Georgia Lottery

Georgia was an early adopter in online lotteries with lottery officials approving sales via internet in July 2012. The Georgia Online Lottery launched later that year and is now the most extensive online lottery platform in the United States.

Games offered by the Georgia Online Lottery include:

  • Powerball, Mega Millions, and Fantasy 5 tickets
  • Instant-win scratch-offs dubbed “Diggi Games.”
  • Online keno

GALottery.com is the official site of the Georgia Lottery and the only website in the state authorized to offer real money lottery games online. The Georgia Lottery Corporation operates the lottery and is managed by a seven-member board of directors appointed by the Governor.

Revenue generated by the Georgia Lottery via online and in-purchase sales supports two key educational programs: Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) and the state’s Prekindergarten program. Last year alone, the GA Lottery contributed more than $1 billion to state education coffers.

How to Play the Georgia Lottery Online

The GA Lottery sells tickets online at GALottery.com, through the iOS mobile app, and through the Android app. Both the lottery website and the mobile apps offer the full range of tickets, keno, and instant win games.

The Georgia Lottery offers two free membership options that unlock online play. First is the basic “Players Cub” that allows you to enter non-winning tickets into second-chance drawings, receive coupons for GA Lottery games, and to participate in special events and giveaways.

The basic Players Club account is open to anyone 18 or older, including out-of-state customers.

If you’re 18 or older and are a state resident, you can upgrade your Players Club account to activate online lottery sales. This will allow you to buy tickets, play keno and try your luck with the instant win Diggi Games online.

Upgrading your Players Club account does not cost anything, but you will be asked to verify your name, address, and last four of your social to unlock online play.

How to Buy Powerball Tickets Online in Georgia

State residents 18 and older can play Powerball online in Georgia at GALottery.com. To start, sign up for an account as described above and then fund your iHOPE account (more on that later).

If you access the GA Lottery website from a desktop, look for the “buy now” tab, select that and you’ll see a list of all draw games that can be played online. Mobile users can run the app, and you’ll see Powerball as one of the options on the app home screen.

Selecting “Powerball” will then take you to a screen where you can choose your own numbers or let the system pick numbers at random on your behalf. You can purchase as many tickets as you’d like into as many drawings as you’d like. For example, you may enter a single entry into the next drawing or enter multiple tickets into as many as 26 consecutive drawings.

Powerball online prices are the same as they are in the real world: $2 per ticket plus an additional $1 per ticket if you activate the multiplier option.

As you add tickets, the app/website will update the total cost of your purchase. Confirm everything looks correct, and then select “play now” to complete your purchase. The GA Lottery will notify you if you’ve won.

Here’s what it looks like to buy Powerball tickets through the GA Lottery mobile app:

Other Draw Games

In addition to Powerball, the Georgia Online Lottery also sells Mega Millions and Fantasy 5 tickets. The process for buying entries into these games is basically the same as it is for buying Powerball tickets online.

Here’s a quick overview of all GA Lottery online draw games:

GameCost Per TicketMaximum # of Tickets
   
Powerball$210 tickets / 26 drawings
Mega Millions$210 tickets / 26 drawings
Fantasy 5$110 tickets / 14 drawings

Instant Win Diggi Games

The Georgia Lottery has 39 instant-win “Diggi Games” that look and function similarly to scratch-off tickets bought in person, with the exception being these are all played online. Prices, maximum payouts, odds of winning, and themes vary.

Some Diggi Games function like reveal scratchers while others feel more like skill games such as Medieval Money, which has you aim a catapult at a castle in the hunt for valuable gems. Some even feature bonus games with additional ways to win. All GA Lottery games are entirely luck-based, but the semblance of control offered by some of these games goes a long way to keep things interesting.

Instant win prices range from $0.50 to $10 per entry, with potential payouts ranging from $10,000 to $200,000. Each game allows you to pick your own price, so the more you pay, the bigger the potential payout.

Something important to know about these games is that they are released in batches, just like physical scratch tickets, with a set number of prizes established for each prize level. While your odds of winning anything at all remain fairly constant, the odds of winning a big jackpot vary based on how many jackpots are still left in that batch.

You can see how many prizes remain in each tier by choosing the “info” button next to the name of any Diggi Game. This will bring up a window that shows instructions for playing, the odds of winning, and the number of prizes remaining.

You can see the full list of online scratch-offs at the bottom of this review.

