Washington state is a treasure trove of wonders – both the natural, in its scenic Pacific-coast splendor, and the man-made, with Seattle boasting incredible human achievements in engineering and urban life. The latter also includes a fantastic state lotto system, that has been >making dreams come true since 1982. The Washington Lottery was a pioneer of the game in the West, at the time joining Arizona as the only state in the region to bring one to the people. Stay tuned for a full breakdown of all the games, odds, prizes and winning numbers and results for all things WA Lotto.

A lottery ticket, lottery balls and a pencil.

The Washington Lottery has a wide range of games to suit all kinds of budgets and betting preferences. There are of course those two pillars of the lottery scene: the generous and hugely impactful Draw Games; and the fun and instantly gratifying Scratchers, as well as a few other rogue unique games that don’t quite fit the bill of either category. The state also has an intriguing legal situation, shaping the history of the Washington Lottery and creating the playing field within which Washington players can bet in.

The Various Washington Lottery Games Available to Play

The Washington Lottery has access to some of the nation’s biggest and best games, those pseudo-national Draw Games that dominate water-cooler discussions with their immense jackpots and history making draws. There are also the humbler, local and unique Draw Games, which feature some of the Washington Lottery’s best games, where the odds aren’t quite as high as their bigger counterparts. When talking about unique lottery games you’ll be hard-pressed to ignore the state’s home-grown Scratch Off tickets, constantly rotating and providing instant wins to the loyal Washington bettors who take the risk.

Draw Games: WA Lotteries with Huge Jackpots

Washington has a fantastic array of rewarding Draw Games, with the majority of them of local origins. Curiously, there is no multi-jurisdictional lottery other than the big national ones, as usually there is some kind of regional lottery that brings some mid-range prizes and odds to the table. Regardless, Draw Games have a standard form – bettors select a set of potential winning numbers from a wider range, and then match as many numbers from their range to an official set drawn at a later date. The range of numbers is often massive, and therefore these games are the hardest to win, but offer insanely large jackpots.

Washington Lottery Number Drawing
Game Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
7:59 PM 7:59 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM
*Times Based on PST

As you can see from the Washington Lottery Draw Game schedule above, you won’t have to wait too long to hear the WA Lotto winning numbers called – there are bi-weekly drawings for those games with the history-making jackpots, tri-weekly drawings for the mid-range lottos, and daily drawings for those Washington Draw Games that have smaller prizes but are much easier to win – and dare we say, much more fun? Curiously, the lottery legislation in the Evergreen State restrictions drawings to once per day, so you won’t find multiple drawings a day for certain games, like in other state lotteries across the border, such as the keno game in Oregon, with drawings every four minutes! Stick with us as we take you through breakdowns of all the WA Lotto Draw Games.

Powerball: America’s Favorite

Powerball is legendary in America. It’s been the lotto that has brought the most record jackpots to the States, regularly making dreams a reality. In 2016, a history-making jackpot of $1.56 billion was dished out by Powerball, and its reputation is sound in Washington. It joined the state only in 2010, when it and the other major multi-jurisdictional lottery, Mega Millions, agreed to cross-sell their tickets in each other’s territories. It’s a five/69 game, with one ‘Powerball’ number from 26. Players can also opt in for a $1 ‘Power Play’ on top of the $2 ticket, in order to increase their non-jackpot winnings by a random multiplier!

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 + Powerball Jackpot 1:292,201,338
5 $1 Million 1:11,688,054
4 + Powerball $50,000 1:913,129
4 $100 1:36,525
3 + Powerball $100 1:14,494
3 $7 1:580
2 + Powerball $7 1:701
1 + Powerball $4 1:92
Powerball only $4 1:38

Mega Millions: Top Washington Jackpots

Mega Millions is very similar to its multi-jurisdictional counterpart in many ways – the huge jackpots, the wide range of numbers to choose from, the odds – but it differs in a crucial way. Mega Millions has been a part of the Washington Lottery for a lot longer and has a lucky history in the Evergreen State, bringing the lottery’s top jackpot of $380 million in 2011. It’s a five/70 game, with one ‘Megaball’ drawn from 25 others. Like Powerball, players can get a $1 bonus ‘Megaplier’ play, and boost their winnings drastically!

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 + Megaball Jackpot 1:302,575,350
5 $1 Million 1:12,607,306
4 + Megaball $10,000 1:931,001
4 $500 1:38,792
3 + Megaball $200 1:14,547
3 $10 1:606
2 + Megaball $10 1:693
1 + Megaball $4 1:89
Megaball only $2 1:37

Lotto: Double Plays

Lotto is a pretty simple home-grown Washington Lottery Draw Game, that offers two plays for the price of one! At $1 per play, it’s hard to pass on this generous lotto. It’s a six/49 game, that offers a simple structure of four ways to win. It’s drawn each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, giving the progressive jackpot plenty of chances to build quickly, with each non-jackpot winning draw. The overall odds of winning are not quite as good as other games, but the cheap price of the play lifts this one above the pack.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
6 Jackpot 1:6,990,000
5 $1,000 1:27,100
4 $30 1:516
3 $3 1:28.3

Hit 5: Great Odds

Hit 5 is very much like Lotto in its overall structure and simplicity, but offers greater odds by reducing the range of the numbers to choose from and the set amount of numbers to choose by one. That makes it a five/39 game, again with four ways to win. A striking feature that differentiates this lottery from others is the Cashpot – in place of a Jackpot, the Cashpot grows in ticket sales, rather than non-winning draws, after starting at $100,000. This results in a game with much lower overall odds, at 1 in 8.77!

