Guide to Washington D.C. Lotto Numbers & Games

Players of the Lottery of the District of Columbia, you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find all the most important info about the District’s Lotto, from the best Washington D.C. Lottery games, to the interesting tidbits of knowledge that put you ahead of the competition. In its time, the DC Lottery has given over $1.5 billion back to the state to help with public education, child services, and other great services. No small feat for such a small District! Be a part of the story and be smart when you grab your next ticket.

In this guide we’ll take you through The Federal City Lotto’s best games, from the prestigious Draw Games to the bountiful Scratchers, along with the hidden gem games in between. You’ll be fully equipped to make the most of the DC Lotto’s opportunities, taking in all the nuances of the District’s laws and the distinct cultural and economic history of how the Lottery came to be in Washington D.C.. First thing’s first though, and arguably the most important – the best Washington D.C. Lottery games.

Washington DC Lottery Games

Like most other states that play the Lottery in America, Washington D.C. has divided its Lottery roster up between the two mainstays of the Lottery scene – Draw Games and Scratchers. Of the former, the games range from those on the national scene, to those more local varieties that show a little bit of that swampy DC character. The latter are composed of all local games, and are updated constantly. DC is also one of the few lottery districts that have a Sports Betting platform, so now you can bring your two passions together at last!

Draw Games: DC Lottos with Huge Jackpots

Washington D.C. has one of the biggest lineups of Draw Games we reckon we’ve ever seen. There are of course the pseudo-national games – Powerball and Mega Millions – which dominate the water-cooler discussion with their humongous progressive jackpots that build and build, at insanely high odds. However, there are also the regional and local games, that don’t offer such large prizes but have much better odds. These ones have more frequent draw times, and are just more damn satisfying because of it. Check out the draw times below.

You’re spoilt for choice when you feel that itch, and you won’t ever have to wait long between draw times to hear your lucky numbers called, thanks to the diverse and varied drawing schedule. The biggest games – those multi-jurisdictional ones – have bi-weekly drawings times, allowing time for keen bettors to pick up a ticket to go in the running for the massive jackpots. The smaller, local games have daily draws, from twice a day to every four minutes! That likely makes DC the Lottery with the most draw times, if our figures are on the money.

Powerball: History-Making Jackpots

Powerball is arguably the nation’s most famous Draw Game Lottery. It’s the one that’s been responsible for the world’s biggest jackpots, the most notable and sizeable being the 2016 triple win of $1.56 billion! It’s been a part of the District of Columbia for its entire existence, and currently the jackpot starts at $20 million, building from there. It’s a five/69 game, with a ‘Powerball’ chosen from 26. Tickets can be picked up for $2, and non-jackpot wins can be multiplied randomly with an additional ‘Power Play’ for $1.

Mega Millions: The Big Game

Mega Millions is the Pepsi to Powerball’s Coke. It’s the other big multi-jurisdictional Draw Game on campus, and offers big jackpots at sky-high odds just like its counterpart, but has been part of Washington D.C.’s Lottery roster for a shorter time, only joining in 2010. The structure differs slightly from Powerball’s: it’s a five/70 game, with a bonus ‘Megaball’ drawn from 25. It also offers a ‘Megaplier’ option, that increases the non-jackpot winnings by up to 10 times (!), for an additional $1 on a $2 ticket. Mega Millions also offers bigger starting jackpots than Powerball, with the top prize starting at $40 million!

Lucky for Life: Unlimited Income

Lucky for Life is a regional game that begun in Connecticut in 2009, and has since expanded to include 17 states and districts, including the District of Columbia. Compared to the bigger games, Lucky for Life offers better odds while still putting forward a great prize pool – snag the top prize and your luck will last a lifetime, to the tune of $1,000 a day! Players again select five balls, but this time from a range of 48, while one ‘Lucky Ball’ is drawn from 18. Tickets cost the same as the other multi-jurisdictional Washington D.C. Lottery Draw Games, at $2 a pop.

