Revenues & Games

Lottery ticket sales started out at about $1.8 billion in the first year, growing to a peak of $2.6 billion in 1989, declining until 1992, and have steadily increased since that time. Lottery sales in fiscal year 2005/06 totaled $3.5 billion.

The Lottery's menu of games includes seven different types with the majority of these sales coming from two of the most popular games -- the SuperLotto and Scratchers tickets.

Games currently offered by the California Lottery are:

• MEGA Millions -- Players choose 5 numbers from 1 to 56 and a MEGA number from 1 to 46. There are 9 ways to match and win. In fact, you can win even if you just match the MEGA number. To win the Jackpot, you must match all five numbers plus the MEGA number. Winning numbers are drawn every Tuesday and Friday at 8:00 p.m. MEGA Millions costs $1 dollar to play and is expected to feature many jackpot prizes over $100 million each year.
• SuperLotto Plus -- Players choose 5 numbers from 1 to 47 and a MEGA number from 1 to 27. There are 9 ways to match and win. In fact, you can win even if you just match the MEGA number. To win the Jackpot, you must match all five numbers plus the MEGA number. Winning numbers are drawn every Wednesday and Saturday at 7:57 p.m. SuperLotto Plus costs $1 dollar to play and is the game featuring a multi-million jackpot prize.
• Scratchers -- Scratchers are tickets with a "scratch off" portion on each ticket. Players can learn instantly how they fared, and cash in smaller winnings on the spot. The lottery offers a variety of different themed Scratchers that are introduced into the marketplace every month. The play styles, prize amounts, and ticket cost vary. (Currently, Scratchers cost $1, $2, or $3 each.)
• Fantasy 5 -- Players pick a set of five numbers from 1 to 39. Winning tickets are those that match any two, three, four, or all five of the five numbers drawn. Draws occur every day.
• Daily 3 -- Players pick a set of three numbers from 0 to 9. Players can try to match the three numbers drawn in the exact order or in various combinations. The draw occurs every day.
• Hot Spot -- Players pick the spot (set of numbers) they want to play from 1 to 80. They can play two, three, four, five, or eight spots. If players choose to play a "three spot," then they pick a set of three numbers. Draw takes place daily from 6:05 a.m. to 1 a.m., every five minutes. Players can learn quickly how they fared.
• Daily Derby -- Players have the chance to win a Grand Prize worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and the chance to win twice on one ticket. They pick their favorite horses by name or number, and also pick the race time. They win by matching the winning horses, or the race time, or both.
• "The Big Spin®" Television Show -- Potential players can "win" a chance to be a player by playing a "Big Spin" Scratchers ticket. If three SPIN symbols on the ticket match, then the player gets to spin the wheel for a chance to win up to $3 million. If a player matches three "TV SHOWS" on The Big Spin Scratchers, they have a chance of winning a minimum prize of $1,750 with a chance to spin the prize wheel for up to $3 million. Fantasy 5 players can also play to win on "The Big Spin®" television show. For every Fantasy 5 ticket purchased that totals $5 or more, a coupon is issued to the player who, in turn, mails it in for a drawing. If the coupon is drawn, the player gets the opportunity to play the Fantasy 5 "Dream Machine" and may win up to $150,000.