Overview of the California Lottery: Results and Game Types

Hello and welcome to the page with the most essential information you need to play and succeed in the California Lottery! The CA lotto has been in operation since 1985, when the first ticket was purchased on the 3rd of October. You’d think after over 30 years of operation they’d have got it down pretty well – and you’d be right! You’ll be well on your way to making the most informed decision next time you put your money down, just stick with us and we’ll take you through the most crucial elements of one of the more recently legalized state lottos.

Read on to find out the best California Lottery games the Golden State has to offer! We’ve gone through and selected the top games with the best odds for you to peruse and play at your own pace. Remember – moderation is key in a healthy approach to lotteries! Get acquainted with the numerous Draw Games in the state, a huge array of Scratchers at your fingertips, as well as the important laws and the interesting history of the CA lotto. We’ll give you the low down on CA lottery draw times, the best odds out there, and some of the quirks found in the state!

The Various California Lottery Games On Offer

The next few sections will take you through the various types of lottery games available in California. There’s a lot of exciting variety and opportunities, so don’t sleep on it! First and foremost, as always, there are the tantalizing and ever-growing Draw Games, which include of course those familiar national draws, as well as some curious regional treats, special to California and California alone. We’ll also give you the heads up on scratch tickets – those fun instant win games you can pick up from any CA lottery retailer, even as you’re getting your Draw ticket!

Draw Games: CA Lottos with Huge Jackpots

A Draw Game is the type of lottery game that most people are familiar with. The concept is sound and true – you choose a selection of numbers from a greater range, from that range a number is drawn at a later date, and then you simply match your chosen numbers to the winning numbers in order to win! Most Draw Games have a rolling jackpot that begins at a fixed number and builds and until someone matches the drawn numbers exactly and wins! That’s why draw games are the hardest to win – the jackpots can just get so huge. For the most up-to-date California lottery results, check on the dates and times listed in the table below.

As you can see from the table above, the draw times for the various Draw Games available in California vary from game to game. The biggest ones – Mega Millions, Powerball and Superlotto Plus – have bi-weekly draws that give space and time for those tantalizing jackpots to grow. Those Draw Games with smaller winnings – Daily 4 and Fantasy 5 – have a more regular schedule of draws. But don’t underestimate these smaller games! An important thing to note about California is that winnings are not fixed but pari-mutuel, meaning that they vary based upon ticket sales. The prize amounts listed in the tables below are for the most recent draws.

Powerball: Historic Wins

Powerball is one of the king-size American lotteries, available to play across almost the entirety of the United States where lotteries are legal. Nation-wide, it’s got a pretty good reputation, but especially in California, where in 2018 a third of the historic $1.54 billion jackpot went to a Californian resident and long-time CA lotto player. If there’s a lesson to be learnt from that, it’s that sometimes you’ve gotta pay your dues to take in those big winnings! It’s a 5/69 game, with a 1/26 ‘Powerball’ bonus. Check out the odds and prizes below.

Mega Millions: Cali Famous

Alongside Powerball, Mega Millions fills out the multi-jurisdictional lottery repertoire on offer in the Golden State, showcasing some huge historic jackpots and a fantastic reputation for paying out. Baring a striking similarity to the other heavy hitter, it’s a 5/70 game, again with a 1/25 ‘Megaball’ bonus. Tickets are $2, and while other states offer an additional $1 multiplier, California unfortunately does not, due to its stricter legislation surrounding lotteries, also resulting in the pari-mutuel structure of CA Lottery Draw Games. Thankfully, this doesn’t stop Mega Millions from dishing out in California – half of the third-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history went to a Cali resident.

Superlotto Plus

Superlotto Plus is a Californian staple. It’s fairly straightforward – it’s a 5/47 game, with a Mega bonus game where you select an extra number out of 27. Match as many numbers as you can to the drawn numbers to win more. The ticket price is pretty decent too, only $1 to play! Drawings take place on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, a slot also shared with Powerball. Check out the table below to see the odds of matching with the most recent prize amounts.

Daily 4

Daily 4 is one of those simple concepts that have a surprising amount of depth when you take a look at all the ways you can tweak the game to your experience. The odds are pretty clear on this one – you simply choose 4 numbers, and then the way in which those numbers are played against the drawn numbers, which are taken every single evening at 6:30 PM. You can play those numbers for a straight match to win the most, or in different ways in order to win. There are two different prizes – straight and box. Check out the table below for the full descriptions of the plays.