DC-5

DC-5 is the biggest in a series of D.C. Lottery Draw Games that are all homegrown and constructed in a similar style. In fact, it’s the biggest Draw Game we’ve seen with this specific game type. It’s a five number game, with each number ranging from 0-9. Don’t let that simplicity fool you – the many ways bettors can play those numbers makes this game have 120 ways to win. Bets can made for a ‘straight’ exact match, ‘box’ for a match in any order in a number of different ways depending on the number of different digits used, and wagering on pairs and groups of 3 or 4 numbers.

DC-4

DC-4 offers a similar game profile to the game above, and the rest of the games in the DC-series below, with a structure and profile highlighting uncomplicated number selection, but offering greater complexity in the variety of ways you can construct a wager and place you bet. Instead of five numbers, four need to be selected, ranging from 0-9. Players can then choose to play numbers ‘straight’ for an exact match, or play for groups of numbers, or in a ‘box’ bet to wager that the numbers will match in any order. The number of ‘ways’ indicate the presence of multiples of the same digit – the more ways, the higher number of distinct digits.

DC-3

If you really like the style of the DC-series – high versatility in how you play numbers, with simple number selection – but you prefer greater odds over a high prize pool, the DC-3 is the DC Lottery Draw Game for you. From three digits, all ranging between 0-9, players construct a wager depending on how the numbers will appear in the final draw. Like the other DC games, you can play them for an exact ‘Straight’ match, a ‘Box’ play for a match in any order, and for pairs, but you can also combine these wagers into one.

DC-2

For the bare minimum in the DC-series of Draw Games, DC-2 is where it’s at. This is the kind of game for people who want almost-guaranteed odds of winning, with a number of different ways to bet. The prizes are small, but this is a game for people who thrive on winning, rather than going for the big bucks. After selecting two digits between 0-9, players can construct a bet, going for a ‘straight’ match, ‘box’ match in any order, combos of the two, or going for matches of either of the single digits.

Race2Riches

Race2Riches is a unique style of Draw Game, and is the Washington D.C. Lottery’s own interactive horse racing game. Players wager any amount they like on a ‘horse’ number, that each have their own probabilities and odds of winning. While it might not seem like it, Race2Riches is definitely a Draw Game, with drawings occurring every four minutes, from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM! Like a regular horse race, players can also place a wager on a Quinella and a Trifecta, if they’re feeling lucky about two or three ‘horses’. We love to see how the classic Draw Game structure can be tweaked and twisted!

The Lucky One

The Lucky One is another of the District of Columbia Lottery’s continuously drawn games, with drawings occurring every four minutes, but this one is more reminiscent of a stripped-down version of that classic casino standard, roulette. Players can wager their $1 bet in three different ways om the drawing of a single number: for a ‘Lucky Number’, selecting a number from 36 and going for and exact match, for an ‘Odd or Even match’, or for a ‘High or Low’ match, with 19 and above for a high match, and below for a low one. Due to the ease of this game, the prizes aren’t very high at all, but you can sure scratch that itch!

D.C. Keno

Just like the immediately preceding games, D.C. Keno is fast, simple, and fun, with drawings occurring so fast you’ll get whiplash! It’s a modern take on the most ancient form of Lottery, the Keno. Flexibility is the name of the game here, with players able to select their preferred amount of numbers to bet from 1-10, from a range of 80. Players can then wager up to $100, but bear in mind that the maximum return on any given wager is $100,000! Players can also double down and get a KENO SPIN, which multiplies winnings by up to 10 times.

The Washington D.C. Scratchers with the Best Odds

Phew! We got through the Draw Games, now on to that other pillar in the holy Lottery binary – the humble Scratcher ticket. Many lottery players write these ones right off, for a number of reasons. The prize pools are too small, the odds are too great, they say. It’s all a matter of perspective. To improve your odds, you have to buy the expensive tickets. Scratch Off tickets can be great for those time between draws, where you want to win instantly and have a bit of fun! Plus, the limited amount of tickets printed mean that you can keep track of the remaining prize tickets out there, and be more certain of your odds!