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
6 Cashpot 1:576,000
5 $100 1:3,390
4 $10 1:103
3 $1 1:9.62

Match 4: Back to Basics

Match 4 is a paragon of simplicity in the Washington Lottery world. It’s a four/24 game, meaning this basic lottery stunner has great overall odds, at 1 in 8.7, and only a few ways to win. The prize amounts are marginally smaller than the previous lotteries, but still substantial enough to make this game worthwhile, at $2 per play. As there are daily drawings in the evening, this lottery doesn’t have a rolling jackpot that builds, but instead offers a set top prize.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
4 $10,000 1:10,600
3 $20 1:133
2 $2 1:9.32

Daily Game: Many Ways to Play

Daily Game is a classic three-digit game with many ways to construct a bet that appears under many different guises across the lottery-playing states of America. Ticket buyers can pick up a slip for $0.50 or $1, and construct a bet using three digits between 0-9. You can play the numbers for a straight exact match, for a box match in any order, with all different numbers or two the same, or playing for matching a front or back pair of the same numbers. Experiment and find the right bet for you!

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
Straight $500 1:1,000
Box (6-way) $80 1:167
Box (3-way) $160 1:333
Front/Back Pair $50 1:100

Daily Keno: The Original Lottery

Keno is a classic game, probably the most classic, with this original lotto dating all the way back to Ancient China. It shines in its flexibility – you can customize the amount you wager, and the number selection is very deep, with a wager requiring you to select up to, but not strictly, 10 spots. Each night at the drawing time, 20 numbers are drawn, and the amount you win on your matches depends on your wager, and how many numbers you selected. It’s an exciting game that’s stood the test of time, and for good reason – the overall odds are at a lovely 1 in 9.05.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount ($1 bet) Odds
10 $100,000 1:8,910,000
9 $5,000 1:163,000
8 $500 1:7,380
7 $50 1:621
6 $5 1:87.1
5 $2 1:19.4
0 $3 1:21.8

Scratch Tickets: The WA Scratchers with the Best Odds

Like most other lottery states, bar a couple of exceptions thanks to some legal restrictions (looking at you, a href=”/wyoming/”>Wyoming), Washington has a fair selection of unique Scratch Off tickets for those instant wins when you just can’t wait for those nerve-wracking draw times. Scratchers are pretty self-explanatory: you ‘scratch’ away at the symbols on a printed piece of card to reveal prizes beneath. The prizes can range from $2 to $2 million, depending on the specific ticket. They’re changing all the time, and are printed in batches, meaning the odds are fixed. We’ve got the best current Washington Scratchers for you below.

  1. Money Money Money (Odds: 1 out of 2.77)
  2. Ultimate Riches (Odds: 1 out of 2.90)
  3. Black Ice (Odds: 1 out of 2.93)
  4. Jackpot Fortune (Odds: 1 out of 2.95)
  5. WA Millionaire’s Club (Odds: 1 out of 2.97)

The Washington state Lottery Scratchers have some pretty stellar overall odds, with the top five sitting under 1 in every 3 plays getting you a return on your ticket. These Scratchers are on the more expensive side, you can get cheaper tickets for often lesser prizes and much worse odds, but they aren’t as much of a sure thing as these gems. After all, who ever heard of a reward with out any risk? These five Scratchers cost between $20 and $30 and have top prizes of $500,000 to $2 million.

Unique Alternative Washington Lottery Games

The Draw Game and Scratcher binary form the foundation of the lottery scene, throughout the nation and within Washington herself. The space between these two juggernauts makes room for some alternative and frankly pretty special lotteries to pop up, and there have been plenty of state-specific games to distinguish themselves. Idaho has Insta-Play games, New Hampshire is soon to have a Sports Lotto, and Washington has their raffles.

From time to time the Washington Lottery hold these special kinds of one-off Draw Games for special occasions. For the Lottery’s 25th anniversary, a raffle was held to commemorate the occasion and give back to loyal lottery players. Tickets for this kind of game are quite high, often around $20 a pop, so they’re not as cheap as the other lotteries, but the odds are fixed and usually better than the regular Draw Games. We hope the Washington Lottery holds another one soon, maybe we’ll get a couple of tickets…

Important WA Lottery Laws

Just like the unique lottery games, the laws and regulations that shape the lottery, and in fact those alternative games, are determinate on the idiosyncrasies of the state. In other terms, what’s legal in Washington might not be legal across the border in Oregon or Idaho. It’s crucial to know what’s legal to do in these states, how you can legally play the lottery and the conditions of winning if you’re lucky enough to score a jackpot (or two!). We want to make sure you have the best opportunities possible in the Washington Lottery, so we’ve compiled the most important laws in bite-sized form below.

