Delaware has a new statewide lottery drawing. Perhaps you hadn't heard?
After teasing i n July that the state had something in the works , Delaware somewhat quietly began a newest twice-daily lottery drawing on August 19.
The new Delaware Lottery game is called Play 5, and it's essentially an expansion of the lottery's Play 4 and Play 3 games. In other words, it's a daily pick-5 drawing – with some very specific rules about how players can win prizes that can range up to $50,000.
State officials say the new drawing will provide a new source of revenue for the General Assembly. Here's how and where to play the Delaware Lottery's Play 5, plus the odds and the payouts.
More: Delaware woman wins $300,000 in lottery scratch-off game
Related: Powerball ticket worth $100,000 sold in Delaware. Check the numbers to see if you won
How does Play 5 work?
Go to any authorized Delaware lottery vendor, and pick any 5 numbers from 0 to 9. Bets are either 50 cents or $1. Prize payouts are double for $1 bets.
Numbers can be repeated: If your lucky number is 55555, go ahead and pick it. No one will look at you funny or anything.
Play 5 drawings happen daily at 1:58 pm and 7:57 p.m., for reasons we presume to involve arcane Delaware-specific numerology.
You can play up to seven drawings in advance, but to get in on the early drawing, you must buy before 1:40 p.m. on the same day. For the late drawing, buy before 7:30 p.m.
How do you win the Delaware Lottery Play 5 game? What are the odds?
Look on the Delaware Lottery website for complete rules .
Play 5 involves placing a "bet" on how close your number will be to the numbers drawn. The less likely your bet, the higher the payout. Play is similar to Play 4 and Play 3. But in Play 5, there are a lot more possibilities.
Here are the available bets:
- Straight: Play any 5-digit number. Must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 100,000 odds, $50,000 payout on a $1 bet.
- Box: Play any 5-digit number. Must match winning numbers in any order. Variable payout up to $10,000 on a 1-dollar bet depending on how many numbers match; variable odds.
- Front 4: First four digits must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 10,000 odds, $5,000 payout on a $1 bet.
- Back 4: First four digits must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 10,000 odds, $5,000 payout on a $1 bet.
- Front 3: Last three digits must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 1,000 odds, $500 payout on a $1 bet
- Back 3: First three digits must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 1,000 odds, $500 payout on a $1 bet
- Front Pair: First two digits must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 100 odds, $50 payout on a $1 bet
- Back Pair: Last two digits must match winning numbers exactly. 1 in 100 odds, $50 payout on a $1 bet
Check Play 5's Prizes and Odds page on the Delaware Lottery site for a more detailed explanation of each bet type.
How do payouts compare to other lottery games?
The max payouts don't compare to Powerball, certainly. The maximum Powerball jackpot was $34 million as of August 24, and a Delaware resident won a lesser jackpot of $100,000 in the August 19 drawing . A Delaware woman also pulled $300,000 out of the hat on a scratch-off game this week.
The most a Play 5 entrant can win on a one-dollar bet is $50,000. However, the odds of winning per bet are also significantly higher.
In Powerball, you have a 1 in 91 chance of winning a piddly $4 prize, and a 1 in 292-million chance of winning the big payout, whatever it may be.
On the Delaware Play 5 game, there's an approximately 50% prize payout across the board. I.e., you have a 1 in 100 chance of winning $50, and a 1 in 100,000 chance of winning $50,000. The state's revenues on the remainder go into the general fund .
Where is Delaware Lottery's Play 5 game sold?
For a map of Delaware Lotter vendors, visit delottery.com/Where-To-Buy .
What are the winning Delaware Lottery Play 5 numbers?
Numbers are posted twice daily at delottery.com/Drawing-Games/Play-5 .
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How to play Delaware Lottery's newest draw game
Local News
Comments / 0