlanta, Georgia. There is no minimum jackpot for this game. However, the large number of participating states keeps the value of this game in the millions.

Powerball

The same jurisdictions that participate in Mega Millions, also participate in Powerball drawings. Powerball started in 1992 with the first drawing held on April 22. Originally, there were 14 participating states plus the Washington DC lottery. The original states were Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.

Players select five white numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. The jackpot is won if a player(s) matches all six numbers. If there are multiple winning tickets, then the jackpot is split equally. A player still wins $1,000,000 if they match the five white numbers but not the Powerball.

For an extra $1 per ticket, most states offer a multiplier feature, called a Power Play. Depending on the multiplier ball drawn, it increases non-jackpot wins by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x. Only when the jackpot is $150 million or less, is the 10x value in play. Power Play is automatically added to tickets in Idaho and Montana.

Powerball tickets cost $2. Drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:59pm ET in Tallahassee, Florida.

Powerball Double Play

Lotteries in fifteen states and Puerto Rico offer players a second chance Powerball drawing. This includes Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington.

For an additional $1, a player’s Powerball numbers qualify for a second chance drawing. The top prize is $10,000,000. Double Play Powerball drawings take place after regular Powerball drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Power Play add-ons do not qualify during Double Play drawings.

Lucky for Life

Lucky for Life is held across 22 states and Washington DC. Participating states are Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Players select five white numbers from 1 to 48 and one lucky number from 1 to 18. The top prize for matching all six numbers is $1,000 a day for life. Players that match all five white numbers win $25,000 per year for life.

Lucky for Life tickets are $2 each. Lottery drawing results can be found here. Drawings take place daily at 10:30pm ET.

Lotto America

Thirteen states participate in Lotto America. Tickets are sold in Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Players select five red numbers from 1 to 52, in addition to a Star Ball from 1 to 10. A player(s) still wins $20,000, if they match the five white numbers but not the Star Ball. An additional bonus ball can be purchased for $1. It increases non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x, depending on the value drawn.

Lotto America tickets cost $1. In Tallahassee, drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 11pm ET.

Cash4Life

Tickets for Cash4Life are sold in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Players select five numbers from 1 to 60 and one cash ball number from 1 to 4. For players that match all six numbers, the grand prize is $1,000 a day for life. The second prize is $1,000 a week for life. This is for players who match all numbers except for the cash ball. For $1 more per ticket, any non-jackpot prizes won are doubled.

Cash4Life tickets are $2 each. Drawings take place daily at 9pm ET/8pm CT.

2by2 lottery

The 2by2 lottery game is available in four states: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

Players pick two red numbers from 1 and 26 and two white numbers from 1 and 26. The grand prize is $22,000. Prize values double on Tuesdays for players who purchase a ticket for seven consecutive draws. Up to ten grand prize winners can win the full value. If there are additional winners for a single drawing, the prizes are awarded on a pari-mutuel basis.

Tickets are $1 and drawings are held daily at 9:30pm CT/8:30pm MT.

State-specific lottery drawings

In addition to the larger multi-state lottery drawings, most states also offer their own drawings. These drawings regularly take form as a daily 3, 4, 5, or 6 number lottery drawing. Some states even have two-number drawings.

Most state lotteries also sell scratch-off tickets or other instant win games. Keno drawings are also available in some states. Sports betting is legal in a few states through the state lottery, including Kansas and Tennessee.

Lottery couriers

In certain jurisdictions, patrons can obtain lottery tickets via third-party platforms, such as Jackpocket and Jackpot.com. These companies operate in conjunction with the state lottery and serve as an alternative avenue for lottery ticket fulfillment.

The way it works in practice, or is intended to work, is that a patron using the lottery ticket courier would order the ticket(s) on the app, and a lottery retailer partnering with the third party would fulfill the ticket. So a physical ticket will exist when it is ordered by a lawfully operating courier.

