The Oregon Lottery got its start in 1984 and has done a lot in 40+ years of existence. The first game was sold in 1985 as a “scratch-it” called “Pot of Gold”. Oregon continues to refer to scratch-off tickets as “scratch-its”, but that seems like the only part of the lottery that hasn’t evolved or changed.
The OR Lottery gives back 91 cents on every dollar in prizes. The remaining proceeds go towards environmental issues, like the protection of state parks and natural habitats, and public services like schoolchildren and veterans. The bulk of the money goes towards public schools, but proceeds also aid in job creation.
Players must be 18 or older to play the scratch-its and lottery games, but 21 and over to play the Video Lottery or place sports bets through DraftKings.
The Oregon Lottery does not specifically offer online or mobile games, except for sports betting, but third-party seller Jackpocket is a licensed vendor. Oregon is also one of four states that allows Jackpocket to sell scratch-off tickets along with draw games.
Oregon Lottery Games
The Oregon Lottery has a lot to offer. Sports betting and Video Lottery (mostly slot machines) are available to players 21+, but there are six draw games, scratch-its, Keno, and a yearly raffle available for players 18+.
Oregon participates in Powerball and Mega Millions as two Jackpot draw games and has four state-specific draw games as well. Sports betting is exclusively through DraftKings.
Oregon Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
Oregon was one of the original states to offer what is now called Powerball back in 1988. The game was renamed in 1992 after starting as Lotto America in the District of Columbia, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Now known as Powerball, this is a thrice-a-week draw on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 7:59 p.m. PT.
Each play costs $2 and five basic balls from 1 to 69 plus a Power Ball from 1 to 26 are drawn. Matching all six wins the Jackpot, which starts at $20 million and grows with each drawing that doesn’t have a grand prize winner.
Oregon also offers the Power Play optional add-on for $1, which is a multiplier of non-Jackpot prizes. Ticket sales are cut off at 7 p.m. PT on draw nights.
Mega Millions
Oregon has also participated in Mega Millions since March 2010. This is a twice-a-week draw with games on Tuesday and Friday at 8 p.m. PT. Ticket sales are cut off at 7 p.m. on draw nights.
Each play costs $2, with five numbers from 1 to 70 and a Mega Ball from 1 to 25 drawn. This Jackpot also starts at $20 million and grows with each drawing, unless a lucky grand prize winner matches up all six numbers.
A Megaplier $1 add-on is offered to serve as a multiplier for all non-Jackpot prizes.
Oregon’s Game Megabucks
Megabucks is the Oregon Lottery’s state-specific Jackpot draw game. Numbers are drawn on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 7:29 p.m. PT. With this game, six numbers are drawn from 1 to 48 and each play costs $1.
This Jackpot starts at $1 million and grows until a grand prize winner matches all six numbers.
For another $1 per play, players can choose to play the Kicker, which is a 4x multiplier for matching four or five of the draw numbers. Ticket sales cut off just before the drawing on draw nights.
Win For Life
Oregon has decided not to join Cash 4 Life or Lucky For Life. Instead, they offer their own variation with a grand prize of $1,000 a week for life. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT.
Four numbers from 1 to 77 are drawn and matching all four results in the grand prize. However, there are lots of additional ways to win. Along with the base game, the computer will randomly pick 14 more sets of numbers for a chance to win $50,000, $20,000, $10,000 or to win smaller prizes of $25, $2, or $3.
Tickets cost $2 per game for all of those chances to win.
Lucky Lines
Lucky Lines could best be described as a combination of Bingo and Tic-Tac-Toe. Players pick or Quick Pick one number from eight sets of four, with a free space in the middle. Eight numbers are drawn by the computer and the goal is to match as many lines as possible, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Remember, the middle box is a free space, so the goal is to make lines that run through the free space by getting a correct number in each box. Each play costs $2 and the game is drawn every day at 6 p.m. PT.
The Rolling Jackpot starts at $10,000 and there are prize amounts for getting at least one line all the way up through matching seven or eight lines for the Jackpot. There are eight ways to win in total and there are no bonuses or add-ons available.
The odds of winning a prize are just shy of 1:4 and ticket sales are cut off at 5:59 p.m. PT.
Pick 4
For a much more basic game, the Oregon Lottery offers the traditional Pick 4 with a top prize of $5,000. Drawings are held four times a day at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. PT.