Legal Age for Lottery Games: 18+
Tax on Winnings: No
Anonymity for Winners: No
Limit to Claim Win: 6 Months
Online Lottery: No

Players of the Washington Lottery must be 18 years old to grab a ticket – that’s the norm across much of America, as is the 6 month limit to claim winnings, and unfortunately the lack of an online lotties and the lack of anonymity for winners too. Anonymity can be your best friend when you win the lotto, and we’d love to see more states respect winners and their privacy. Thanks to some industrious Washington residents, there is a workaround: you can purchase lottery tickets under a trust, and that trust’s name will go on public record, rather than your own. Pretty ingenious huh? What’s more, Washington winners don’t have to pay any state tax!

Overview of the Washington Lotto

A Lottery in the state of Washington had been in the works for a while before being officially called into being in 1982. Proposals throughout the 1970s that led to legislation paved the way for the modern state of the Lottery today, and the direction the revenue raised from the lottery was to go in, but more on that after the jump. Since the Lottery’s inception, there have been some big winners, most notably a $380 million Mega Millions ticket in 2011, and there will doubtlessly be more to come in the WA Lotto’s bright future.

Overview of the Washington Lottery
Company: The Washington Lottery Founded: 1982
Headquarters: 814 4th Avenue East Olympia, WA 98506 Social Media: Facebook
Website: www.walottery.com Biggest Win: $380 million

The revenue raised from the Washington Lottery has been a source of contention within the government and the public since before the Lottery even began, with people expecting it to go towards public schools, but the reality is different. A stream of legislation in the 1970s directed the money raised from a potential future lottery to go towards a number projects, education amongst them, but the actual legislation in the 1982 that brought the Lottery into effect directed the revenue into the General Fund, as the state was in a recession at the time and didn’t want to restrict its coffers. Interesting hey?

Conclusion

The Washington state Lottery is a humble one, that doesn’t offer as many flashy games or bells and whistles as some of the other state lotteries. Check out every state here on our American Lottery homepage. What the WA Lotto does offer is reliable Draw Games and Scratchers that shape a true Lottery experience, with great odds and prizes, and that’s what really counts. You can check back here on the regular for all the recent Washington lottery winning numbers and results for the Washington Lottery, and hopefully you’ll see your numbers up here too.

Common Questions that People Also Ask

We like to think that the best lottery players among us aren’t just lucky – they’re also informed of all the betting opportunities so they can make the most of them. That’s why we’ve made this guide to the WA Lottery, and why we’ve compiled the top five most common and frequently asked questions regarding the Lotto and answered them for you below.

Which Washington Lottery Has The Best Odds?

Big jackpots and frequent draw times are among the major factors in determining what Draw Game Lottery is the one for you, but in our opinion, the overall odds are the real metric to measure by. Going by the overall odds of returning a prize means you’re more satisfied more often – you’re not chasing wild dreams of out of this world jackpots (though winning one would be pretty nice). Therefore, that’s why we reckon Match 4 is the best of the bunch, with overall odds of 1 in 8.70.

Which Washington Scratcher Has The Best Odds?

When determining the best Scratch Off ticket, we go by the same logic as the Draw Games – overall odds. The better the overall odds of returning a ticket, the better the game. Where Scratchers differ with Draw Games, however, is that the biggest prizes are attached to the games with the best overall odds and are more expensive. That’s why our pick for the top WA Scratch Off ticket, Money Money Money going for $20 a ticket, has overall odds of 1 in 2.73.

What are The Taxes I have to Pay on my Washington Lottery Winnings

Washington residents, rejoice. You need not worry about kind of taxation on lottery winnings, bar of course the progressive federal income tax. Washington is one of the few states that don’t tax lottery winnings, which is usually due to the lottery being a recent development within the state, and the government wish to attract as many players as possible. This is of course not the case in Washington, but instead of sitting around ruminating on the why, how about we go grab a ticket and reap the tax-free benefits of living in the glorious Evergreen State?

Can Washington Lottery Winners Remain Anonymous?

No, Washington Lottery winners can’t remain anonymous. That would be a real shame, if there weren’t such an ingenious legal work around to ensure winners names need not go on public record. Announcing Lottery winners publicly means state Lotteries can avoid speculation of corruption and additionally boost publicity, but by establishing a trust to purchase Lottery tickets under, both the Lottery and the winner can reap the benefits.

Is there a Washington Lottery App?

Yes, there is a fantastic Washington Lottery app, that’s available on your preferred app store. You can regularly check updated jackpot amounts as those tantalizing top prizes grow, scan any ticket you might have in your possession to check if it’s a winner, instantly, check out all the new Scratchers, and much more. Check it out and get with the times!

0 votes