These courier apps may offer other products or ticket subscription services. Currently, Jackpocket is the biggest in the U.S.. It is available in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia, as of March 2024. DraftKings recently announced that it will acquire Jackpocket’s lottery courier app.

Online instant games

Eight states and Washington DC offer online instant games. An account is required to play these types of games. There is a residency requirement to play lottery instant games. Visitors to the state may not participate.

Online lottery instant games play like standard scratch-off tickets. The player can use the mouse or a touch screen to remove the cover to reveal the prize. Think of it as an online slot machine. Instead of pushing a button, you scratch off the screen. However, the house edge on the lottery version is often in the 30% range. An online slot only holds 3% to 5%.

Instant games online usually start at prices of $0.05 or $0.10 per ticket. The highest are usually $20 or $30. Familiar game titles are often used, including ones related to slots found in casinos and scratch-off tickets sold by the state.

Most lotteries offer players bonuses for creating an instant game account. This is often a free $10 or so. Sometimes, it is a match bonus of up to $50.

State lotteries with online instant win games

Eight states and one other US jurisdiction have legal online instant games through the lottery. Those states are:

• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Michigan
• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Virginia
• Washington DC

Michigan online lottery

In Michigan, lottery tickets are available for purchase at retail locations and online. Lottery players must be at least 18 years old in Michigan. Online purchases must be made within state lines. The Michigan Lottery helps fund K-12 education.

The Michigan Lottery app allows players to purchase tickets, watch keno drawings, see current jackpot amounts, and verify winning tickets from retail locations. A daily spin is available exclusively on the app. Numbers can also be checked on the Michigan Lottery website. Second-chance drawings are also available for select lottery games.

Mobile sportsbooks and online casino games are legal in Michigan. However, players must be at least 21 years or older.

US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Michigan Lottery online games

Available online draw tickets

The jackpot for Fantasy 5 starts at $100,000, while Lotto 47 starts at $1,000,000. These games are exclusive to the Michigan Lottery. Mega Millions and Powerball are also jackpot drawings. Lucky for Life has a top prize of $1,000 per day for life. These games are drawn across multiple states.

• Fantasy 5 (Daily at 7:29pm)
• Lotto 47 (Wednesdays & Saturdays at 7:29pm)
• Lucky for Life (Daily 10:38pm)
• Mega Millions (Tuesdays & Fridays at 11pm)
• Powerball (Mondays, Wednesdays, & Saturdays at 10:59pm)

Subscription payments for lottery drawings are available to Michigan residents. The initial subscription price will cover the first two weeks of drawings. Subscriptions are then billed weekly until canceled. Tickets are purchased a week before each drawing.

Online raffles

Raffle tickets can also be purchased online and through the Michigan Lottery app. Raffle drawings occur after all the tickets are sold or one year after the raffle begins. Prices and prizes vary by game.

Online instant games

Players can demo instant games before playing for real money. Game information pages also list the rules of the game and how to play. The game rules additionally give the odds per game and the odds of winning each prize. Ticket prices vary from $0.05 to $50 each depending on the game.

If a player wins less than $600, it is automatically deposited into their wallet. Prizes valued at $600 or greater receive a claim notification.

Other Michigan Lottery games

Daily 3, Daily 4, poker lotto, and keno tickets must be purchased at Michigan Lottery locations only. Poker lotto drawings take place daily at 7:29pm. The drawing has a top prize of $100,000. Up to $5,000 can be won on the additional instant game. Club Keno drawings take place daily every few minutes from 6am until 1:59am. Prize values vary. A daily $250,000 keno drawing takes place at 7:29pm.

Daily 3 and Daily 4 drawings take place twice daily. For both games, the first drawing is at 12:59pm, and the second drawing takes place at 7:29pm. The top prize is $500 for Daily 3. Daily 4 is up to $5,000.