Instant Win Desktop Screenshots

Instant Win Mobile Screenshots

Georgia Online Keno

Online keno is offered around the clock at the Georgia Lottery website, with new drawings every three and a half minutes for more than 300 drawings a day. If you have played keno in person with the Georgia Lottery, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting up and running online – the process is basically the same.

Each game begins with you choosing an amount to wager ($1 to $10) and the number of consecutive drawings you’d like to play (up to 20 drawings). Next, you’ll pick anywhere from 1 to 10 numbers out of a pool of numbers ranging from 1-80. The more spots you play and the bigger your bet, the bigger the potential prize.

For example, choosing one number results in a maximum of payout of $2 off a $1 bet, while picking ten numbers unlocks a maximum prize of $100,000 if all ten numbers are matched. Similarly, placing a $10 bet unlocks a maximum payout of $1 million in a 10-spot game.

GA Lottery keno can potentially pay even more if you activate the multiplier and/or bulls-eye option.

The prize multiplier option costs an extra $1 per play and results in each game first drawing a random multiplier option from these possibilities: no multiplier, 2x, 3x, 5x or 10x. This means you can win up to $10 million at the absolute maximum if you place a $10 bet, draw a 10x multiplier and match all 10 of your numbers.

The bullseye option also costs $1, and if activated, one extra bullseye number will be drawn at the end of each keno game. If that number matches any of yours, you win an instant prize worth up to $2 million, regardless of how many other numbers you matched in the main game.

This video from the Georgia Lottery explains it all:

YouTube video

Full List of GA Lottery Diggi Games

GameTicket PriceMaximum PayoutOverall Odds
    
Holiday Gold$3-$10$150,0001:3.43
Jumbo Bucks$2-$10$200,0001:3.40
Bingo International$2-$10$100,0001:3.30
Emoti Collect$1-$5$75,0001:3.68
Supreme Soccer$0.50-$5$75,0001:3.71
Lucky 7s$1-$10$150,0001:3.36
50x The Money$10$150,0001:2.50
Dual Crossword Craze$3-$10$100,0001:3.20
Star Match$2-$10$125,0001:3.50
Silver Stars$10$100,0001:3.24
Spooky Loot$2-$5$50,0001:3.50
Monkey Drop$1-$5$60,0001:3.60
Medieval Money$1-$5$60,0001:3.56
Cash Cookout$2-$10$150,0001:3.51
Ghostbusters$2-$5$60,0001:3.50
Super Scoop$0.50-$2$10,0001:3.77
Champion Raceway$3-$10$100,0001:3.20
Quick Pay$0.50-$3$10,0001:3.70
Lil Lady Bingo$0.50-$5$50,0001:3.70
Wheel of Fortune$5-$10$100,0001:3.00
VIP Gold$5-$10$100,0001:3.00
Fort Knox$0.50-$10$100,0001:3.70
Cash Spectacular$0.50-$10$150,0001:3.70
Double Cash Doubler$0.50-$10$100,0001:3.70
Lucky Falls$2-$5$60,0001:3.50
Crossword Riches$3-$10$100,0001:3.20
Lightning Keno$1$10,000Varies
Tropical 8s$0.50-$2$10,0001:3.70
Tripoll$1-$5$60,0001:3.50
Glitter & Gold$3$25,0001:3.20
Cleopatra$2$10,0001:3.50
Crossword$3$30,0001:3.19
Mega Crossword$5$50,0001:3.03
Captain MoneyBeard$3$25,0001:3.12
Armadillo Trail$2$10,0001:3.70
Astro Cash$0.50$1,0001:3.69
Hammer Strike$1-$3$40,0001:3.50
Spiral Spin$1$5,0001:3.50
Mole Madness$1$5,0001:3.50

Does the GA Lottery Offer Any Bonuses or Promotions?

Not in the traditional sense. That is, the GA Online Lottery does not offer customers additional money for signing up and playing.

However, the Georgia Lottery website and app do allow you to take advantage of certain promotions, such as redeeming tickets for second-chance prizes and entering special giveaways. These promotions are not really connected to the online lottery because they almost always involve having you scan non-winning scratch cards through the app to enter special drawings.

In one recent promotion, the GA Lottery app held a promotion that allowed customers to scan any non-winning tickets to enter a drawing. For the next month, the GA Lottery gave away daily cash prizes ranging from $25 to $25,000. Two days during that month, the GA Lottery gave out 25 cash prizes worth $25,000 to $1,000,000.

Other past promotions have involved redeeming your non-winning Mega Millions tickets to win Super Bowl tickets and another that let you scan non-winning scratch cards to enter a drawing giving away a trip to Vegas plus $1 billion in cash.

