DC 5 is a District of Columbia draw game which offers a top prize of $50,000 for a successful Straight bet. It works in a similar way to DC 2, 3, and 4, but having five numbers in each draw creates bigger payouts and more excitement.
There are two draws every day – a Midday game at 1:50 PM ET and an Evening game at 7:50 PM ET. Find out more about this popular game.
Here's a breakdown of what you can win on each type of bet, and what you need to match to win, plus the odds of taking home a prize:
| Play Type | Example | 50¢ Play Payout | $1 Play Payout | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Match in exact order | ||||
| Straight | 12345 | $25,000 | $50,000 | 1 in 100,000 |
| Box Match in any order | ||||
| 5-Way | 11112 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 1 in 20,000 |
| 10-Way | 11122 | $2,500 | $5,000 | 1 in 10,000 |
| 20-Way | 11123 | $1,250 | $2,500 | 1 in 5,000 |
| 30-Way | 11223 | $850 | $1,700 | 1 in 3,333.3 |
| 60-Way | 11234 | $425 | $850 | 1 in 1,667.7 |
| 120-Way | 12345 | $212.50 | $425 | 1 in 833.3 |
| Pairs & More Match in exact order | ||||
| Front 4 | 1234x | $2,500 | $5,000 | 1 in 10,000 |
| Back 4 | x1234 | $2,500 | $5,000 | 1 in 10,000 |
| Front 3 | 123xx | $250 | $500 | 1 in 1,000 |
| Back 3 | xx123 | $250 | $500 | 1 in 1,000 |
| Front Pair | 12xxx | $25 | $50 | 1 in 100 |
| Back Pair | xxx12 | $25 | $50 | 1 in 100 |
Choose your own five numbers from 0 through 9, or let Quick Pick do the work and randomly generate the digits. Play up to five times on a bet slip; each board is one play.
You can wager $0.50 or $1 in DC 5. The prizes available for $1 plays are twice as big as the $0.50 prizes - this option makes no other differences to your play.
To play your lucky numbers more than once, there are two options. With Multi-Draw you can play to seven consecutive draws, and with Advance Play you can play up to seven days in the future; simply mark your chosen day and draw time. To play multiple draws, let the retailer know your start and end dates.
There are various play styles to choose from in DC 5. In practice, the bet types are sets of rules determining how you need to match the winning numbers to land a prize. See the Bet Types section for more information.
Pay for your entries before the cut-off time. The total cost price depends on the number of plays, draws, and the wager amount.
Straight - Win by matching all five of the drawn numbers in exact order.
Box - You must match all five numbers to win, but the order isn't important. Box plays may be 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, or 120-Way, depending on how many of your digits are identical or unique. Playing more Ways offers better odds, while playing fewer Ways offers better prizes. See the Prize Table for examples for each type of Box.
Front 4 or Back 4 - Match the first or last four numbers in the correct positions to win.
Front 3 or Back 3 - Match the first or last three numbers drawn in exact order.
Front Pair or Back Pair - Win if the two numbers you pick are the same as the first two drawn numbers or the last two numbers, in the same order.
Ticket sales close one minute before the draw time. The cut-off time is therefore 1:49 PM ET for the Day draw, and 7:49 PM ET for the Evening draw.
You must be at least 18 years old to play any lottery game in the District of Columbia.
DC Lottery tickets are valid for 180 days after a draw date.