Four balls ranging from 0 to 9 are drawn to form a four-digit number. The minimum cost to play is $1 and the price of a ticket depends on how many ways a player wants to win. The options are Exact, Any Order, Combo, First 3 Exact, Last 3 Exact, First 3 Any Order, Last 3 Any Order.
Raffle
The Oregon Lottery also does a yearly Raffle. The grand prize is $1 million. In 2024, there were 1,801 winners, with one grand prize winner, 300 $500 winners, and 1,500 $100 winners. In 2024, the winning numbers were drawn on March 15.
Keno
Keno games are drawn every four minutes in Oregon day and night. Players choose how many “spots” they want to cover and then 20 numbers are randomly drawn by the Oregon Lottery. The goal is to cover as many spots as possible between your numbers and the draw numbers.
Keno players can cover from 1 to 10 spots and wager amounts are $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, or $20 per game. There are also additional add-ons for a Multiplier and Bulls-Eye to increase the potential prize amounts.
Special Keno is an option, which creates larger top prizes, but offers fewer smaller prizes. This is a risk-reward question, as it costs nothing extra, but can impact the ways to win. Multiplier and Bulls-Eye are an extra $1 for every $1 wagered.
Oregon Lottery Scratch-its
The Oregon Lottery refers to its scratch-off tickets as “Scratch-its”. Outside of the name deviation, this is precisely what you would expect to find with a state lottery, as there are a ton of holiday and themed games throughout the course of the year.
There are upwards of 40 scratch-its available at any given time, with ticket costs from $1 all the way up to $30. Tickets cost $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, or $30. The Oregon Lottery website and app will show the remaining prizes and the end dates of each game.
Jackpocket is an approved seller for Oregon Lottery scratch-its, as this is one of four states that allows Jackpocket to sell that kind of ticket.
Oregon Lottery Video Lottery
The Oregon Lottery has VLTs, or video lottery terminals, which are fancy names for slot machines. Video lottery games are spread throughout the state, primarily at bars and restaurants.
Many popular slot machine titles that you might see in Las Vegas or in a casino in another state are offered, including Lobstermania, Cats, Scarab, and Solar Disc.
Players must be 21 or older to play Video Lottery.
Oregon Lottery Sports Betting
The Oregon Lottery also has oversight of sports betting and only one operator, DraftKings, is authorized to take sports wagers in the state through the lottery. Oregon’s tribes do offer something different.
DraftKings does not accept wagers on college teams in Oregon. Only pro sports and leagues can be bet on.
Players must be 21 or older to bet on sports and this is the only mobile/online wagering offered directly through the Oregon Lottery.
Oregon Lottery Mobile App
The Oregon Lottery Mobile App is a very powerful tool. It is the easiest way to enter the Second Chance drawings and promotions across the state. Joining the My Lottery rewards program is done online, but you can use the same login info for that and the app.
The App serves as a place to find an approved retailer, check winning numbers and scan tickets, and set alerts for draws.
It is available through the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Keep in mind, tickets can not be purchased online or through the app. Jackpocket is the only digital platform for buying Oregon Lottery tickets.
How To Claim Oregon Lottery Prizes
Prizes up to $600 can be claimed at any Oregon Lottery retailer. Similarly, prizes of Video Lottery prizes up to $1,250 can be claimed where the prize was won.
For prizes up to $50,000, they can be claimed via mail with a prize claim form, by using the lottery drop box at the Lottery Office in Salem, or in-person at a Prize Center in Salem or Wilsonville.
Oregon Lottery prizes of $1,500 or more are subject to an 8% state tax. Non-video lottery prizes of $5,000 or more are subject to the state tax, as well as a 24% federal tax.
Oregon Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
Can Oregon Lottery Tickets Be Purchased Online?
Yes and no. Oregon Lottery tickets cannot be purchased directly online from the Oregon Lottery website or mobile app. However, Jackpocket is an approved seller.
How Many Oregon Lottery Retailers Are There?
There are about 2,500 approved lottery retailers in the state of Oregon.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The Oregon Lottery?
Players must be 18 years of age or older to play Oregon Lottery scratch-its and draw games. Players must be 21 or older to bet on sports with DraftKings or play the Video Lottery.