Making Deposits and Collecting Winnings

The ability to deposit and withdraw to and from your Georgia Lottery account is unlocked after verifying your identity and upgrading your Players Club account. Doing so establishes your age and residency to activate real money games, deposits, and withdrawals.

Once you have upgraded your Players Club account, the Georgia Lottery will provide you with an iHOPE e-wallet that is used to hold your funds and receive payment of your winnings. You can fund your iHOPE wallet with your debit card, bank account, or PayPal and then use your iHOPE balance to play GA Lottery games online.

Winnings of less than $600 are paid directly to your iHOPE account and can be withdrawn from there. Prizes greater than $600 will trigger the GA Lottery to e-mail you with instructions for visiting the nearest district office to claim your payout.

More About the Georgia Lottery

The Georgia Lottery was created through a November 3, 1992, constitutional amendment. The first lottery sales occurred on June 29, 1993. The 52 million tickets sold in the first week set a new national record. It also broke a per capita record in annual spend of $164.81, making it the most successful lottery startup in history.

The Georgia Lottery has a monopoly on gambling in the state. This includes traditional lottery sales like instant games, lotto drawings, and keno. There is also a video lottery that regulated skill-based slot machines located in taverns and convenience stores. Online sales are offered, including lotto, keno, and digital instant games that play like slot machines. 

Lottery proceeds are earmarked for education. Revenues support pre-k services and the Hope Scholarship, which pays tuition for college students at in-state schools.

Georgia Lottery Details

  • Established: November 3, 1992
  • Launched: June 29, 1993
  • Regulator: Georgia Lottery Corporation
  • Types of games: instant, lotto, keno, and video lottery
  • Online sales permitted: Yes
  • Online games: lotto, instant games, keno
  • Sales: retailers, vending machines, online (find Georgia Lottery retailers)
  • Proceeds: pre-k and college education
  • Minimum age: 18
  • Find the Georgia Lottery on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.

Multi-state lotto drawings

The Georgia Lottery participates in three interstate drawings. These lottery contests generate prize pools well into the tens and sometimes millions of dollars.

Mega Millions

  • Ticket price: $2
  • Starting jackpot: $20 million
  • Record jackpot: $1.537 billion
  • Jackpot odds: 302,575,350:1
  • Any prize odds: 24:1
  • Drawings days: Tuesday and Friday at 11 pm ET

Powerball

  • Ticket price: $2
  • Starting jackpot: $20 million (lowered from $40 million during the pandemic)
  • Record jackpot: $1.586 billion
  • Jackpot odds: 292,201,338:1
  • Any prize odds: 24.87:1
  • Drawings days: Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET

Cash4Life

  • Ticket price: $2
  • Starting jackpot: $1,000 a day for life
  • Jackpot odds: 21,846,048:1
  • Any prize odds: 1.76:1
  • Drawings days: Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET

Intrastate Georgia Lottery drawings

Cash Pop

  • Ticket prices: $1, $2 and $5
  • Starting jackpot: $1,250
  • Jackpot odds: 8,250:1
  • Any prize odds: 15:1
  • Drawings days: 8 am, 1 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm and 11:59 pm daily

Fantasy 5

  • Ticket price: $1 and $2
  • Starting jackpot: pari-mutuel depends on the number of entries
  • Jackpot odds: 860,668:1
  • Any prize odds: 10.06:1
  • Drawings days: daily at 11:34 pm ET

Jumbo Bucks Lotto

  • Ticket price: $1 and 2
  • Starting jackpot: $1 million
  • Record jackpot: $9.6 million
  • Jackpot odds: 10,737,573:1
  • Any prize odds: 47.56:1 on $1 tickets, 2.94:1 for $2 tickets
  • Drawings days: Monday and Thursday at 11 pm ET

Cash 3

  • Ticket price: $0.50 and $1
  • Starting jackpot: $500
  • Jackpot odds: 1,000:1
  • Any prize odds: 1,000:1 (straight)
  • Drawings days: 12:29 pm, 6:59 pm and 11:34 pm ET daily

Cash 4

  • Ticket price: $0.50 and $1
  • Starting jackpot: $5,000
  • Jackpot odds: 10,000:1
  • Any prize odds: 10,000 (straight)
  • Drawings days: Drawings days: 12:29 pm, 6:59 pm and 11:34 pm ET daily

Georgia Five

  • Ticket price: $1
  • Starting jackpot: $10,000
  • Jackpot odds: 100,000:1
  • Any prize odds: 5.26:1
  • Drawings days: 12:29 pm and 6:59 pm daily

Instant win games

The Georgia Lottery offers dozens of instant games. These scratch-off tickets may be purchased at lottery retailers. Prices range from $1 and go up to $30.

