California Lottery Exposed — Spice Up Your Life!
California Lottery Review
Wouldn’t it be nice to get CA lottery tickets online? After all, so many states have finally decided to launch their official websites and apps dedicated to that very “innovative” feature.
Is California one of these pioneers? We will find the answer by reviewing the state’s official lottery website – CALottery.com.
While the site’s design is a little bit dusty, it could still have a lot to offer. This review will check out the functionalities, the opportunities, and how lottery enthusiasts can benefit from CALottery.com.
Is TheLotter legit in California? Find out in our review
Games at California Lottery Online
Let’s start by answering the most important question first. Does California State Lottery offer an online ticket-buying option? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
The only thing you can do right now through the website and the app is to check your numbers to see if your paper ticket slip has won you anything.
As far as games go, California has so much to offer that the lack of an online ticket-buying option is a major pity.
CA Lottery Powerball and CA Lottery Mega Millions are the two contenders for the state’s most prominent game. Cal Super Lotto is also there, reaching the top for the most popular Californian lottery games.
In California, you can choose among a couple of other smaller draw-style lotteries like Fantasy 5, Daily 3, Daily 4, Daily Derby, and Hot Spot. It’s such a pity that you can access these games only if you are in the state. Let’s hope that laws will change soon, but the situation isn’t that very optimistic. The US has some pretty rigid rules about how lottery games can be played. Unfortunately, online ticket purchases are still not that widely accepted on a regional level.
CA Lottery and Claiming Your Prizes
Since you cannot buy lottery tickets online or through California Lottery apps, you will also have to claim prizes in person. It doesn’t matter if you’ve won one of the regular draw-style games or additional opportunities like California Lottery Second Chance. The procedure is always going to be the same.
For most CA Lottery draw games and scratch-off lotteries, smaller sums can be claimed immediately at any retail location of preference. This rule applies to prizes of up to 600 dollars.
If you win larger prizes, you will need to visit a Lottery District Office in California.
The only difference is that a claim form will have to be filled out, and the claim form differs for regular games and Second Chance.
Keep in mind that if you win anything in California, you’ll have to agree to a public disclosure clause. That means your identity will not be protected, and you’ll lack the opportunity to remain anonymous.
Who Can Play at Cali Lottery?
You probably already have an idea about this one, don’t you? It doesn’t matter if you want to play draw-style games or CA scratchers. You have to be on the state’s territory, and you also have to visit one of the numerous retail venues to get your tickets.
There is absolutely no way to participate if you’re out of state or out of the country. Some lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions are being offered by international online lottery agencies. For the strictly California-based games, however, you will have no chance to partake from a distance.
If you are in California and want to play the lottery, you have to be aged 18 or older to buy tickets.
Who’s Behind California Lottery Online?
The California Lottery website and the mobile app are created by the actual company behind organizing lottery games and distributing prizes.
The California State Lottery was set up in 1984 after the passing of the California State Lottery Act. Since 2005, the California State Lottery has been offering national games like Mega Millions (it became the 12th jurisdiction to start offering the game). Initially, California did not want to offer Powerball to locals but eventually, it was launched in 2013.
As you can see, it takes some time for certain new things to get adopted in California (which makes us hopeful for the future introduction of online playing).
Right now, you can buy tickets the old-fashioned way without worrying about being scammed.
Other Bits and Pieces
We don’t have too much to talk about since California Lottery offers virtually no digital services to its clients.
Even now, when social distancing is being recommended, there seem to be no plans for a quick change in the way lottery tickets are sold.
We haven’t talked too much about the California Lottery app, so let’s briefly pinpoint some of its key characteristics.
The app is only good for scanning tickets to find if you’ve won anything, entering Second Chance draws (after you have bought an actual ticket elsewhere), checking winning numbers, finding a nearby lottery retailer, and seeing the latest Second Chance promotions.
This may seem like a good start (and it would have been back in 2000). Still, there’s quite a lot missing in terms of convenience and digital service provision. Given that it is going digital’s become so simple in this day and age, there really is no excuse.
Let’s end this review by summarizing the key advantages and disadvantages of the California Lottery.
