One of America's Original Lotteries
The Illinois Lottery launched on July 1, 1974, making it one of the oldest state lotteries in the country. Today it offers six draw games ranging from daily digit games to multi-state jackpots. Illinois was the first U.S. lottery to sell tickets online (March 2012) and has been privately managed by Allwyn North America (formerly Camelot Illinois) since January 2018 — one of only a few states to outsource lottery operations. All proceeds fund education through the Common School Fund. Illinois applies a flat 4.95% state income tax on lottery winnings with no additional local taxes, making the tax picture straightforward for winners.
Lotto (6/52)
Illinois Lotto is the state's flagship game. Pick 6 numbers from 1-52 for drawings on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings. Jackpots start at $2 million and grow until won. Each Lotto ticket automatically includes entry into two supplementary drawings — Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2 — each offering a $1 million prize. The Extra Shot add-on costs $1 more and provides additional ways to win non-jackpot prizes by matching an extra number. With jackpot odds of approximately 1 in 20,358,520, Illinois Lotto offers substantially better jackpot odds than Powerball or Mega Millions.
- Match 6: Jackpot
- Match 5: $1,000-$2,000
- Match 4: $50-$100
- Match 3: Free Quick Pick
Lucky Day Lotto (5/45)
Lucky Day Lotto is Illinois's unique state-exclusive game — you will not find it anywhere else in the country. Pick 5 numbers from 1-45 for drawings twice daily, midday and evening. The top prize starts at $100,000 and grows until won. With two draws per day, seven days a week, Lucky Day Lotto produces 730 drawings per year — outstanding data volume for frequency and pattern analysis. Overall odds of winning any prize are approximately 1 in 9.3, and the top-prize odds are 1 in 1,221,759.
- Match 5: Jackpot (starts at $100,000)
- Match 4: $200
- Match 3: $10
- Match 2: Free Quick Pick
Pick 3 (3 digits, 0-9)
Pick 3 lets you choose 3 digits from 0-9 with drawings twice daily, midday and evening. Play types include Straight (exact order), Box (any order), Straight/Box, Front Pair, and Back Pair. The Fireball add-on provides an extra number that can substitute for any drawn digit, creating additional ways to win. A $1 Straight bet pays $500. With 730 draws per year, Pick 3 delivers the most data of any Illinois game.
Pick 4 (4 digits, 0-9)
Pick 4 works like Pick 3 but with 4 digits. Drawings are twice daily, midday and evening. Play types mirror Pick 3: Straight, Box, Straight/Box, and pairs. The Fireball add-on is also available. A $1 Straight bet pays $5,000. With 10,000 possible combinations per draw, Pick 4 offers deeper pattern complexity than Pick 3.
Powerball (5/69 + 1/26)
Powerball is available in Illinois with drawings Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings. Pick 5 numbers from 1-69 plus a Powerball from 1-26. The Power Play multiplier (2x-5x, or 10x when the jackpot is under $150 million) boosts non-jackpot prizes. Jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338. With Illinois's flat 4.95% state tax, winners keep more than in neighboring states like Wisconsin (7.65%) and Iowa (8.53%).
Mega Millions (5/70 + 1/25)
Mega Millions draws 5 numbers from 1-70 plus a Mega Ball from 1-25 on Tuesday and Friday evenings. The Megaplier (2x-5x) multiplies non-jackpot prizes. Jackpot odds are 1 in 302,575,350. Combined with the 24% federal withholding, Illinois winners face an effective tax rate of approximately 28.95% — moderate compared to the national landscape.
Which Illinois Game Should You Play?
For daily action and maximum data, Lucky Day Lotto's twice-daily draws in a compact 5/45 format are ideal for pattern analysis. For digit-game enthusiasts, Pick 3 and Pick 4 offer 730 draws per year each. For the best jackpot odds among lotto games, Illinois Lotto at 1 in 20.4 million is far more attainable than the national games. And for the largest jackpots, Powerball and Mega Millions complete the lineup. Use our Frequency Analysis and Hot & Cold Numbers tools to explore patterns across all Illinois games on the Illinois lottery dashboard.