$1 Games

  • 5x the Win
  • Neon 9s
  • Did I win?
  • Georgia Jackpot
  • Lucky 7
  • Roses and Riches
  • Super Hot 7’s
  • Festive $50’s
  • 10k Gold
  • $20,000 Extreme Cash
  • Lucky Win
  • Wild Numbers
  • $50 Stacked
  • Loose Change
  • 7 Times Lucky

$2 Games

  • Big Ca$h Bonus
  • 10x the Win
  • Money Match
  • Pac-Man
  • Big Bucks
  • Georgia Jackpot
  • Triple Play
  • $50,000 Taxes Paid
  • 77 Doubler
  • Electric 8’s
  • Diamonds x10
  • Merry Double Match
  • 10x Special Edition
  • The Addams Family Fortune
  • 777

$3 Games

  • Spicy Hot 7’s
  • 15x Bingo
  • Multiplier Ca$hword
  • Georgia Jackpot
  • Celebrate 2020
  • Holiday Riches
  • Lucky Cash
  • Blazing 777
  • Lady Jumbo Bucks
  • 15x the Money Exclusive
  • 15x the Money
  • Jumbo Bucks Crossword
  • Cherry, Orange, Lemon Cashword
  • Combo Play Game

$5 Games

  • Atlanta Falcons Rise Up!
  • Corvette and Cash
  • 20x the Win
  • Cash to Go!
  • Atlanta United FC
  • Super Cash Multiplier
  • Georgia Jackpot
  • Win it All
  • $5,000 Overload
  • 777 Tripler
  • Extreme Green
  • $500,000 Payday Doubler
  • More Jingle!
  • 20x Special Edition
  • Quick $50’s

$10 Games

  • Lucky 7’s
  • Georgia Jackpot
  • Limelight Loot
  • Lots of $15,000!
  • $100 Million Dollar Cash Bonanza
  • Hit $600
  • Jingle Jumbo Bucks
  • $1,000,000 Cash Vault
  • Quick $100’s
  • $1,000 Stacked
  • Monopoly 50x
  • 50x the Money
  • $1,000,000 Jackpot
  • My First Million!
  • Jumbo Jumbo Bucks

$20 Games

  • 100x the Win
  • Triple Sapphire 777
  • $2,000,000 Fortune
  • Cash Explosion
  • Millionaire Jumbo Bucks
  • 100x the Money – Special Holiday Edition
  • $2,000,000 Extreme Cash
  • 100x the Money
  • Lots of $25,000!
  • $100 or $200
  • Monopoly Millionaire
  • $7,500 a Week for Life

$25 Games

  • Georgia Jackpot
  • Big Money
  • Royal Jumbo Bucks
  • Deluxe Edition
  • $25 25th Anniversary

$30 Games

  • Billionaire Club
  • Fastest Road to $1,000,000
  • Limited Release
  • The New Supermax the Money

Georgia Lottery Keno

The Georgia Lottery offers keno games. The drawings take place every 3.5 minutes. Tickets are sold in $1, $2, $3, $5, and $10 denominations. Keno is not available at all lottery retailers. The tickets are generally sold at taverns and bowling alleys, though some convenience stores also have them. Keno tickets may also be purchased on the Georgia Lottery’s website and within its app.

There is an optional bullseye bet. This pays when the last number drawn hits the player’s card.

Players pick one to ten numbers. The odds of winning depend on the amount of numbers picked.

Keno Payouts

The amounts listed below should be multiplied by the amount of the bet.

