California State Lottery
The California online lottery lets you play and win from anywhere in the state. This guide explains how to buy tickets, what games are available, and how to check your winnings.
You’ll also learn about games like Powerball, Mega Millions, and Scratchers, with simple tips to help you play smarter.
California online lottery options
- 50% Up to $100 on Deposit
- 20 Free Games on Sign Up
- Use Code: USABONUS
California lottery snapshot
Here’s a quick look at which games and services the California Lottery offers.
| Launch date | November 1984 |
|---|---|
| Available games | Draw games, scratchers, 2nd chance |
| Mega Millions | Yes |
| Powerball | Yes |
| Scratchers | Yes |
| iLottery games | No |
| Courier services | Yes (but not recommended) |
| Gambling age | 18+ |
Can I play lottery games online in California?
The answer to this question is complex. We’ll start with the simplest answer: California does not offer iLottery games in any official capacity. The CA Lottery has a mobile app but doesn’t offer online games; you can check winning numbers, find participating retailers, and access other features.
The more complicated answer is that California offers a single courier service: Mido Lotto. Courier services allow lottery players to “purchase” tickets online, which are then bought by a messenger at a retail lottery vendor. These services are becoming popular in states without official online lotteries.
However, despite Mido Lotto’s availability in the Golden State, California gambling law is clear, and we cannot recommend using it. The California Lottery has taken a very firm stance against lottery couriers, saying it won’t pay out any winnings to tickets bought via a courier. The Lottery has also threatened to remove retailer licenses if they knowingly work with courier services. While you might see Mido Lotto as an online lottery option in California, the state’s official Lottery makes it risky at best.
Where does this leave California lottery players? For now, retail stores that sell lottery tickets are the best and only reasonable option.
Lottery games in California
California has a solid library of lottery games available at participating retailers. Let’s look at the main game types you can play in the Golden State.
Powerball
California first started selling Powerball tickets in April 2013. Since then, the game has become a staple among California players. A single Powerball entry costs $2, with add-ons for Power Play. You can purchase multiple tickets and/or buy entries from multiple future drawings.
Powerball is simple in its mechanics. Pick five numbers between 1 and 69 (no repeats) plus a single Powerball number between 1 and 26. Match all the numbers to win the jackpot. Matching fewer numbers awards lesser prizes. In August 2024, one lucky California player won a $44 million Powerball jackpot.
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is another massive draw game with huge jackpots. You pay $2 per ticket with add-ons available, such as Megaplier. Pick five numbers between 1 and 70, then a single gold ball number between 1 and 25. Matching them all will nab you the converted jackpot.
Mega Millions came to California in 2005. California was the third state to offer the game, following only Washington and Texas.
In June 2024, two lucky players bought winning Mega Millions tickets at the same store in Encino, CA. The jackpot was $395 million.
Other draw games in California
Powerball and Mega Millions may be household names, but they’re far from the only draw games the California Lottery offers. Players can also enjoy the following draw games at participating lottery vendors:
- SuperLotto Plus
- Fantasy 5
- Daily 3
- Daily 4
- Daily Derby
- Hot Spot Bulls-eye
Of these games, Daily Derby is the most unique. It takes a page from the horse racing book by having players select three horses to finish first, second, and third. Selecting correctly awards a prize.
Scratchers
Scratchers are an iconic lottery game format, and California has plenty of them. Scratch the spaces to reveal symbols, numbers, or letters (depending on the format) and see if you win a prize. Below, we highlight three of our favorite scratchers at the CA Lottery.
Set For Life: $2
The top prize in Set For Life is $4,000 a month for 25 years. Scratch off the winning numbers beneath the $ symbols, then scratch to reveal your numbers behind the stacks of dollar bills. Matches will award the corresponding prizes.
Red Hot Poker: $5
Poker meets the CA Lottery in this scratch game. Reveal the cards to beat the dealer’s hand. It helps to know basic poker hands, but that isn’t a requirement. The top prize is $75,000; each scratch card gives you eight hands to play.
Instant Prize Crossword: $20
It’s a crossword puzzle without all the thinking and puzzle-solving. Scratch the spaces on the grid to reveal words and win prizes based on the number of words revealed. The top prize in Instant Prize Crossword is $2 million.
2nd Chance games
Certain CA Lottery games are eligible for 2nd Chance drawings. Submit your losing tickets for SuperLotto Plus, Fantasy 5, or scratchers to get a chance at prizes. You must have a CA Lottery account with the app or desktop site to enter 2nd Chance drawings.
California lottery weekly schedule
After you buy your tickets, you can check for winning numbers according to the schedule below. All times are in Pacific.
| Game | Times |
|---|---|
| Powerball | Mon,, Wed, Fri, 7 PM |
| Mega Millions | Tue, Thur, 7:45 PM |
| SuperLotto Plus | Wed, Sat, 7:45 PM |
| Fantasy 5 | 6:30 PM daily |
| Daily 4 | 6:30 PM daily |
| Daily 3 | ! PM and 6:30 PM daily |
| Daily Derby | 6:30 PM daily |
| Hot Spot | Every 4 minutes from 6 AM to 2 AM daily |
California lottery payment options
Cash is still king when it comes to lottery ticket purchases. That goes for California, where all participating retailers accept your cold, hard bills.
California also allows lottery purchases via credit and debit, as long as the partnered retailer is equipped to accept those methods.
Responsible gambling
The California Lottery has a dedicated responsible gambling page (headlined with a stock image of a very serious-looking man, we might add).
The page is fairly barebones, but it offers a few checklists and bullet points on how to play responsibly and when you should steer clear of gambling. It also has links to other in-state resources, such as the California Problem Gambling Helpline and Gamblers Anonymous.
We recommend perusing the California Department Of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling hub for more information and resources.
The California Lottery has a World Lottery Association Certified Responsible Gaming Framework Level 4.
California lottery FAQ
Yes. CA Lottery games are given rigorous testing and quality assurance by many parties before they’re released to vendors for sale.
Yes. Both the Powerball and Mega Millions have seen California players bring home massive jackpots.
Yes. All lottery winnings are taxed by California and at the federal level. You are responsible for reporting most winnings, but big prizes will come with tax forms.
Head to the “Claim Your Prize” section of the CA Lottery website. It tells you what to do based on the amount of your prize. Rewards over $600 are easiest to claim at a Lottery District Office.
Yes. CA Lottery wins are taxed regardless of who (or how many people) win them.