What Is SuperLotto Plus?
SuperLotto Plus is California's flagship lotto game and has been running since 1986 (originally as California Lotto, rebranded in 2000). While California also sells Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, SuperLotto Plus is the state's own game — and it offers dramatically better jackpot odds than either of those multi-state giants.
Despite this advantage, SuperLotto Plus flies under the radar for many players who default to Powerball and Mega Millions because of their larger advertised jackpots. This guide makes the case for why SuperLotto Plus deserves a serious look, especially if you're a California player. For broader California lottery context, see our California lottery overview.
How SuperLotto Plus Works
The format is clean and simple:
- Pick 5 numbers from 1 to 47 (the main white balls)
- Pick 1 Mega number from 1 to 27 (the bonus ball)
- Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 7:57 PM PT
- Tickets cost $1 per play — half the price of Powerball or Mega Millions
There is no multiplier add-on equivalent to Power Play or Megaplier. Prizes are fixed (except the jackpot, which rolls over and grows).
The Odds: Why SuperLotto Plus Stands Out
This is where SuperLotto Plus truly shines. Let's compare jackpot odds directly:
- SuperLotto Plus: 1 in 41,416,353
- Mega Millions: 1 in 302,575,350
- Powerball: 1 in 292,201,338
SuperLotto Plus jackpot odds are roughly 7x better than Mega Millions and 7x better than Powerball. If you bought one ticket in each game, you would need to play Powerball for seven years to accumulate the same statistical expectation as one year of SuperLotto Plus — at the same dollar amount.
This doesn't mean SuperLotto Plus is a "good" bet in absolute terms — the odds are still astronomical. But within the universe of lottery options, this gap is enormous. See the full comparison in our Powerball vs. Mega Millions breakdown, and use the odds calculator to compare prize tiers side by side.
Prize Tiers and Payouts
SuperLotto Plus has nine prize tiers, ranging from matching just the Mega number all the way up to the jackpot:
- 5 + Mega (Jackpot): 1 in 41,416,353 — starts at $7 million, grows with rollovers
- 5 + no Mega: 1 in 1,592,937 — $10,000 (fixed)
- 4 + Mega: 1 in 197,221 — $1,500 (fixed)
- 4 + no Mega: 1 in 7,585 — $150
- 3 + Mega: 1 in 4,810 — $60
- 3 + no Mega: 1 in 185 — $12
- 2 + Mega: 1 in 361 — $10
- 1 + Mega: 1 in 74 — $2
- 0 + Mega: 1 in 49 — $1 (ticket cost recovered)
Overall odds of winning any prize: approximately 1 in 23. That's the best overall-win probability of any of the major multi-million-dollar jackpot games available in California.
Pari-Mutuel vs. Fixed Prizes
One nuance California players should understand: SuperLotto Plus prizes above $5 are pari-mutuel for some tiers, meaning the prize pool for a given tier is divided among all winners. If a huge number of people match 4 + Mega on the same night, each person gets a smaller share of that prize pool.
This is different from Powerball or Mega Millions, where secondary prizes like Match 4 + Powerball are fixed dollar amounts. In practice, pari-mutuel payouts are usually close to the "expected" prize values listed above, but they can be lower during high-volume drawings. The jackpot itself is always pari-mutuel by definition.
Jackpot History and Size
SuperLotto Plus jackpots start at $7 million and grow with each rollover. The largest jackpot in the game's history exceeded $193 million. While the average jackpot at draw time is far smaller than Powerball or Mega Millions (which can grow past $1 billion), a $50–$100 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot is genuinely life-changing — and your odds of winning it are seven times better.
For California players, it's also worth noting that California does not tax state lottery prizes (more on this in a moment). That $50 million jackpot in California hits differently than the same number in a high-tax state.
California's Tax Advantage
California is one of the few states that exempts California state lottery winnings from state income tax. This applies to SuperLotto Plus, Fantasy 5, Daily 3, Daily 4, and other CA Lottery games. Federal taxes still apply (up to 37% at the top bracket), but you avoid California's 13.3% top state income tax rate on the prize.
This is a meaningful financial advantage. On a $50 million lump-sum jackpot, avoiding the 13.3% state tax saves over $3 million compared to what you'd owe in New York or other high-tax states.
Strategy: Approaching SuperLotto Plus With Data
The same data-driven tools that apply to Powerball and Mega Millions apply here. With twice-weekly drawings and a smaller number pool (1–47 for main balls, 1–27 for Mega), patterns can be more visible in the data than in games with larger ranges.
- Frequency analysis: With 47 main balls, hot and cold numbers are more statistically meaningful than in a 69-ball pool.
- Mega number tracking: The Mega pool is only 27 numbers, so individual Mega numbers cycle through more frequently. Cold Mega numbers may be more noticeable in a practical sense.
- Wheeling systems: The smaller number pool makes wheeling more affordable. A wheel covering numbers 1–20 is more tractable than trying to cover Powerball's 1–69 range.
All of these approaches are available through the dashboard. Run your own analysis on SuperLotto Plus draw history to spot trends worth investigating.
The Verdict
SuperLotto Plus is genuinely one of the best-value lottery games available in the United States. Better jackpot odds than Powerball or Mega Millions, a $1 ticket price, California's state tax exemption on winnings, and a rich 9-tier prize structure combine to make it an underrated choice. If you're a California player who automatically buys Powerball tickets, consider redirecting at least some of your lottery budget to SuperLotto Plus. The jackpots are smaller — but so is the mountain you're climbing.