Hot Spot and Bulls-Eye California Exposed — Are You Good at Keno?
Hot Spot Review
Do you love keno games and do you live in California? If so, you’re in luck, my friend! Hot Spot is one of the California State Lottery games and it’s a keno-style quick-draw game. While this may be sufficient for some people to give the lottery a try, others may need some additional details. Here’s a comprehensive Hot Spot review featuring all of the essential information.
Hot Spot and Bulls-Eye Quick Overview
The quick-draw game is a descendant of a previous keno-style option offered by the California State Lottery. An update in the rules took place in the summer of 2011 when players got an opportunity to choose any number of spots in the range from 1 to 10.
This is the time when a higher top prize was also introduced for the 10-spot play.
Hot Spot drawings take place every single day. The cost of the minimal wager is 1 dollar. If you choose to play a bigger number of spots, you should be prepared to spend more money on the ticket. The most expensive game entry is the 8-spot one and it costs 10 dollars.
Is California Hot Spot a Scam?
Hot Spot is an official entry in the California State Lottery portfolio. The California State Lottery was established in 1984 after California approved the California State Lottery Act. The aim of the act was to generate funding for schools in the state without an increase in taxes.
Ever since those early days, California State Lottery has been expanding its portfolio. Some of the most popular lotteries available in the state include Daily 3, Daily 4, Daily Derby, Fantasy 5, SuperLotto Plus, Mega Millions, and Powerball.
California State Lottery is a completely legitimate entity and you can pick among the game that it operates without ever worrying about a rip-off. Not only that but any money you spend on the purchase of a ticket will also be used to support the educational causes of California. The feel-good factor is a strong one on top of the desire to win some cash, don’t you think?
Is Jackpocket legitimate in California or not?
How to Play Hot Spot?
Hot Spot is a bit more challenging than standard lotteries so please bear with us! Once you’re done with this section, you’ll have a pretty good idea about what it takes to win money with this fun California game.
When buying a ticket, you’ll have to pick the spots (the sets of numbers) that you want to play. The number of spots includes 2, 3, 4, 5, or 8. Once you’re done with the spots, choose your set of numbers in the range from 1 to 80.
The numbers that you mark should be equal to the number of spots that you’ve chosen.
Apart from the standard entry, Hot Spot comes with a Bulls-Eye feature. To play Bulls-Eye, you’ll have to spend an additional dollar on top of the base wager.
The Bulls-Eye functionality is obviously there to give you an additional chance to win. If you match the Bulls-Eye number for the respective drawing, you’ll get an opportunity to win a higher prize. When playing Bulls-Eye, you’ll win a prize if you match solely the Bulls-Eye number or if you match the Bulls-Eye number and additional Hot Spot numbers.
Prizes and Odds
There are multiple ways to win a Hot Spot prize. The top prize is provided for matching 10 numbers and the Bulls-Eye. The prize is 300,000 dollars and the odds of this happening are 1 in 17,823,422. The prize for matching 10 spots without activating Bulls-Eye is 100,000 dollars and the odds are 8,911,711.
| HOT SPOT WAGER ONLY | HOT SPOT & BULLS-EYE WAGER | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | Odds (1 in:) | Match | Odds (1 in:) | |
| 10 Spot | 10 of 10: 9 of 10: 8 of 10: 7 of 10: 6 of 10: 5 of 10: 4 of 10: 3 of 10: 2 of 10: 1 of 10: 0 of 10: Overall | 1 in 8,911,711 1 in 163,381 1 in 7,385 1 in 621 1 in 87 1 in 19 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 in 22 1 in 9.1 | 9 + Bulls-eye: 8 + Bulls-eye: 7 + Bulls-eye: 6 + Bulls-eye: 5 + Bulls-eye: 4 + Bulls-eye: 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye Only: n/a | 1 in 17,823,422 1 in 363,070 1 in 18,461 1 in 1,773 1 in 290 1 in 78 1 in 34 1 in 25 1 in 34 1 in 111 1 in 8.0 |
| 9 Spot | 9 of 9: 8 of 9: 7 of 9: 6 of 9: 5 of 9: 4 of 9: 3 of 9: 2 of 9: 1 of 9: 0 of 9: Overall: | 1 in 1,380,688 1 in 30,682 1 in 1690 1 in 175 1 in 31 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 in 16 1 in 9.7 | 8 + Bulls-eye: 7 + Bulls-eye: 6 + Bulls-eye: 5 + Bulls-eye: 4 + Bulls-eye: 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye Only: n/a | 1 in 3,068,195 1 in 76,705 1 in 4,829 1 in 583 1 in 123 1 in 44 1 in 27 1 in 32 1 in 91 1 in 8.9 |