Fantasy 5

Fantasy 5 is a 5/39 game, meaning that you select 5 numbers from a range of 39 and match them to win! To purchase a ticket and play is only $1, making this Draw Game a pretty popular one with us and with Californians. Low risk, decent odds, for a pretty high reward considering the cost. The fact that there are daily drawings makes the deal even sweeter. Check out the table below for the odds of matching winning numbers and remember – the prize amount changes from draw to draw depending on ticket sales.

The Best California Scratch Offs: Lottery Scratchers with Best Odds

Each state in the United States (bar a few special cases – Alaska, Alabama, Nevada, to name a few) offers their own spin on the Scratch off lottery ticket, and California is no exception. Scratchers are those tickets you can buy at lottery retailers that hold some special and exciting instant wins! Scratch at the symbols to reveal prizes underneath. California has a pretty nice selection of Scratch Off tickets, check out our pick of the best, based upon their overall odds of returning any kind of cash prize to the ticket holder.

1. $10,000,000 Bankroll (Odds: 1 out of 2.78)
2. Ultimate Millions (Odds: 1 out of 2.81)
3. Monopoly (Odds: 1 out of 2.92)
4. 2020 (Odds: 1 out of 3)
5. Big Money (Odds: 1 out of 3)

That’s just a selection of the best – there’s a lot more Scratchers with a range of odds and prizes at different price points to discover. Beginning at $1 per ticket, they go all the way up to $30 for those big paying cards, with top prizes of up to $10 million! These more valuable tickets have greater odds of paying out any kind of cash prize and that’s why they take our top spot, so bear that in mind when checking out the rest. Sometimes a small stake is better for the thrill rather than dropping the big bucks each time you get a ticket. Scratch under the surface and find the right one for you and your budget.

Unique California Lottery Games

A lot of the state lotteries will offer something in the way of a unique game that doesn’t quite fit in either the Draw Game category nor the Scratcher. California offers two such distinct games! Daily Derby is a special kind of lottery that simulates a horse race. You can get that thrill of the trackside any time by picking up a ticket for $2 at your local California lottery retailer. You pick 3 horses to finish first, second and third, and – to make things a bit spicier – the race time for the first placed horse. It’s a 1 in 320,000 to win the top prize, which at last glance was almost $250,000! Pretty decent odds. Also on California’s roster is Hot Spot. This one has drawings every 4 minutes! You select 1 – 10 numbers from 80, and every 4 minutes a new number will be drawn. You can win up to $300,000, every day!

Important Laws Regarding CA Lotteries

Players, it’s important to keep in your minds that all states have their own specific regulations and laws when it comes to lotteries. What’s legal in California could be different just over the border. You can be 18 in California and purchase a ticket, but over in Arizona, 21 is the legal minimum age. Check out our breakdown of the Arizona Lottery. It’s also very useful to know when you can claim your winnings. In California, you have 180 days, or roughly 6 months, to claim your winnings before they’re blocked.

Another crucial factor in determining your winnings is taxes. Across winnings over the entire United States of America, a federal tax of 24% is required to be paid upon receiving the winnings, and states take a tax on top of that, varying from state to state. Very lucky for residents of California is that you don’t need to pay any state tax at all! That’s why its even more important to keep a low profile after winning the lottery, which is a little hard to do in California, as they forbid anonymity. Oh well, you can’t win them all can you?

History of the California Lottery

The Californian Lottery has a significant and interesting history. In 1984, a bill was passed to endorse a lottery in the state, with a specific emphasis on the revenue raised going towards education. 34% of the revenue raised was to go back to the public this way. In 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger amended the Act that was brought in over 20 years prior and required that at least 87% of the lottery revenue raised go to education. While this has resulted in not the greatest odds compared to other states, as well as a confusing pari-mutuel structure, residents of California can rest easy knowing their money is going to good work.

California has been part of some big wins in its history. Most notably, a couple in California was part of the biggest win in American lotto history in 2016, winning a third of the $1.586 billion jackpot prize. With a generous spirit, the couple laid low from the media but designated the majority of their winnings to a trust to be distributed amongst charities of their choice.

Conclusion

There you have it, that’s a pretty deep dive into the California lotto world. There are some great draw games, both regional and national, to choose from. As always there are those reliable Scratchers if you need to scratch that itch, but in the Golden State, there are also some pretty unique alternatives to your regular programming to get your head around too. That it folks! Good luck in your lottery ventures. Remember to come back here and check this page for the new California lottery winning numbers, as well as our general American Lottery page for all other states.

Common Questions that People Also Ask

Wait! Before you go, you might have a couple of lingering questions. Rather than heading straight to google, check out our most common questions regarding the CA lotto right here. It’s always so important to stay as informed as possible before making that gamble, and a responsible bettor is and informed one.