The California State Lottery debuted in 1985, as Proposition 37 paved the way for plenty of financial assistance to make its way into the California public school system. It took until 1986 to offer more than just scratch-offs, but as you would expect with the state’s immense population, this is one of the biggest and most wagered on lotteries in the United States.
California does not allow online lottery ticket resellers or apps, so everything must be purchased in person at an approved retailer. Retailers are not hard to find and the state gives back 95 cents of every dollar spent on lottery games through its investment in public education or through prizes and commissions for retailers.
California Lottery Games
You must be 18 years or older to play the California Lottery. California, like over 40 states in the country, offers both the Powerball and Mega Millions drawings and six different state-specific draw games.
There are also more than 50 different scratchers. California used to have more games, including a couple of Lottery-based TV shows, but there have been some investigations and the immense operating costs have forced the state to cut back on some of its offerings over the years.
California Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
California is one of 45 states to participate in the Powerball drawing. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 7:59 p.m. PT. Ticket sales are cut off on drawing nights at 7 p.m. PT.
Each Powerball wager costs $2, with an additional $1 add-on for the Power Play option. Five balls numbered 1 to 69 are selected and then a bonus Powerball ranging from 1 to 26.
Powerball began in 1988 and California took 25 years to add the game, bringing Powerball to the state in 2013.
California actually has a pari-mutuel prize pool for Powerball and is the only state with that. The prize amounts vary based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners, so their prizes differ from the Powerball website and other states.
Mega Millions
The Mega Millions is the same in California, in that the prize amounts come from a pari-mutuel pool, so they are based on how many tickets were sold and the number of winners.
There are 42 states that participate in Mega Millions and California became one of them in 2005, about five years earlier than many of the states that joined the drawing.
Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday night at 8 p.m. PT and ticket sales for that drawing are cut off at 7:45 p.m. on those nights.
With Mega Millions, five balls are drawn from 1 to 70 and the Mega Ball is from 1 to 25. Tickets cost $2 each and the Megaplier option is available for another buck for every $2 wagered.
SuperLotto Plus
The SuperLotto Plus is California’s version of its own lottery drawing. Tickets cost $1 per play and drawings are every Wednesday and Sunday. Five numbers are chosen from 1 to 47 and then a Mega Number between 1 and 27. There are no multiplier options available.
Ticket sales are cut off at 7:45 p.m. PT for the 8 p.m. PT drawings on those two nights.
The Jackpot for SuperLotto Plus starts at $7 million and gets bigger from there with a rolling Jackpot if there are no winners.
Fantasy 5
Fantasy 5 is another lotto variant that is drawn daily. It is only $1 per play and features a rolling Jackpot that starts between $60,000 and $80,000. The five numbers drawn range from 1 to 39 and there are no bonus balls.
Drawings are held every day just after 6:30 p.m. PT and ticket sales for that evening’s draw end at 6:30.
Daily 4
Like so many states, California offers a Pick 3 and Pick 4 variant, just with a different name. For the CA Lottery, it is the Daily 4 and Daily 3. The Daily 4 is drawn every day at 6:30 p.m. PT and features a four-digit combination of numbers 0-9.
Each ticket costs $1 and numbers can be played Straight, Boxed, Straight and Boxed, or Box Only. The top prize is based on the number of tickets sold.
Daily 3
Just like the Daily 4, the Daily 3 has all of the same characteristics, but with three numbers drawn instead of four.
Each ticket costs $1 and numbers can be played Straight, Boxed, Straight and Boxed, or Box Only. There are two drawings daily, with a Midday drawing at 1 p.m. PT and an Evening drawing at 6:30 p.m. PT.
Daily Derby
The Daily Derby is a draw game variant of a horse race. Players will pick three horses to finish in first, second, and third place. They will also pick the time that it takes the first place horse to finish. The race time is somewhere in the 1:40 range on average, but the race time also has to be picked to the hundredths of a second, such as 1:40.57.
To hit the trifecta and race time exactly is listed at 1 in 1,320,000 by the CA Lottery website.
An automated draw machine draws the winning horses and race times and the drawing is at 6:30 p.m. PT every day.
Hot Spot Bulls-eye
Hot Spot Bulls-eye is California’s version of Keno. Drawings take place every four minutes and players pick spots on their ticket and need to hit the corresponding number of spots to win a prize. The grand prize for matching the maximum of 10 spots is $100,000 with Hot Spot Only, but adding the Bulls-eye feature brings the top prize up to $300,000.
The available numbers range from 1 to 80 and each draw costs a minimum of $1, all the way up to $20. The Bulls-eye feature doubles the price of a ticket.
California Lottery Scratch-Offs
There are over 50 unique scratch-off games and new games launch every month for the CA Lottery. Scratchers range from $1 to $30 and the CA Lottery and some approved retailers will show the remaining number of top prizes available. The odds of winning a prize vary based on the game and the ticket amount.
The CA Lottery website also shows the retail end date for games and the last possible day to claim your prize from that specific game or from a 2nd Chance promotion.
2nd Chance opportunities are available on scratchers, Fantasy 5, or SuperLotto Plus and can include cash prizes, additional tickets, or other prizes.
How to Claim California Lottery Prizes
Prizes up to $599 may be claimed by mail or in-person at any CA Lottery retailer. You can also claim your prize at a local California Lottery District Office.
For prizes $600 and up, a claim form is necessary to receive your winnings. Prizes of $1,000 or less are eligible for same-day payment at a district office. They can also be redeemed by mail.
One benefit of playing the CA Lottery is that there are no state or local tax withholdings. However, the federal state withholding of 24% still applies.
California Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
No. Tickets are only available for purchase in-person at approved retailers.
There are more than 23,000 approved lottery retailers in the state of California.
Players must be 18 years of age or older to enjoy the CA Lottery.