| 8 Spot | 8 of 8: 7 of 8: 6 of 8: 5 of 8: 4 of 8: 3 of 8: 2 of 8: 1 of 8: 0 of 8: Overall: | 1 in 230,115 1 in 6,232 1 in 423 1 in 55 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 in 11 1 in 9.2 | 7 + Bulls-eye: 6 + Bulls-eye: 5 + Bulls-eye: 4 + Bulls-eye: 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: n/a | 1 in 575,287 1 in 17,807 1 in 1,408 1 in 219 1 in 61 1 in 31 1 in 32 1 in 75 1 in 10 |
| 7 Spot | 7 of 7 6 of 7: 5 of 7 4 of 7: 3 of 7: 2 of 7: 1 of 7: Overall: | 1 in 40,979 1 in 1,366 1 in 116 1 in 19 1 in 6 n/a n/a 1 in 4.2 | 6 + Bulls-eye: 5 + Bulls-eye: 4 + Bulls-eye: 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: | 1 in 117,084 1 in 4,553 1 in 463 1 in 96 1 in 38 1 in 31 1 in 64 1 in 11.4 |
| 6 Spot | 6 of 6: 5 of 6 4 of 6: 3 of 6: 2 of 6: 1 of 6: Overall: | 1 in 7,753 1 in 323 1 in 35 1 in 8 n/a n/a 1 in 6.2 | 5 + Bulls-eye: 4 + Bulls-eye: 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: | 1 in 25,843 1 in 1,292 1 in 175 1 in 51 1 in 32 1 in 55 1 in 13.3 |
| 5 Spot | 5 of 5: 4 of 5: 3 of 5: 2 of 5: 1 of 5: Overall: | 1 in 1,551 1 in 83 1 in 12 n/a n/a 1 in 10.3 | 4 + Bulls-eye: 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: | 1 in 6,202 1 in 413 1 in 79 1 in 37 1 in 49 1 in 16 |
| 4 Spot | 4 of 4: 3 of 4: 2 of 4: 1 of 4: Overall: | 1 in 326 1 in 23 1 in 5 n/a 1 in 3.9 | 3 + Bulls-eye: 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: | 1 in 1,632 1 in 154 1 in 47 1 in 46 1 in 20 |
| 3 Spot | 3 of 3: 2 of 3: 1 of 3: Overall: | 1 in 72 1 in 7 n/a 1 in 6.6 | 2 + Bulls-eye: 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: | 1 in 481 1 in 72 1 in 46 1 in 26.7 |
| 2 Spot | 2 of 2: 1 of 2: Overall: | 1 in 16.6 n/a 1 in 16.6 | 1 + Bulls-eye: Bulls-eye only: | 1 in 166 1 in 53 1 in 40 |
| 1 Spot | 1 of 1: Overall: | 1 in 4 1 in 4 | Bulls-eye Only: | 1 in 80 1 in 80 |
People who play 9 spots and Bulls-Eye can hope for a maximum prize of 65,000 dollars and 9 spots minus the Bulls-Eye produce a top prize of 30,000 dollars. For eight spots, the prizes are 28,500 and 10,000 dollars for entries with Bulls-Eye and without it, respectively.
Obviously, the prizes grow smaller for the players who have selected a smaller number of spots.
The smallest prize in Hot Spot is 1 one dollar and there are several possible submissions that will produce the respective prize.
The overall odds of winning a prize in Hot Spot are excellent, which is one of the main reasons why the game is so popular. The overall odds for 5 spot 1 in 10.3, Bulls-Eye, for example, are the impressive 1 in 16.
Keep in mind that if there are multiple winners for the respective prize tier, the sum will be split equally among all of the winners.
Some Information for Winners
All players have 180 days from the date of the respective Hot Spot drawing to make a prize claim. If the money isn’t claimed within the specified timeframe, the prize will go towards the California public education fund.
Prizes of 599 dollars or lower can be claimed at any licensed venue in California. Alternatively, players can download a claim form from the official California State Lottery website and mail it to the organization’s headquarters alongside the winning ticket. It’s always a good idea to sign the back of the ticket prior to making the prize claim!
Prizes of 600 dollars or higher can be collected from a lottery district office in California. A full list of the addresses is available on the California State Lottery website. Alternatively, players can use the official claim form and mail their prize request to the California State Lottery headquarters.
There’s a final piece of good news for winners. California is one of the states that have solely federal taxes for lottery prizes. A state tax isn’t applied to the sum, which keeps the sum that players get sufficiently high.
Can You Buy Hot Spot Tickets Online?
Hot Spot is a state-based lottery. This means that ticket purchases are possible solely in the territory of California. Both state residents and visitors can buy Hot Spot tickets from licensed retail venues. Online lottery agents don’t offer Hot Spot tickets for international sales at the time.
