The Tennessee Education Lottery has raised nearly $8 billion for education programs in the state. Scholarships, grants, after-school programs, and initiatives for energy-efficient schools are some of the things that get a boost from the TN Lottery.
This is actually one of the newer lotteries in the state, as the Tennessee Lottery was not a thing until 2002. Voters approved a statewide referendum to create a lottery and the first tickets were sold on January 20, 2004. The lottery is up over $30 billion in ticket sales in that time.
The Tennessee Lottery is open to players 18 and over.
Tennessee Lottery Games
Tennessee Lottery games can only be purchased at an approved retailer. The state’s laws and regulations do not allow for the online or mobile sale of tickets. But, there are a ton of retailers across the Volunteer State, so it is still easy to get involved.
Tennessee has nine different draw games, including the major Jackpot games Powerball and Mega Millions. Cash 4 Life is another TN Lottery offering, as well as Lotto America. Along with those multi-state games, there are five other state-specific draw games.
Tennessee also offers Instant Games, more commonly known as scratch-offs, of various denominations.
Tennessee Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
Tennessee is covered by two time zones, so Powerball is drawn on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at either 10:59 p.m. ET or 9:59 p.m. CT, depending on your location within the state. The Double Play drawing is held around 11:30 p.m. ET or 10:30 p.m. CT.
Powerball is a six-number draw game with five basic numbers from 1 to 69 and then a Powerball from 1 to 26. That is the main Jackpot drawing, which is a grand prize that starts at $20 million and goes up from there with each drawing without a winner. Double Play is a similar drawing, but not for the full Jackpot.
Tickets cost $2 for Powerball, with an optional $1 add-on for the Power Play multiplier of non-Jackpot prizes and another optional $1 for the Double Play feature.
Tennessee added Powerball in April 2004, just a few months after ticket sales began.
Mega Millions
Since 2010, Tennessee has also been part of the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. ET or 10 p.m. CT. Mega Millions tickets cost $2 and there is an optional $1 add-on for the Megaplier, a multiplier of non-Jackpot prizes.
With this game, six numbers are drawn, beginning with the basic numbers from 1 to 70 and then a Mega Ball from 1 to 25. This Jackpot also starts at $20 million and grows until a winner is found.
Lotto America
The TN Lottery is part of Lotto America, with an extra wrinkle. Quick Cash can be added to any Lotto America ticket for an additional $1 per play, with prizes ranging from $2 to $500. If any of the Quick Cash numbers match the Star Ball number, you win the accompanying prize amount.
As far as the main Jackpot drawing, this one is held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:15 p.m. ET or 9:15 p.m. CT. Each play costs $1 for the base game, which consists of five numbers from 1 to 52 and then a Star Ball from 1 to 10.
The states that participate in Lotto America are Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Cash 4 Life
Most states in the U.S. either participate in Lucky For Life or Cash 4 Life. The TN Lottery has chosen Cash 4 Life, a game with a grand prize of $1,000 a day for life. The second grand prize is $1,000 a week for life.
This is a nightly draw game at 9 p.m. ET or 8 p.m. CT. The optional Quick Cash game is offered here for $1. The base game costs $2 with five numbers drawn from 1 to 60 and then a Cash Ball from 1 to 4. Matching all six wins the grand prize. Matching the five basic numbers wins that secondary grand prize.
Cash 4 Life is played in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Daily Tennessee Jackpot
Quick Cash is part of the offering with Daily Tennessee Jackpot, a state-specific lotto game in the Volunteer State. Five numbers from 1 to 38 are selected in this game with drawings every night at 10 p.m. ET or 9 p.m. CT.
The base game costs $1 and the Quick Cash add-on is another $1. The Jackpot for this game also has a minimum and grows with each drawing that does not feature a winner.
Tennessee Cash
Tennessee Cash is the closest thing to a state-specific lotto drawing, as this game is drawn on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11:30 p.m. ET or 10:30 p.m. CT. This game has five numbers from 1 to 35, plus a Cash Ball from 1 to 5. The Jackpot for this game continues to grow until a winner has been drawn.