  • 1 number: $2 – odds of winning: 4:1
  • 2 numbers: 2 hits pays $10 – odds of winning: 16.63:1
  • 3 numbers: 2 hits: $2, 3 hits: $25 – odds of winning: 6.55:1
  • 4 numbers: 2 hits: $1, 3 hits: $5, 4 hits: $70 – odds of winning: 3.86:1
  • 5 numbers: 3 hits: $2, 4 hits: $17, 5 hits: $400 – odds of winning: 10.34:1
  • 6 numbers: 3 hits: $1, 4 hits: $7, 5 hits: $50, 6 hits: $1,200 – odds of winning: 6.19:1
  • 7 numbers: 3 hits: $1, 4 hits: $3, 5 hits: $15, 6 hits: $125, 7 hits: $4,000 – odds of winning: 4.23:1
  • 8 numbers: 4 hits: $2, 5 hits: $10, 6 hits: $75, 7 hits: $500, 8 hits: $10,000 – odds of winning: 9.77:1
  • 9 numbers: 4 hits: $1, 5 hits: $5, 6 hits: $25, 7 hits: $150, 8 hits: $3,000, 9 hits: $30,000 – odds of winning: 6.53:1
  • 10 numbers: 5 hits: $2, 6 hits: $10, 7 hits: $50, 8 hits: $500, 9 hits: $5,000, 10 hits: $100,000 – odds of winning: 9.05:1

Covering an eight, nine or ten-spot can become pari-mutuel if there are enough winners. The cumulative liability for an eight-spot is $1,000,000. The maximum cumulative payout on a nine-spot is $3 million. For 10 spots, it is $10 million.

Georgia Lottery Mobile App

The Georgia Lottery offers players an app. It has several convenient functions. Players may scan scratch-off and lotto tickets to determine if it is a winner. It has a database of winning lotto drawing numbers. Players may search for the closest lottery retailer. Tickets to major lotto drawings may be purchased on the app. It also offers Diggi Games, which are online instant games that mimic slot machines. The Georgia Lottery app is available on Android and iOS.

Player Zone

The Georgia Lottery Player Zone is a players club open to all players located in the state. It allows entries into second-chance drawings. There are coupons available on lottery tickets to all that sign up for it. The Georgia Lottery Player Zone notifies its members about exclusive events and winning lotto numbers.

Second Chance Drawings

The Georgia Lottery generally holds three active second chance drawings. These typically give away large cash prizes or luxury cars. There are two ways to enter a Georgia Lottery second chance drawing. One is to go to the website and upload a qualifying losing ticket. The other is to scan it in the Georgia Lottery app.

Georgia Video Lottery

The Georgia Legislature legalized grey coin-operated amusement machines in 2013. The Georgia Lottery took over regulation of these games in April of that year. These video lottery machines cannot use playing cards or numbers as symbols. These must be skill-based devices that play like slot machines. The skill involved may be minimal such as it being a part of a bonus round or moving a slot reel one space to turn a loss into a win. These games are typically found in convenience stores and taverns.

The Georgia video lottery tax rate is 10 percent of net revenues. A 2020 attempt to raise that to 20 percent failed to make it out of the state senate. Prizes may not be paid in cash. It may only be store merchandise, excluding tobacco and alcohol, lottery tickets, or gift cards.

Where to Buy Georgia Lottery Tickets

There are thousands of Georgia Lottery retailers. These are typically convenience, grocery, and liquor stores. Kiosks are often found at airports. Keno tickets are sold at taverns and bowling alleys, though some convenience stores offer a keno lounge. Some lotto tickets may be purchased online or on the Georgia Lottery app, which includes Diggi Games.

Georgia Lottery State Income Tax

The Georgia Lottery issues a tax form on all winnings over $600. A six percent tax is due to the state on lottery winnings. This is in addition to any federal tax owed.

Georgia Lottery FAQ

Georgia Lottery winners with prizes over $250,000 may remain anonymous.

Georgia Lottery players must be at least 18 years old.

Yes. Diggi Games and tickets for select lotto drawings may be purchased online and on the lottery app.

Diggi Games are like online slot machines. Players deposit funds into an account and click a button. The prize or losing ticket is then displayed.  Game prices run from $0.50 up to $10.

Tickets may not be purchased by mail. However, winning tickets may be claimed that way.

Tickets may be returned to any lottery retailer or mailed to a Georgia Lottery office. Mailed tickets must be signed.

Prizes over $600 must be claimed at a Georgia Lottery office. Two forms of identification are required.

The Georgia video lottery consists of coin-operated amusement machines that operate like slots. These games involve a small degree of skill. Prizes must be paid for in-store merchandise, gift cards, or lottery tickets. Prizes may not involve alcohol or tobacco.

The Georgia Lottery may be contacted at 1-800-GA-LUCKY or by using this online submission form.

The Georgia Lottery is available online. This includes tickets for keno and lotto drawings, as well as internet-only contests called Diggi Games. These play like slot machines and return about 80 percent back to players, depending on the game and the amount wagered.

Internet players must be at least 18 years old. Online games are only available to state residents. A credit card with an address based in the state must be used for all transactions. Players must be located within state lines to make purchases.