Connecticut Lotto! Exposed — Safe, a Bit Boring but Still a Good Opportunity

Connecticut Lotto! Review

The thrills of turning your computer off, getting out of the house, and buying an actual lottery ticket! Yep, most of us still like to have the experience once in a while, despite digitalized lottery ticket purchasing options.

If you live in the US and you’re looking for an interesting offline lottery to try, Connecticut Lotto! may be the right option for you. Launched back in 1989, the game features much better odds than some of the most popular lotteries in the country. The 6 out of 44 matrix makes it possible to hit the jackpot and the ticket prices are simply negligible. These are just some of the goodies that Connecticut Lotto! brings to the table.

Can you buy Connecticut Lotto tickets on TheLotter? Check this TheLotter review for more information

Connecticut Lotto! – A Brief Overview

Connecticut Lotto! is known as the state’s in-house jackpot game. It was officially launched in 1989 but the original format was modified a couple of times.

Initially, Connecticut Lotto was a 6 out of 33 game. In 1986, it became a 6 out of 40 game and the current matrix started being used in 2013. Initially, it was known as Classic Lotto and Connecticut Lotto. The exclamation mark was added to the name of the game in 2013.

How to Play Connecticut Lotto!?

There’s nothing complex about trying Connecticut Lotto!. In fact, this may be a slightly disappointing characteristic for individuals that like bonuses and additional gameplay options.

Every single line costs 1 dollar to play and the Connecticut Lotto! standard tickets feature 5 lines. To submit a valid entry, you have to choose 6 numbers from a pool ranging from 1 to 44. Matching all 6 of the numbers will make you the jackpot winner.

Connecticut Lotto! also features an advanced play option. This means that you can buy tickets for the upcoming drawings, instead of visiting a local vendor every single time. You can get tickets for up to 26 upcoming drawings (13 weeks). The advance tickets for these drawings cost 25 dollars, which means that you’ll get to participate in one of the drawings for free. It’s not much, but it’s certainly fun to get a bonus.

Prizes, Awards, and Odds

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 7,059,052. The figure is much better than the possibility of scoring a 6 out of 49 jackpot and much better than in the case of games using more than one matrix (Powerball, for example).

Connecticut Lotto! has a minimum guaranteed jackpot of one million dollars per drawing. The jackpot goes up each time the Tuesday drawing doesn’t produce a winner. Usually, the jackpot grows in increments of 100,000 dollars until somebody matches all 6 of the numbers.

It’s difficult to find information about the biggest Connecticut Lotto! jackpot ever won. Our research reveals that it exceeded 5 million dollars, but the official Connecticut Lotto! website doesn’t share any information about the number.

Apart from the jackpot, there are 3 additional opportunities to win a prize. People that have 5 winning numbers, get a 2,000-dollar prize. The odds of getting 5 numbers correct are 1 in 30,961. The third prize tier (4 correct numbers) is 50 dollars and people that have 3 correct numbers will get a 2-dollar prize.

The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 39.3, which is nice but not too impressive.

Some Information for Winners

Jackpot winners have two options for getting their money – a lump sum or annuity payments. Jackpot winners have 60 days to visit the Connecticut Lottery Corporation headquarters and choose the payment method that’s deemed more appropriate.

The annuity option provides the jackpot in the form of 21 equal annual payments. The cash payout is a one-time payment, which is usually significantly reduced by taxes. Unless the player makes a specific announcement about the payment method of preference, the jackpot will be provided in the form of annuity payments.

Prizes up to 599 dollars can be claimed at any vendor that sells Connecticut Lotto! tickets. Prizes in the 600 to the 5,000-dollar range can be obtained by visiting the CT Lottery High-Tier Claim Center. All prizes exceeding 5,000 dollars can be claimed by visiting the lottery headquarters. All of the information about the procedures is listed on Connecticut Lotto!’s website.

Winners should keep one more important and not-so-pleasant specific in mind (that’s right, we’re talking about taxes). Connecticut withholds a 25 percent Federal Income Tax on all prizes that exceed 5,000 dollars. An additional 6.99 percent state tax is withheld on all prizes that exceed 5,000 dollars and on all prizes that are reportable for federal taxation purposes. The local tax is collected on all prizes, regardless of the winner’s state of residence.

Can You Buy Tickets Online?

Though various websites present information about the Connecticut Lotto! winning numbers, it’s only possible to buy a ticket in person from a licensed vendor.

Connecticut Lotto! isn’t the world’s most exciting and thrilling lottery, but it’s still worth a try because of the various positive characteristics:

Why You Should Play with Connecticut Lotto!

Pros:

Low ticket prices

There’s a minimum guaranteed jackpot of 1 million dollars

The jackpot rolls over to the next drawing

There are 2 drawings per week

The game features a 6 out of 44 instead of the standard 6 out of 49 format

The odds of winning the jackpot are relatively favorable

The lottery has been around for decades and it has well-established traditions

Payouts are relatively good for a state lottery

There’s an advance ticket buying option that enables players to save some money

On the downside:

Why You Shouldn’t Play with Connecticut Lotto!

Cons:

Connecticut Lotto! tickets can’t be bought online

There are no multipliers or bonus numbers that increase the lower prize tiers

Lower-tier prizes aren’t too impressive

Both federal and state taxes apply to prizes

Many lotteries feature higher overall odds of getting the jackpot

The lottery isn’t that exciting (sorry, but we had to put it out there)

Is Connecticut Lotto Legit?

Connecticut Lotto! is one of the most beloved and popular games in the state. Far from a scam, it has dozens of fans and it has also helped numerous people become richer.

The game is run and operated by the Connecticut Lottery Corporation – an entity that was established in 1971. The person responsible for organizing this first lottery company in the state was the governor at the time, Thomas Meskill. Connecticut Lottery Corporation sold its first ticket on February 15, 1972, and it has been developing a number of new lottery games ever since.

Today, Connecticut Lottery Corporation has an extensive portfolio that features Connecticut Lotto!, Play 3, Play 4, Cash5, Lucky Links, and Keno. The organization is also responsible for holding Mega Millions and Powerball drawings in Connecticut.

This has already turned into a pretty long explanation for a very simple question. We’ve included all of these facts, however, to tell you that Connecticut Lotto! has a long history and it’s a 100 percent legitimate lottery. Run and operated by a state company, Connecticut Lotto! is completely safe to try.

Will you like Connecticut Lotto!? We don’t know – the answer to this question depends entirely on your individual preferences. The tickets are cheap and there’s a guaranteed jackpot. Having these two characteristics is always a good thing. The lack of multipliers and extras, however, may turn some players away from the opportunity. Connecticut Lotto! is legitimate and safe. Just give it a try and see how you feel about it.