DC Lottery

Yes, the District of Columbia offers gaming products and gaming activities that are governed by an agency known as the DC Lottery. 

The DC Lottery includes an extensive variety of games. You can purchase physical tickets for several different games in Washington, D.C. These include:

• DC-2: Two-digit lottery with winnings up to $50.
• DC-3: Three-digit game with nine ways to win and a prize range from $25 to $500.
  
• DC-4: Four-digit game with 11 ways to win and prizes from $100 to $5,000.
  
• DC-5: Five-digit game with 120 ways to win and prizes from $25 to $50,000.
  
• POWERBALL: Jackpot game with wagers of $2 and prizes from $4 to $1 million as well as jackpots starting at $20 million. You can also play the Power Play which will allow you to earn more than the $2 games. 
  
• Mega Millions: Jackpot game with $2 wagers and prizes from $2 to $1 million plus jackpots starting at $20 million. Megaplier cost $1 more and can multiply winnings.
  
• Lucky for Life: Five-digit game with a $2 wager and a prize that pays out from $3 to $1,000 per day for life.
  
• DC Keno: Keno game with a $100 maximum wager and prizes up to $1 million.
  
• Race2Riches: Animated lottery game with a horse racing theme. Computer-generated races begin every four minutes with 12 horses.
  

• The Lucky One: One-digit monitor draw.
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• DC Fast Play: Instant-style games available at DC Lottery retailers or self-service terminals.
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• Tap-N-Play: Instant game available at self-service terminals.
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• DC Scratchers: Scratch cards with prizes of up to $1 million on select games.
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• The GambetDC subset of the DC Lottery supports sports betting in Washington, D.C. You can place a bet while you're in any approved area of Washington, D.C. This excludes the monumental core of the district, where betting isn't allowed. You are also prohibited from placing bets when you're within two blocks of Capital One Arena, Audi Field, Nationals Park, and St. Elizabeths East Entertainment Sports Arena. Players can access GambetDC via a smartphone or tablet app or online through the GambetDC website. Through the platform, you can wager on:

• Football.
• Basketball.
  
• Baseball.
  
• Soccer.
  
• Ice Hockey.
  
• Tennis.
  
• Golf.
  
• Boxing and Combat Sports (MMA).
  
• Cricket.
  
• Motor Sports.
  
• Darts.
  
• Australian Rules Football.
  
• Olympics.

To play DC Lottery games offline, you can purchase your tickets at any of dozens of participating DC Lottery retailers. There are over 400 locations throughout Washington, D.C., where you can purchase lottery tickets including many liquor stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. Many of these locations also have self-service machines where you can purchase tickets or play instant lottery games like DC Fast Play and Tap-N-Play and also scan your tickets and check if your numbers match the lottery results. 

You can purchase lottery tickets up to a week in advance for DC-2, DC-3, DC-4, and DC-5 games. You can buy tickets for Mega Millions, POWERBALL, and Lucky for Life for as many as 20 consecutive draws.

If you prefer to play online, you must register through the iLottery app or website. You can then participate in lottery games any time you're in an approved area. You must register online for GambetDC betting as well.

If you win the lottery, you can claim prizes of up to $600 at any DC Lottery Retailer location. You may claim prizes over $600 but under $5,000 at Retailer Plus locations. You may claim these prizes by mail as well. If you win $5,000 or more, you must make an appointment at the DC Lottery Prize Center to claim your payment. Lottery winnings are considered taxable income. Any prize of $600 or more is reported to the IRS.

You must claim your lottery winnings within 180 days of the draw date or you forfeit those funds. Unclaimed prize money goes to the General Fund of the District of Columbia. In the District of Columbia, lottery winners do not remain anonymous. Lottery winner information is a matter of public record.

Yes! Players can participate in the DC Lottery online via the iLottery platform on smartphones, tablets, or computers. When you first register for iLottery, you receive a 100% match on your first deposit of up to $250. You must deposit at least $10 to play, but it's free to set up your account. You can fund your iLottery adventures with a credit card, debit card, bank account SCH, PayPal, or Skrill. This iLottery site allows you to participate in:

• DC-3.
  
• DC-4.
  
• DC-5.
  
• Lucky for Life.
  
• POWERBALL.
  
• Mega Millions.
  
• e-Instant games.

The DC iLottery is available to most players in the District of Columbia. However, gambling is not permitted in federal enclaves like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the district's monumental core along Rock Creek Park and the Potomac. The site uses geo-fencing to determine where you're playing from. If you're not in an approved area, you can still log in to deposit or withdraw funds from your account. However, you will not be able to play any of the online lottery games.

Daily DC Lottery drawings for the DC-2, DC-3, DC-4, and DC-5 games take place at 1:50 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. every day of the week. You can purchase tickets up to one minute before the draw times. Lucky for Life drawings take place daily at 10:38 p.m. Players can purchase tickets through 9:30 p.m. for that day's drawing. DC Keno Spin, Race 2 Riches, and The Lucky One feature drawings every four minutes between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day of the week.

POWERBALL drawings take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Tickets are available as late as 9:45 p.m. the day of the drawing. The Mega Millions drawing happens on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. You can purchase Mega Millions tickets up till 10:45 p.m. on the day of the drawing.

If you miss the live drawing, you can check the winning numbers anytime by calling the DC Lottery's Lott Line at 202-678-3333. Players may also have winning numbers sent to them via text or check online on the DC Lottery's social media pages. DC Lottery retail locations can provide the latest winning numbers as well.