A selection of instant scratch, pull tab, and Fast Cash games can be purchased at retail locations. Scratch tickets cost $1 to $50 each. Pull tabs are $0.50 to $5 each. Fast Cash games are instant win games with a progressive jackpot. They are available starting at $2, up to $20 each.

Michigan Lottery deposit options

Multiple forms of payment are accepted to purchase lottery tickets in Michigan. Deposit options include MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, online banking, and an online game card. Online ticket purchases have a $5 minimum and account deposits have a $10 minimum.

Online game cards are available for $10, $20, $50, and $100. These can be purchased at retail lottery locations. Cards cannot be reloaded. The entire amount is transferred to a player’s account at the time of redemption. Up to $500 per week can be deposited using this method.

Michigan Lottery withdrawal options

Once funds have been deposited, only winnings may be withdrawn. A minimum of $10 is needed to process withdrawals. Players may withdraw funds via bank transfer, check, PayPal, Visa debit card, or at a retail location.

Up to $200 at a time can be taken out at retail locations with printable vouchers. A maximum of ten withdrawals can be made per day using this method. Vouchers are valid almost immediately and expire after 30 days.

Visa debit card withdrawals can be made up to $2,000. A maximum of five withdrawals per day and ten per week are permitted. Debit cards must be connected to a US bank account. Funds are deposited within one business day.

For larger withdrawal amounts, up to $50,000 can be withdrawn using Pay Pay, a bank transfer, or a check. PayPal transfers appear about two to four days after approval, while bank transfers are available within three to five business days. Checks may take longer due to added mailing time.

Pennsylvania online lottery

The Pennsylvania Lottery started with $0.50 tickets for weekly drawings and a grand prize of $1,000,000 in 1972. Today, the lottery has lotto drawings, scratch-off tickets, keno, Xpress sports, and online instant games. Tickets can be purchased at retail locations, online, and using the mobile app. Lottery players must be within state lines and at least 18 years old. Proceeds from the lottery help fund programs supporting seniors in the state.

The Pennsylvania Lottery mobile app allows players to purchase tickets, play online instant games, watch keno drawings, see current jackpot amounts, find nearby retail locations, and verify winning tickets, keno numbers, and Xsports results. Select second-chance drawings are also available exclusively on the app and online.

Mobile sportsbooks and online casino games are also legal in Pennsylvania. However, players must be at least 21 years or older.

US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Pennsylvania Lottery online games

Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that allows players to purchase lottery tickets online. Some games are exclusive to the Pennsylvania Lottery, while others are multi-state drawings. Most tickets can be purchased online, but a few games must be purchased at a retail location.

Available online draw tickets

Subscription payments for lottery drawings are available to Pennsylvania residents. Tickets for Mega Millions and Powerball games are purchased in four-week subscription periods. Cash4Life and Match 6 Lotto drawings are billed weekly. Players can inactivate subscriptions at any time but must be located within Pennsylvania state lines.

Online instant games

The Pennsylvania Lottery also offers online instant games. Game information pages list the rules of each game, how to play, the odds per game, and the odds of winning each prize. Ticket prices vary from $0.05 to $30 each depending on the game.

Other Pennsylvania Lottery games

Cash 5, keno, Xpress Sports, Fast Play, and scratch-off tickets are available at retail Pennsylvania Lottery locations. Fast Play tickets are like scratchless, scratch-off tickets. Seasonal raffles are also held through the Pennsylvania Lottery. The lottery website lists active games, remaining prizes, and second chance details. Sample game tickets show players how the games work.

Keno drawings are held every four minutes. Xpress Sports are simulated horse and car races that run every four minutes. Derby Cash allows players to wager on a simulated twelve-horse thoroughbred race, while players bet on a twelve-car race at Xpress Car Racing. Keno and Xpress Sports drawings can be watched at select retail locations. Results are available online and through the mobile app.