Why You Should Register with California Lottery
Pros:
An official state lottery operator that is working under California laws
There are both a website and an app dedicated to the lottery
You can enter Second Chance draws through the mobile app
Lots of additional information is available
Why You Shouldn’t Register with California Lottery
Cons:
California does not allow the online selling of lottery tickets
You have to physically be in California to buy tickets and participate in games
You have to claim prizes in person
Is California Lottery Legit?
It is. However, if you live in California, you will be missing out on opportunities that are already available in other states. You cannot purchase lottery tickets online, and we don’t know how long it would take for the situation to change.
So there you have it. We will update you as soon as the situation changes, but currently, the California Lottery website is way behind what other state digital portals have to offer.
GEORGE CICAIROS
Am I one of the only ones that think the Cal Lottery is cheating somehow? I play Fantasy 5, I used to get at least 4 numbers many times in the past. Now I haven’t got that in years. The numbers are always 1 digit above or below your number. They used to give the name and address of the store, where the ticket was sold. Now they just give a city name.
Nothing you can do but stop playing that what many doing it. As a result, business heading dead end. You see now calming scratcher tickets taking long.. they said they are busy.. but maybe staff reduction
No, you are not alone, I think the board I using the monies and there is no way to call them on it. Newsome is the ultimate over-seer. Iv tried to complain and enquire but can not reach anyone. Months have passed, no payout on my winnings. Totally crooked
Raymond Estes
Why does it take more than 18 weeks to get a check from the California lottery for a winning ticket, it hasn’t taken nearly that long in past years? How do I know that my winning tickets have been received at Sacramento, CA? address after I mailed them? It seems as though the lottery could at least send me an email when they receive the claim forms, that way at I know they’re not lost in the mail…..ridiculous, they’re taking the fun out of it.
Brenda
I’m from Washington. Been living in Southern California for about 2 years. Have never won anything but free tickets on scratchers. Buy $5 scratchers and never win. Never buying again smh.
Pamela COUTU
I see a new game and I will buy 10 tickets. I have done this twice now in a week and I do not even win a ticket.
You used to be able to at least win your money back plus…but not lately. They are just ripping people off. So many $20 & $30 tickets, I can’t afford to play anymore.
Calif lottery sucks
Very true. I think that after the Covid lockdown they are trying to make back as much money as possible by putting out a lot of non-winning scratchers. Also, they factor in the ‘second play’ gimmick (which most people don’t bother with) as part of the overall odds. This allows them to say it’s ‘still a fair game.’ Like when a store offers a rebate that they know most people won’t submit due to all the hoops you have to jump through. If/when they truth comes out, it’ll be a huge scandal and will likely damage the trust in CA lottery forever.
Regular Guy
Hello,
This is a post about scratch tickets ONLY.
Let me start by saying I have played in Washington and in California. I played lots of tickets in Washington and found California scratch tickets to be very disappointing when I visited. The reason was that in Washington, you win a lot more mid range prizes. For example, they have less 10, 20, 30 dollar prizes so that they can increase the 50 and 100 dollar payouts. This makes it more likely that if you win, you will win a nice prize. In California, I found I was only winning free tickets. I never won a large prize in Washington, beyond $200.
Once I moved to California and played regularly, I found they are tickets tailored to different players, and it is much better to DO YOUR RESEARCH on your tickets, before you buy them. For example, different prize pools on different tickets should appeal to more people. If you don’t know this, you’ll buy tickets randomly, and be sad when you don’t get what you were looking for.
I found one ticket that was very interesting….I would rarely ever win but I kept trying here and there. In one month I hit $500 twice, and $250 once. I did more research and discovered that certain tickets have bigger pools of higher prizes which means you might win less but if you regularly try, you have a chance of winning a nice pot.
You CANNOT force luck. Buying 10 tickets doesn’t increase your odds of winning. I think this is a big pitfall for people. I have had 3 tickets in a row win before, which means somewhere in that roll, there is 10 losers in a row!!! Play like a responsible person and you may find one day you get a nice prize. I’ve won $100 from a $2 ticket and $500 from a $20 ticket. When I try to push my luck, I lose…a lot…so just be smart and try now and again, don’t try to force a big win. It WON’T happen.