The Numbers Game is played exclusively in Massachusetts and offers players two chances to win every day of the week. It costs as little as $0.25 to enter and there are 10 play styles to choose from for a variety of ways to make a winning match.
The Midday draw takes place every afternoon at 2:00 PM ET and the Evening draw is held every night at 9:00 PM ET. The deadline to buy tickets for the Midday draw is 1:45 PM and for the Evening draw it's 8:45 PM. Ticket sales restart after the draw, so if you were late, you can make your purchase then to enter the next draw.
The Numbers Game doesn't have fixed prizes; instead, 63% of total ticket sales are placed in the prize pool, and the payouts are shared by all winners on a prize tier. Check the table below for examples of the play styles and number combinations you can select from. Odds of winning vary depending on your choices.
| Play Type/Digits | Example | Odds of Winning | How to Win |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 in 10 | Match any Number |
| 2 | 12 | 1 in 100 | Match any 2 Numbers |
| 3 Exact | 123 | 1 in 1,000 | Match 3 in Exact Order |
| 4 Exact | 1234 | 1 in 10,000 | Match 4 in Exact Order |
| 3 Any - No Duplicates | 123 | 1 in 166.7 | Match 3 Numbers in Any Order |
| 3 Any - 2 Identical Numbers | 112 | 1 in 333.3 | Match 3 Numbers in Any Order |
| 4 Any - No Duplicates | 1234 | 1 in 416.7 | Match 4 Numbers in Any Order |
| 4 Any - 2 Identical Numbers | 1123 | 1 in 833.3 | Match 4 Numbers in Any Order |
| 4 Any - 2 Pair | 1122 | 1 in 1,666.7 | Match 4 Numbers in Any Order |
| 4 Any - 3 Identical Numbers | 1112 | 1 in 2,500 | Match 4 Numbers in Any Order |
Select your wager amount and play style. If you've picked 3 or 4 digits, there are two play style options; Exact or Any Order. More details can be found below in the Play Types section.
Choose between 1 and 4 numbers from 0 to 9. You can choose your own lucky numbers or go with a Quic Pic to have the Lottery computer select your numbers at random. A faster option if you don't feel like filling out a bet slip is to ask the retailer for a Quic Pic.
Select how much you would like to wager that your set of numbers will match your play type. You can bet from as little as 25¢, whilst the most common wager is $1.
Choose whether to play the Midday draw, Evening draw, or both
Exact - You must match the numbers on your ticket to those drawn in the exact same order. So if you have 1-2-3-4, the numbers drawn must also be in the same order of 1-2-3-4. This applies to the Exact order options
Any - This allows you to match the numbers regardless of where they are drawn. If you pick 1-2-3-4 you would win for 4-3-2-1 or any other order that contains all four of your digits. This also allows you options of choosing the same digit more than once.
There are two Numbers Game draws every single day at Midday 2 PM and Evening 9 PM.
The price of your ticket will depend on a few factors. How much you wagered (minimum wagers are $0.25 depending on your play type). You’ll also have to multiply your wager by the amount of draws you played and how many games you entered.
You have to be at least 18 years old to play lottery games in Massachusetts.
In the Numbers Game, prizes are paid in a pari-mutuel formula. 63% of the total bets placed in the games are put into a prize pool and pay outs are determined on the total amount wagered.