Pennsylvania Lottery deposit options

Multiple deposit options are accepted by the Pennsylvania Lottery app. All deposit options have a $10 minimum. Deposit limits may be imposed by a player’s banking institution. Credit cards have a 24-hour maximum deposit allowance of $1,000.

PayPal accounts must be linked to a personal bank account to qualify as a deposit option. Play+ prepaid debit cards are funded by a player’s debit card, credit card, or bank account.

Cash deposits can be made using PayNearMe and WebCash. Up to $500 per day can be deposited using PayNearMe. Locations include participating 7-Eleven, Family Dollar, and CVS stores. WebCash is purchased at a Pennsylvania Lottery retailer. Vouchers have a minimum value of $10 and a maximum of $1,000.

Pennsylvania Lottery withdrawal options

Withdrawal options include electronic checks, PayPal, and Play+ prepaid debit. Withdrawals must be at least $10. It takes three to five days to process withdrawals. A deposit must be made with PayPal before a PayPal withdrawal can be processed.

Virginia online lottery

Virginia Lottery tickets are available at retail locations and for purchase online. Lottery players must be at least 18 years of age and in the state of Virginia at the time of purchase. The Virginia Lottery also regulates casinos and sports betting. Profits from the Virginia Lottery go entirely towards educational purposes.

The Virginia Lottery app allows players to purchase tickets and verify winning tickets from retail locations. Numbers can also be checked on the Virginia Lottery website. Second-chance drawings are also available for select lottery games.

US Casino Advantage is supported through advertisements and sponsors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Virginia Lottery online games

Virginia is one of a few states that allow lottery players to purchase tickets online. Available online options include instant games, draw games and seasonal raffles. Instant games are based on scratch-off tickets but play like online slot pulls.

Available online draw tickets

Online instant games

Players may demo instant games before playing for real money. Game information pages also list the odds per game, the odds of winning the top prize, and the value of the top prize. Ticket prices vary from $0.05 to $50 each depending on the game. One game even allows players to bet as little as a penny per play. Some instant games also have progressive jackpots. Players must deposit at least $10 to play instant games.

Prizes valued at $100 or less are automatically added to a player’s wallet. Then, on prizes up to $600 an automatic claim is made on the player’s behalf. When the claim is processed, the funds will be added to the player’s wallet. Players will have to claim prizes valued at $600 or more. An email will be sent to the address on file to start the process. Players will be contacted directly during this process for prizes valued at over $100,000.

Other Virginia Lottery games

Other games offered by the Virginia Lottery include keno drawings, Bank a Million, Cash Pop, scratchers, and Print ‘n Play games. Bank a Million drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11pm. Cash Pop drawings take place five times a day: 9am, noon, 5pm, 9pm, and 11:59pm.

Scratchers may be purchased for $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, $30, or $50. The lottery website lists the number of prizes remaining and the value of the top prize.

Print ‘n Play games include Bingo, Blackjack, Crossword, and X the Money. Tickets may be purchased for $2, $3, $5, $10, or $20. Available games vary by denomination. These games are randomly drawn with replacement, meaning there is no limit on the number of prizes available. The odds and top prizes for each game are listed on the lottery website.

Virginia Lottery deposit options

Players can fund their Virginia Lottery accounts in multiple ways. Options include PayPal, debit cards, online banking, and wire transfers. Cash deposits can be made using PayNearMe. Online cash vouchers have a value of $10, $20, $50, or $100, and can be purchased using cash or debit card at any Lottery retailer. Vouchers expire after 180 days.

Using a debit card, draw games are available as a one-time purchase. A minimum $5 purchase is required. However, players must have their wallets funded to play instant games.

Virginia Lottery withdrawal options

Withdrawal options include Visa Debit cards, wire transfers, online banking, and retail lottery locations using the lottery app. It typically takes three to five business days to process withdrawals. For faster withdrawals, retail vouchers normally take only one to two business days to process.

Last Updated on December 24, 2024 by John Mehaffey