1. Capital Fortune (Odds: 1 out of 2.76)
2. $10 Million Cash Extravaganza (Odds: 1 out of 2.82)
3. $20 Roaring Cashh (Odds: 1 out of 3.10)
4. $5,000 Frenzy (Odds: 1 out of 3.16)
5. Red Hot Riches (Odds: 1 out of 3.21)

The Scratchers listed in the ranking above all have a generally large price tag on them, relative to the plethora of cheap Scratcher tickets out there. These one have the best overall odds of all the current available Scratchers, meaning that you’re more guaranteed to get any kind of cash prize. The cheaper ones, in the range of $1 and $2 compared to the $10-$30 of these gems here, are way less likely to get you a prize, and have smaller prize pools to boot. As the old adage goes, there’s no reward without a bit of risk.

Alternative Washington D.C. Lottery Games

Throughout the United States of America, many games pop up here and there, and they tend to stick to either of two formats – the aforementioned Draw Games and Scratchers. From time to time, there are unique styles that states’ call their own, that are usually shaped by what’s legally allowed in that state.

In the case of Washington D.C., the relatively recent adoption of Sports Betting fills that alternative DC Lottery vacuum. Sports Betting brings two American passions together, Lottery and professional sports, to create something beautiful. Using the Lottery’s Sports Betting platform, GambetDC, residents can place a wager while in DC, using the official GambetDC lotto app, or on a computer.

What’s more, the sports you can place a wager on range further than the national borders. Players can bet on leagues and codes throughout the world, from AFL in Australia to La Liga in Spain to International Cricket. Put that insider knowledge to work and have an educated wager!

Important DC Lotto Laws

Before you head out there and make your next wager, it’s crucial to take note of the laws and regulations that determine how you can bet and the conditions of winning. Each state has their own specific laws and regulations, relating to their Lotteries and otherwise, and the Capitol District of Columbia is no exception. For a small area such as DC within a wider urban context, it’s crucial to know your rights compared to those in Maryland or Virginia across the border.

Breaking down the most important DC Lottery laws in the table above reveals a district that is not as favorable to the lottery as other states, and is generally restrictive in taxation. The lack of anonymity for Lottery winners is unfortunate but not uncommon, though it would be great to be able to protect your identity appearing on public record from intrusive sticky beaks that come to get a slice of the jackpot. The state taxes in DC of 8.5% are also above the 6% average, due to them being based on District income taxes.

History of the D.C. Lottery

The District of Columbia Lottery is in it middle ages, relative to the age of other state lotteries. After being founded on the 2nd of August, 1982, and has gone from stride to stride, bringing life-changing wins to its loyal players, the biggest of which was dished out in 2009 through Powerball, and went to an 82-year old lifelong D.C. resident, who wasted no time in taking the $79 million cash option of a $144 million jackpot. That win, and all others, was a part of the over $3 billion in prizes awarded to District residents in the Lottery’s history.

As well as giving back to its players, The DC Lottery has also given a lot back as part of its charitable and public contributions. $2.14 billion has gone to the District’s General Fund, supporting essential services in the District government’s portfolio, such as education, recreation, parks, public safety, housing and senior and child services. The Charitable Games Division of the Lottery has also helped nonprofits raise funds, generating more than $134 million through raffle, bingos, and other one-off lottery activities, giving back to the District and the people of DC most in need.

Conclusion

That’s (almost) all she wrote folks, thanks for tuning in. We hope that you’ll use your newfound knowledge about the Washington D.C. Lottery to make the most of any betting opportunity that comes your way, whether it be a huge jackpot that crosses the news from a multi-jurisdictional Draw Game, to a Scratcher that you see still has a remaining top prize left. Whatever you play, don’t forget to check back here for the recent DC lotto winning numbers to see if yours have popped up, and you can head over to our homepage to check out how lotteries compare around the rest of the country.

Common Questions that People Also Ask

As always, an educated and well-informed bettor is a winning bettor. That’s why we’ve compiled and answered the most frequently asked questions regarding the Washington D.C. Lotto and put them for you below to peruse at your leisure.