California Lottery's motto is 'imagine the possibilities', but one player from the state won more than they could ever have envisaged when they snagged a Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion in November 2022. The lottery not only gives players the chance to win impressive prizes - ticket sales also benefit public schools, colleges and universities throughout the Golden State. The California Lottery has raised more than $26.6 billion for education since 1985, and 87% of its sales must be returned to the public as prizes or contributions to education. The CA Lottery is a revenue-generating State Agency that does not receive General Fund or taxpayer dollars.
Check the table below to find out the draw days and times for all the exciting CA Lottery games. All times are PT.
California offers exciting draw games, many of which give you the chance to win every day. If you want an even faster-paced game, play Hot Spot, which is drawn every four minutes! Californians can also play the Mega Millions and Powerball games, with their multi-million dollar jackpots. They have enjoyed great success on both games, most notably the $2 billion Powerball winner in 2022.
Scratchers, also known as "scratch-offs" or "instant-win games", can be purchased from any authorized California Lottery retailer. These games cost anywhere between $1 and $20, and can offer prizes of up to $5 million. If you're looking for a quick hit of lottery fun without waiting for an official drawing to take place, then a scratcher game is perfect for you!
If you're living in the U.S. but are not a Californian resident, then you will have to travel there to buy lottery tickets in person. Tickets for SuperLotto, Fantasy 5, Daily 3 and 4, Daily Derby, Hot Spot and other great games are sold at authorized retailers across the state.
If you want to claim a California Lottery prize, you'll have 180 days from the date of the draw for which you bought a ticket. The only exceptions are the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots, which give you one year from the date of the winning jackpot to claim your prize.
Prizes of any amount may be claimed by mail. Any lottery prize worth $599 or less can also be claimed at any California Lottery retailer. You can also visit any California Lottery District Office if you'd like to process the claim in person.
If you win a lottery prize worth more than $600 then the Lottery must inform the IRS about the win.
It may take between six and eight weeks for your claim to be processed by the California Lottery, so you'll have a lot of time to think about how to spend your winnings!
Claim a prize by mail
To redeem a prize of any value by mail, sign your ticket and complete a claim form.
Keep a copy of the documents, and send the originals to:
California State Lottery
730 North 10th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
History of the Californian Lottery
The California Lottery was established in 1984 by means of a ballot measure known as Proposition 37. The revenue raised from the new lottery was - and still is - intended to benefit public schools, colleges and universities in the Golden State. Tickets went on sale in 1985, and since then the California Lottery has raised more than $26.6 billion for education.
In the past, 37 percent of all lottery revenues were allocated for education and operating expenses were capped at 16 percent. The California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 142 in April 2010, which fundamentally changed how the Lottery operated. Now, 87 percent of California Lottery sales must be returned to the public either as prizes or as contributions to educational initiatives.
The $2.04 billion won by a Californian on Powerball on November 7th, 2022, set a new record for the largest lottery prize ever won anywhere in the world. This record jackpot was claimed by Edwin Castro, who bought his ticket in Altadena.
You need to be at least 18 years old in order to play California Lottery games. Prizes worth more than $599 are reported to the IRS for tax purposes, but the state of California itself won't levy any taxes on your winnings.
All lottery prizes in California must be pari-mutuel, meaning that they are based on the number of tickets sold in each draw and how many winners there are in each prize tier. As a result, the Power Play option is not available when buying Powerball tickets in the Golden State.
