Which states have Lotto America?
According to the official Lotto America site, it's sold in 16 jurisdictions:
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- West Virginia
If you live somewhere else, you can still buy a ticket while you're physically in one of these places. Any prize has to be claimed with the lottery that sold the ticket; see buying lottery tickets in another state.
How do you play Lotto America?
- Choose five white-ball numbers from 1 to 52. The order doesn't matter.
- Choose one Star Ball from 1 to 10. It's drawn from a separate drum.
- Pay $1 per play. You can ask for a Quick Pick instead of choosing.
- If you want, add the All Star Bonus for another $1 per play. It multiplies any prize except the jackpot by 2, 3, 4 or 5, with the multiplier picked in a separate draw.
Sales stop a little before each drawing, and the cut-off is set by each lottery. In Iowa, for example, the Iowa Lottery sells tickets until 8:59 PM Central on draw nights.
Lotto America prizes and odds
There are nine prize tiers. These are the base amounts and odds published on the Lotto America prize page:
| Match | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Star Ball | Jackpot (starts at $2 million) | 1 in 25,989,600 |
| 5 | $20,000 | 1 in 2,887,733 |
| 4 + Star Ball | $1,000 | 1 in 110,594 |
| 4 | $100 | 1 in 12,288 |
| 3 + Star Ball | $20 | 1 in 2,404 |
| 3 | $5 | 1 in 267 |
| 2 + Star Ball | $5 | 1 in 160 |
| 1 + Star Ball | $2 | 1 in 29 |
| Star Ball only | $2 | 1 in 17 |
The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 9.6. The lower prizes are fixed amounts, though the official rules allow them to become pari-mutuel (shared out of a set prize pool) in the rare case that there are far more winners than expected. The jackpot can be taken as an annuity or a smaller cash lump sum; when the advertised jackpot was $2 million, the Iowa Lottery listed the cash option at $820,000.
How does Lotto America compare with Powerball?
The jackpot is much easier to hit. Lotto America's 1 in 25,989,600 is about 11 times better than Powerball's 1 in 292.2 million, and a ticket costs $1 instead of $2. The trade-off is size. Far fewer tickets are sold, so the Lotto America jackpot starts lower and grows more slowly than Powerball's. Lotto America also draws on the same nights as Powerball (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday). For the bigger game, see how to play Powerball.
Is there a way to improve your chances?
Not in the drawing itself. Every combination has the same chance on every draw, and past results don't change that. Buying more lines raises your chances in direct proportion to what you spend.
What you can affect is how many people you'd share a jackpot with. Lots of players use birthdays, which limits them to numbers 1 through 31, so tickets with higher numbers are less likely to be duplicated. That doesn't make you more likely to win, only more likely to win alone if you do. More on that in how to pick lottery numbers.
Lotto America: common questions
What time is the Lotto America drawing?
10:15 PM Eastern (9:15 PM Central, 8:15 PM Mountain) every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
How much does Lotto America cost?
$1 per play, or $2 with the All Star Bonus, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2 to 5 times.
Where is Lotto America played?
In 15 states and Washington, D.C.: Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia, plus D.C.
What is the Star Ball?
The Star Ball is a sixth number from 1 to 10, drawn from its own drum. Matching the Star Ball alone wins $2, and you need it, plus all five white balls, for the jackpot.
What are the odds of winning the Lotto America jackpot?
1 in 25,989,600. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 9.6.
Recent results are on the Lotto America results page. If you used to play Lucky for Life or Cash4Life, those games have ended; see what replaced them. The national problem gambling helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.
Sources: lottoamerica.com (states, draw times, prizes and odds), Iowa Lottery Lotto America page (sales cut-off, All Star Bonus, cash option).
