California Lottery

California operates one of the nation’s three largest state lotteries despite prohibiting online ticket sales and only offering draw games and scratchers.

However, the California Lottery offers a diverse mix of games within those categories. The current lineup consists of multi-state draw games with rolling jackpots, a single in-state draw game, keno, and a varied collection of scratch-offs featuring jackpots worth up to $10 million:

  • Mega Jackpot Draw Games: Powerball and Mega Millions
  • State-Operated Draw Game: SuperLotto Plus
  • Daily Drawings: Fantasy 5, Daily 4, Daily 3, and Daily Derby
  • Keno: Hot Spot
  • Scratchers: Roughly 60 scratch-off tickets available throughout the year

There’s no way to play the California Lottery online, but the state’s 23,000+ retailers ensure players are never far from their next ticket.

By Randy Ray Hours Updated

California Online Lottery

There’s currently no way to buy California Lottery tickets online. The California Lottery does not sell lottery tickets directly to customers online, and none of the nation’s reputable lottery courier apps operate in California.

Lottery couriers operate in some states even if they lack official approval from local regulators, but California explicitly prohibits the practice. In a June 2024 press release, the California Lottery warned its retailers that it may terminate their contracts if they sell tickets to lottery couriers.

The California Lottery also warned players that purchasing tickets through courier apps may make them ineligible to claim any prizes they win. A California Lottery spokesperson put it this way:

“Online lottery ticket courier services are illegal in California. We are thankful for the support of our retail partners in helping our customers play safely, rather than exchanging money with a third-party, unregulated business. Any California Lottery player who buys their games through an online courier is not eligible to win.”

The Jackpocket app attempted to enter the California market in 2021, but the state lottery issued a statement disavowing third-party couriers. Jackpocket only operates in states where it has the approval of local regulators, so it exited the California market after just nine days.

California Lottery App Review

The California Lottery app offers fewer capabilities than most, but the features it does offer work well.

Most importantly, the California Lottery ticket scanner works consistently and does not require an account. It’s shocking how many other state lottery apps feature dysfunctional ticket scanners, require players to sign up for accounts just to scan tickets, or both.

The official California Lottery app also allows users to set notifications for promotions and events, jackpots, and winning numbers, all of which are useful for regular players.

Ticket scanner and notifications aside, the California Lottery app offers little compared to other states’ official lottery apps. There’s no option to view information about all available scratchers, no lucky number pickers, and no option to watch live drawings on the app.

California Lottery App Screenshots

California Lottery Games

The California offers various draw games, keno, and dozens of scratchers:

Draw Times:

  • Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:00 PM

Powerball is one of two California Lottery games capable of producing $1 billion+ jackpots, and players can read about it in detail below:

Draw Times:

  • Tuesday and Friday at 7:45 PM

Mega Million is California’s other big, multi-state game featuring some of the world’s largest-ever jackpots. See how to play, the odds of winning, and more below:

Draw Times:

  • Wednesday and Saturday at 7:45 PM

SuperLotto Plus is $1.00 per play and has players make two selections:

  • Five numbers between 1-47
  • One “Mega” number between 1-27

Jackpots start at $7 million and roll over every time there’s a drawing without a winner. Between California’s large population and massive ticket sales numbers, the jackpot can grow quite rapidly and has approached nearly $200 million in the past.

There are nine ways to win, and prize amounts vary based on ticket sales. For reference, the following payouts apply to a recent drawing and are fairly representative of typical winnings at each prize level.

  • Match 5 + Mega: $11,000,000 (1 in 41,416,353)
  • Match 5: $30,180 (1 in 1,592.937)
  • Match 4 + Mega: $1,257 (1 in 197,221)
  • Match 4: $101 (1 in 7585)
  • Match 3 + Mega: $50 (1 in 4,810)
  • Match 3: $10 (1 in 185)
  • Match 2+ Mega: $10 (1 in 361)
  • Match 1 + Mega: $2 (1 in 74)
  • Match Mega Only: $1 (1 in 49)
  • Overall Odds: 1 in 23

Draw Times:

  • Daily at 6:30 PM

Fantasy 5 is a straightforward daily drawing game that costs $1 and has players select five numbers from 1-39. Payouts vary based on ticket sales, so the following prize amounts are merely estimates:

  • Match 5: $69,885 (1 in 575,757)
  • Match 4: $555 (1 in 3387)
  • Match 3: $16 (1 in 103)
  • Match 2: Free Ticket (1 in 10)

Draw Times:

  • Daily at 1:00 PM and 6:30 PM

Daily 3 is a quick-and-easy game in which players choose three numbers from sets of 0-9 and pick a wager, such as predicting the numbers in the next drawing in the exact order.

Read more:

Draw Times:

  • Daily at 6:30 PM

Daily 4 plays like Daily 3, except players choose four numbers and play for larger prizes.

Draw Times:

  • Daily at 6:30 PM

Daily Derby is a horse racing-themed game in which players pick three horses to finish in the top three spots and a projected time it takes for the winning horse to complete the race. Top prizes range significantly, often ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 but occasionally approaching $1,000,000.

  • Trifecta & Time: Winning horses in order and the race time: 1 in 1,320,000
  • Trifecta: Winning horses in order: 1 in 1,321
  • Exacta: 1st and 2nd place horses in order: 1 in 147
  • Win: 1st place horse: 1 in 13.2
  • Race Time Only: 1 in 1,001

Hot Spot is the California Lottery’s keno game, with drawings run every four minutes and prizes worth up to $300,000.

The California Lottery has roughly 60 scratchers on offer at any given time at price points ranging from $1 to $30. Top prizes vary by game, with the highest prizes reaching $10,000,000.

How to Claim California Lottery Prizes

Depending on the amount won, winners have several options for claiming California Lottery prizes.

Prizes up to $599:

  • Cash at any California Lottery retailer
  • Complete a claim form and claim your prize at any CA Lottery District Office
  • Complete a claim form and claim your prize via mail

Prizes of $600 or more:

  • Complete a claim form and visit any CA Lottery District Office
  • Complete a claim form and claim your prize via mail

If claiming a prize by mail, players must send a completed claim form and the original ticket to the following address (certified mail strongly recommended):

California State Lottery
730 North 10th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Contact the California Lottery

Players can contact the California Lottery via e-mail here or by calling 1-800-LOTTERY.

California Lottery FAQ

Players must be 18 or older to buy California Lottery tickets and scratchers.

Players must claim their prizes within 180 days of the drawing or the scratch card’s announced end date.

No. The California Lottery prohibits online ticket sales and third-party couriers. An FAQ on the CA Lottery website states:

“App-based and online Lottery ticket resellers are not permitted to operate in California. Sales of California Lottery tickets by mail, online or via a mobile application are illegal. Anyone who buys their tickets through a digital reseller is ineligible to win.”