South Carolina Lottery

There’s much to like about the South Carolina Lottery, including responsible and transparent financial management, above-average payout rates, and a rewarding loyalty program.

South Carolinians post some of the highest per-capita spending numbers on lottery games even though there’s no way to buy South Carolina Lottery tickets online (for now).

As a result, South Carolina regularly ranks among the top ten in the nation by revenue and transfers half a billion to fund the state’s education efforts despite ranking 23rd among states by population.

South Carolina Online Lottery

There are no legal or reputable methods to play the South Carolina Lottery online today.

Thus, the only way to buy South Carolina Lottery tickets safely and legally is through authorized retailers. Players must be 18 or older and use cash to pay for their tickets – South Carolina law prohibits all other forms of payment, including credit and debit cards.

Some lawmakers have introduced legislation allowing players to buy South Carolina Lottery tickets with debit cards, but there have been no efforts in recent years to authorize online sales.

South Carolina Lottery Games

The South Carolina Lottery exclusively offers draw games and scratch-offs. Although the collection is rather small, it offers variety in draw frequencies, pricing, and top jackpots.

For example, South Carolina’s daily drawing games offer small but frequent jackpots, while its mega jackpot games boast top prizes that occasionally breach the $1 billion mark.

  • Mega Jackpot Draw Games: Powerball and Mega Millions
  • State-Exclusive Game: Palmetto Cash 5
  • Daily Drawings: Pick 3, Pick 4, and Cash Pop
  • Scratch-Offs: 40+ games at prices from $1 to $20

South Carolina Lottery Rewards Program

The South Carolina Lottery Players’ Club rewards players for submitting their winning and non-winning scratch-offs and draw game tickets.

Players can submit paid tickets through the South Carolina Lottery app or online for one SCEL Coin per dollar spent on tickets. Then, players can use SCEL Coins to enter weekly, monthly, and quarterly drawings.

At least three drawings are running at any given time, with increasingly valuable prizes between the current weekly, monthly, and quarter drawing. For example, a recent trio of drawings offered the following top prizes:

  • Weekly Drawing: Apple Watch with a pair of AirPods Max (two winners)
  • Monthly Drawing: $500 cash (thirty winners)
  • Quarterly Drawing: $10,000 cash (ten winners)

Players can also earn SCEL Coin bonuses by completing missions, such as submitting five $3 scratch-offs or entering $20 worth of draw game tickets.

In addition to all the above, the South Carolina Lottery hosts frequent second-chance drawings that regularly award prizes worth up to $1,000,000.

How to Claim South Carolina Lottery Prizes

There are three ways to claim lottery prizes in South Carolina:

  • Prizes up to $500: In-person at any authorized lottery retailer
  • Prizes up to $100,000: In-person at the Columbia Claims Center or by mail
  • Prizes over $100,000: In-person at the Columbia Claims Center

Players can claim prizes by mail by sending the signed winning ticket to the mailing address listed below. If the prize is worth more than $500, the winner must also include a claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID.

SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039

Winners can claim prizes of any size by bringing the signed ticket to the Columbia Claims Center at the address listed below. If the prize is worth more than $500, they’ll also need to ring a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID.

Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Contact the South Carolina Lottery

Players can contact the South Carolina Lottery via phone and e-mail.

South Carolina Lottery FAQ

No. The only way to buy South Carolina Lottery tickets is to visit an authorized retailer in person.

Players must be 18 or older to buy SC Lottery tickets.

Players must claim prizes from scratch-offs within 90 days of the game’s official end date and prizes from draw games within 180 days of the winning drawing.

No. Players must pay for SC Lottery tickets with cash.

As its official name suggests, the South Carolina Education Lottery contributes significant funds to state educational efforts.