How the daily games are played, what the odds and prizes really are, how tax works, what this site will and will not do — and the rules for playing safely.
At a lottery retailer (or the official app where your state offers it) you choose three digits, each from 0 to 9 — for example 4-1-9. Then you choose four things: your bet type (exact order or any order), your play amount (usually 50¢ or $1), which draw you want (daytime or evening), and how many days you want to play. You get a printed ticket. Keep it — it is the only proof you played.
Straight means exact order: if you play 4-1-9 you only win if the draw is 4-1-9. It pays the most.
Box means any order: 4-1-9, 1-9-4, 9-4-1 and the rest all win. It pays less because more orders can win. A number with all different digits is a 6-way box (six possible orders); a number with two matching digits is a 3-way box (three orders). A triple like 5-5-5 has only one order, so it cannot be played box.
Some states also sell combinations of the two (often called straight/box or combo), where part of your money is on each. Check your state's official rules for exact options and prices.
There are exactly 1,000 possible three-digit numbers (000 to 999), so:
These odds are the same on every single draw. They do not improve if a number has not appeared for a long time, and they do not get worse right after it appears.
Prizes are set by each state, not by us. A typical $1 Pick 3 play pays about $500 straight, $160 for a 3-way box and $80 for a 6-way box. A 50¢ play pays half. Pick 4 and jackpot games have their own prize tables. Always confirm current amounts on your state lottery's official site — the figures we show are for information only.
Small prizes can usually be claimed at any lottery retailer. Larger prizes are claimed at a lottery office or by mail, with identification and a claim form. Every state sets its own limits and deadlines (often 90 to 180 days from the draw). Sign the back of your ticket and check the official rules for your state before you do anything else.
Honestly: you cannot. Every combination has exactly the same chance on every draw. No number is ever "due", no digit is ever "hot" in a way that carries into the next draw, and no chart on this site — or any site — changes the odds. Draws are independent: the machine has no memory of what it did yesterday.
The only things genuinely in your control are how much you spend, how often you play, and whether you check your ticket properly.
Record keeping and curiosity. Many long-time players enjoy tracking what has already happened — which digits came up, how long a sum has been absent, when a favourite number last hit. People kept these records in paper notebooks for decades; we keep them accurately and automatically so nobody has to.
They are a history of the past, presented clearly. They are not a forecast, and we never present them as one.
No. Daily games are built so that, across all players, the lottery pays out roughly 50 cents for every dollar wagered. Over time, playing any number, any system, any pattern, produces an expected loss. Occasional wins happen — that is what makes it a game — but the long-run average is negative for every player.
Our history explorer shows this plainly: pick any number and you can see what betting $1 on it every draw for twenty years would have cost and returned.
Winning numbers are taken directly from official state lottery sources, then checked automatically against the source again before publishing. Pages rebuild after each draw is collected, and every page shows an "Updated" time at the bottom.
We work hard to be exact, but mistakes and outages are possible. Always confirm a winning ticket with the official state lottery before discarding it.
It depends on the size of the prize:
The game you played does not change the tax — only the state and the amount do.
No. Withholding is a prepayment, like the tax taken from a paycheck. The prize still goes on your tax return as income. If more was withheld than you owe, you get the difference back; if less, you pay the rest at filing time. Your final federal amount depends on your income tax bracket, which can be higher or lower than 24%.
This is general information, not tax advice. For anything significant, speak to a tax professional.
Generally the state where the ticket was bought can tax the prize, and your home state taxes it as well — but your home state usually gives you a credit for tax already paid elsewhere, so the same dollars are not taxed twice. The details vary by state pair; a tax professional can confirm your situation.
To be the clearest, most accurate free record of daily lottery results in the United States — readable on an old phone, easy on the eyes, and honest about what statistics can and cannot tell you.
Many players already keep these records by hand. We do the bookkeeping for them, correctly and for free, and we explain the terms in plain English so that nobody has to pretend they understand jargon.
We do not:
If any site or seller tells you their numbers win more often, that claim is false.
No. We are an independent information site. All game names and logos belong to their respective lotteries. Official results are published by the state lotteries themselves, and their published numbers always take precedence over anything shown here.
They are generated from the calendar date (and, for the birthday version, your birth date and star sign). Everyone with the same inputs gets the same numbers, and they change the next day. They are not based on trends, hot numbers or any analysis, they carry no advantage whatsoever, and they exist purely for entertainment — like a fortune cookie. Please do not treat them as advice.
Yes. Lottery play is for adults only. The minimum age is 18 in most states and 21 in some. Buying a ticket for a minor, or letting one play on your account, is illegal in every state.
This site is intended for adults of legal lottery age. If you are under age, please do not use the information here to gamble.
Decide what you can comfortably lose before you play, and treat that as the price of the entertainment — not an investment. Never borrow money to play, never try to win back losses by spending more, and never let play interfere with bills, work, sleep or relationships.
Playing more, or playing "smarter" numbers, does not change the odds.
Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Problem Gambling Helpline: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), or chat online at ncpgambling.org. Most state lotteries also fund their own free support services.
Warning signs include spending more than you planned, hiding how much you play, chasing losses, and borrowing to keep playing. Asking for help early makes it easier.