Quick Cash is an optional $1 add-on to the $1 base play.
Cash 4 with Wild Ball
Cash 4 is the Tennessee Lottery version of a Pick 4. Each play costs 50 cents or $1 depending on the bet type. The 50-cent plays are only for Exact Order or Any Order, while the $1 plays can be for Exact Order, Any Order, Exact or Any Order, or Combo.
Numbers are drawn from 0 to 9 to produce a four-digit number. The Wild Ball doubles the cost of the ticket and the Wild Ball can replace one of the numbers in your draw to produce a winning combination. The prize amounts are smaller if the Wild Ball is needed, but a win is a win.
The top prize for this game is $5,000 for matching the Cash 4 in Exact Order without the help of a Wild Ball. Drawings for this game are held three times a day at 10:28 a.m. ET or 9:28 a.m. CT, 1:28 p.m. ET or 12:28 p.m. CT, and 7:28 p.m. ET or 6:28 p.m. CT.
Cash 3 with Wild Ball
Cash 3 is Cash 4 minus a ball, so it is the TEL’s version of a Pick 3. Each play costs 50 cents or $1 depending on the bet type. Once again, the 50-cent plays are reserved for Exact Order or Any Order, while $1 plays can be Exact Order, Any Order, Exact Order or Any Order, and Combo.
Drawings for this game are held three times a day at 10:28 a.m. ET or 9:28 a.m. CT, 1:28 p.m. ET or 12:28 p.m. CT, and 7:28 p.m. ET or 6:28 p.m. CT. Three balls are drawn ranging from 0 to 9 and then a Wild Ball is also drawn that can replace a number in your combination(s).
The top prize for this game is $500 for matching the number in Exact Order with no Wild Ball.
Keno To Go
The Tennessee Lottery also offers Keno, with games played every four minutes. Players can pick up to 10 spots in a game and the computer will randomly draw 20 numbers from 1 to 80. Players hope to match as many spots as possible, as the prize amounts increase with the number of matches.
Keno plays cost $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, or $10 and there is an optional Bulls-Eye feature that doubles the price of a ticket. Bulls-Eye increases the prize amounts for a winning ticket.
The top prize is $100,000 per $1 played. The Bulls-Eye add-on would double that to $200,000 per $1 played.
Tennessee Lottery Instant Games
TN Lottery Instant Games, or scratch-offs, vary in denomination and theme. Tickets cost $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, $25, $30, or $50 and new instant games are released on Tennessee Tue$day.
There are dozens of games with dozens of different top prizes, including holiday, seasonal, and sports themes. Some games are eligible for second-chance drawings and promotions and all games are eligible for racking up VIP Rewards Points.
Tennessee Lottery App
The Tennessee Lottery App and the VIP Rewards Club are the easiest ways to check tickets, add up loyalty points, find approved lottery retailers, and see the drawing results.
The Tennessee Lottery App is not a place to buy tickets, as tickets can only be purchased at approved retailers, but it is the best way to find out about new games and promotions.
How To Claim Tennessee Lottery Prizes
Prizes of less than $600 can be claimed at any approved retail location or by mail. They do not require a claim form.
Prizes of $600 and up do require a claim form and can be redeemed by mail to P.O. Box 290636 in Nashville, TN, 37229.
Prizes of $200,000 or more must be claimed at the Nashville Headquarters and Claim Center.
The state of Tennessee does not tax lottery winnings. However, prizes of $5,000 or more are subject to a 24% federal withholding tax.
Tennessee Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
Can Tennessee Lottery Tickets Be Purchased Online?
No. Tennessee state rules and regulations prohibit the online and mobile sale of lottery tickets.
How Many Tennessee Lottery Retailers Are There?
There are more than 5,000 approved lottery retailers in the state of Tennessee.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The Tennessee Lottery?
Players must be 18 years of age or older to enjoy the Tennessee Lottery.