A few of the best Hot Spot characteristics include the following:
Why You Should Play California Hot Spot
Pros:
There are daily drawings offering players many chances to win
The minimum ticket cost is 1 dollar
There are many numerical spot combinations to choose among, which allows for a bit of strategizing
The top prize is a solid one
There are dozens of ways to win a prize
Hot Spot features relatively favorable odds of winning any prize
California doesn’t have a state tax on lottery prizes
Hot Spot is run and operated by an official state entity
Some of the funds generated through ticket sales go to support educational initiatives in California
On the downside, here are a few of the most prominent Hot Spot shortcomings:
Why You Shouldn’t Play California Hot Spot
Cons:
The game is only available in the territory of California
The format is a bit complicated and challenging for new players
Lower prize tiers aren’t that impressive
The higher numbers of spots increase the cost of the ticket
Jackpot isn’t as impressive as the ones offered by other lotteries in the US
Is California Hot Spot Legit?
Hot Spot is a little bit complicated and you’ll definitely need a bit of time to get used to the format if you haven’t played keno-style games before. Still, it’s a state-run, completely legitimate opportunity to earn some cash.
What’s the final verdict? Hot Spot is definitely worth trying! If you find yourself confused by all of the spots and available numbers, you can always try some of the other fun and exciting entries included in the portfolio of the California State Lottery. Good luck!
Shereen Ta
Interesting, only certain people just keep continually winning for some particular reason? Not at all coincidental or rigged.
Daniel Patrick ODonnell
The California Hot Spot is a scam! I wrote to them specifically asking if the 20 numbers the house generates – if they are in anyway influenced by the numbers played. They declined to answer and instead directed me to a rules and regulations packet that they have upon request. The packet states: 20 unique winning numbers are selected at random from a field of 80 numbers. those 20 numbers constitute the set of winning numbers for that draw.
That’s all that is said, and let’s get real: that does not say that they aren’t influenced by the numbers played. Look at the words they used, unique – really. That is relative. Random – any set of numbers given are random. What else would they be ? If I say to someone 3 numbers / to them are they organized or did I just say to them 3 random numbers. Their wording is precise and for something so important to the game – how is only 2 sentences devoted to it – when they have 9 pages talking about the hotspot. And why couldn’t they answer the question I posed to them. It was very clear and concise. Yet they couldn’t and directed to what I just wrote above. IT IS A TOTAL SCAM. I also. Since this is public record, asked if they could provide me with the Top prize winners(10spot) for the past 2 years. It’s taken them a month so far and I’ve been promised to get the list around March 10th. That would be a full 6 weeks after asking for them. Yeah, that’s shady. Because the public records act, a law passed here in California that allows anyone to see the records the California lottery system states that upon request we are to be given any information requested regarding past games, winners, etc. I must do further research on this and find out the length of time permitted after asking for documents.. I imagine 6 weeks is not part of the law.
Daniel parker
I started playing ‘hot spot’ in 2015. I have hit the 5 spot 16 times, but only 2 since 2021. I can’t even hit god damn 4 spot anymore!! It’s bullshit! The payouts are about half of what is fair anyway. Most of my friends have stopped playing this rigged game! Something has definitely changed in this game and we’re tired of it!!!! Gotta throw the dog a bone once in a while if you want to keep him on the porch!! Dinuba Dan, age 63
You can win the 5 spot, and 7 spot. I hit the 7 Spot twice this year plus the bulls-eye.
I agree I think they know our numbers we are picking, that’s why they wait in between drawing to come out with the numbers. Because All these numbers go into a computer somewhere and know what numbers are pick, so they don’t pick them. And we know how fast computers are these days. And if we are lucky it gives you a dollar, but it knows it can’t give out to many of them, it always hits one of your numbers
Eeon Jackson
Do you have to be lucky to win a lottery jackpot prize? My biggest win was just under thirty thousand dollars! My following two jackpots hit for a combined total of over twenty-four thousand dollars! I hit the 8 Spot with the bulls-eye on California’s Hot Spot Lottery game. It’s the Golden State’s version of Keno! Now that I’ve found my rhythm, I’m staying on beat. Let’s take a trip down memory lane as I share my tips and tricks on this complex, exciting, eclectic game of numbers, odds, and strategic moves where timing is everything! “3-Peat” California’s Three-Time Hot Spot Winner.
Here is my idea to make $9000 on Hot Spot. You play five numbers ex 2, 7, 30, 55, 61 @ $20 per draw for 5 consecutive draws cost $100. Odds are 1 in 1550 to hit 5 #.
Dennis Valenty
You all are playing wrong. Bet two numbers put $10.00 on it two times to win $90.00 I hit this more times then not. $20 bet pays $180
Ya baby or pick a 5 spot play it 100 times to win $450.00 hit it all the time.