Prizes are pari-mutual style, where the lottery takes a 50% cut (source: California Lottery Regulations, pages 21,22) of the total ticket sales and returns the rest to the winners.

The Daily 3 is a $1, twice daily game in which the player and lottery each pick three numbers from 0 to 9, with replacement. What follows is my analysis of each game.

If you play the Daily 3 or Daily 4, make Straight bets, as opposed to Box bets.

Players that pick their own numbers are at greater risk to get short changed on a jackpot by having to share it with many other players who picked the same numbers for the same reasons you did.

For any game involving choosing numbers, I suggest the Quick Pick option.

For games with the Second Chance option, don't forget to take it, which will give you about an additional 1.5% in return.

For bets of $5 or more, scratch cards offer the best value, with returns ranging from 67% to 80%, depending on the bet size.

If you must play, the best odds for bets under $5 is on the Hot Spot game, which claims to return 63.5% of money bet, which is better than the usual 50%.

With few exceptions, it is the worst bet you can make. Every state lottery offers terrible odds. However, for those who just want the executive summary, here is my advice:

The rest of this page contains my analysis of the several ways to play the California Lottery. This is unlike other states that pay fixed prizes for some games. For this reason, games based on random ball draws are all pari-mutual, which means the California Lottery takes a cut for schools and education and returns the rest to the winners. The time limit to cash a winning ticket is 180 days.Ī unique feature of the California Lottery is that all games must be player against player and the state cannot have an interest in the outcome. Administrative expenses are supposed to be less than 13%. The percentage directed towards prizes ranges from 48.5% to 79.7%, so you need to play the right game. Revenues from the lottery are directed towards education. Since then, it has never changed its format or structure.The California Lottery opened for business on October 3, 1985. California Daily 4 HistoryĬalifornia Daily 4 premiered on May 19, 2008. There are no releases about the California Daily 4 winners, mainly because it is a simple game with several winners every day. If you opt for it, do not forget to come back here to check the official California Daily 4 results. There is one drawing every day, so it covers two complete weeks of drawings using the same numbers. The Advance Play option is available for California Daily 4, and it will let you play in up to 14 consecutive drawings. Bookmark this page to readily check the California Daily 4 results as soon as they come out every day.Once you are done marking, pay for the tickets and make sure to keep the receipts with you until the drawing.You can choose to bet with a Straight bet, a Box one, or combine both in a single play with increased odds and lowered prizes. After finding a local retailer, ask for a play slip and choose four digits, each one from 0 to 9.

If that is not a possibility for you, we strongly advise looking for other games that you can play from virtually anywhere on the best safe lottery sites.

California Daily 4 cannot be played online, just at the local retailers within the state.

Winners have up to 180 days to claim their prize after the California Daily 4 results.

Regardless of the bet type, all games will cost $1.

All the prizes paid by Daily 4, just like California Daily 3, are pari-mutuel and, therefore, will vary according to ticket sales.

The variations can be found in the Prizes & Odds table above.

It is possible to play with Straight bets, which only cover numbers in the exact order, a Boxed bet that includes variations, or both at the same time.

Although prizes are subject to taxes from $599, the state does not charge any state taxes.

Daily 4 can only be played in California.

Daily 4 california