Lotto America is a multi-state lottery that offers a jackpot of at least $2 million, along with eight other prize levels. The grand prize rolls over and increases if it's not won, and with no limit to how much it can grow, it's reached tens of millions of dollars at times. Read our guide, below, to learn how this exciting game is played.
Draws take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday after 10:15 PM ET/9:15 PM CT in Johnston, Iowa.
The jackpot starts at $2 million, with the prize fund increasing for each draw that goes by without a jackpot winner! There is no upper limit set for the Lotto America jackpot.
In order to win the top prize, you must match all five main numbers and the Star Ball. The game also offers an additional eight prize tiers, with rewards starting from $2 for matching just the Star Ball. Below is a breakdown of the prize tiers, along with the odds of winning each reward:
| Numbers Matched | Prize | Odds of Winning | No. Winners in Last Draw | Average No. Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Match 5 plus Star Ball |
Jackpot | 1 in 25,989,600 | 0 | 0 |
Match 5 |
$20,000 | 1 in 2,887,733 | 0 | 0.1 |
Match 4 plus Star Ball |
$1,000 | 1 in 110,594 | 4 | 2.9 |
Match 4 |
$100 | 1 in 12,288 | 23 | 25.9 |
Match 3 plus Star Ball |
$20 | 1 in 2,404 | 130 | 133 |
Match 3 |
$5 | 1 in 267 | 1,194 | 1,191.7 |
Match 2 plus Star Ball |
$5 | 1 in 160 | 2,085 | 1,989.4 |
Match 1 plus Star Ball |
$2 | 1 in 29 | 11,194 | 10,944.1 |
Match 0 plus Star Ball |
$2 | 1 in 17 | 18,808 | 18,835.6 |
Add the All-Star Bonus option for an extra $1 and any non-jackpot prizes you win will be multiplied by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x! The All-Star Bonus multiplier is determined in a separate draw, and announced alongside the main results.
The following table shows all the prizes you can win with the All-Star Bonus:
| Numbers Matched | Base Prize | X2 | X3 | X4 | X5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 5 plus Star Ball |
Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| Match 5 |
$20,000 | $40,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 | $100,000 |
| Match 4 plus Star Ball |
$1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Match 4 |
$100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 |
| Match 3 plus Star Ball |
$20 | $40 | $60 | $80 | $100 |
| Match 3 |
$5 | $10 | $15 | $20 | $25 |
| Match 2 plus Star Ball |
$5 | $10 | $15 | $20 | $25 |
| Match 1 plus Star Ball |
$2 | $4 | $6 | $8 | $10 |
| Match 0 plus Star Ball |
$2 | $4 | $6 | $8 | $10 |
Select five main numbers from a pool ranging from 1 to 52 and one bonus number, referred to as the Star Ball, from a separate pool of 1 to 10.
The All-Star Bonus is an optional add-on that multiplies the value of non-jackpot prizes if you are lucky enough to win. You'll need to decide whether or not to use it when filling out your playslip.
Decide how many draws to play in advance. Play your numbers in just the next draw, or multiple consecutive drawings.
Purchase your tickets before the sales cut-off time, which is different for each state. A standard ticket costs just $1, and adding the All-Star Bonus costs an extra $1 per play.
Lotto America was originally played across the U.S. up until 1992 when the game was rebranded to become Powerball. Following a number of changes made by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) in the fall of 2017, Lotto America returned that November with a new game structure and nine prize tiers.
Lotto America is currently offered by 15 state lotteries, plus the District of Columbia. The participating lotteries are: Delaware, D.C., Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia.
The Mississippi Lottery announced in April 2024 that it would join the game starting May 12, with Nebraska beginning ticket sales one week later. The other states all used to participate in Hot Lotto (the precursor to the revamped Lotto America) before it ended.
The Lotto America jackpot starts at $2 million and keeps growing until someone wins. The current jackpot is $4.92 Million.
Lotto America uses a digital draw system (DDS) to carry out each draw - the five main numbers are generated first, followed by the Star Ball number. Drawings are not streamed live, but the winning numbers are available online shortly after they have been selected.
Yes, the jackpot is divided equally between winning tickets if multiple players match all the numbers.
The biggest Lotto America jackpot in history was $40 million, won by Earl Lape from Iowa.
The minimum age in most participating states is 18. However, in Nebraska, you must be at least 19, and in Iowa and Mississippi the minimum age is 21.
Claim prizes up to $600 from authorized retailers or by mail. Larger amounts must be claimed by mail or at a regional lottery office or headquarters.
The length of time you have to claim a prize depends on where you bought your ticket, ranging from 90 days in New Mexico to one year in several states.
See jackpot amounts for every Lotto America draw that has taken place in the last six months below. Separately, you can scroll back and see the percentage and value increase/decrease of each draw compared to the previous one.
