Lotto America is a multi-state lottery game that is played in 13 states across the United States, including Tennessee. Lotto America drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:15 PM Eastern Time. For players in Tennessee, this means the drawings will be at 9:15 PM Central Time on those nights.
Lotto America Game Overview
Lotto America is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). It originally launched in 2017 as the replacement for the Powerball counterpart game, Lotto*America. The minimum jackpot begins at $2 million and continues to grow until there is a winner. Jackpots start at $2 million and rollover until they are won. Lotto America also has secondary prize divisions with fixed payouts:
- Match 5 white balls + Star Ball – Jackpot
- Match 5 white balls – $25,000
- Match 4 white balls + Star Ball – $2,500
- Match 4 white balls – $100
- Match 3 white balls + Star Ball – $20
- Match 3 white balls – $3
- Match 2 white balls + Star Ball – $4
To play Lotto America, players choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 52 and 1 Star Ball from 1 to 10. It costs $1 per play per draw. Tickets can be purchased up to 15 draws (weeks) in advance. Lotto America has a 1 in 25 odds of winning any prize.
When Do Lotto America Drawings Take Place?
Lotto America drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:15 PM ET. Here is what time the draws occur locally:
- 10:15 PM Eastern
- 9:15 PM Central
- 8:15 PM Mountain
- 7:15 PM Pacific
For players buying tickets in Tennessee, Lotto America drawings will always be at 9:15 PM Central Time on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The draw schedule does not change for holidays or other special occasions.
Watching the Lotto America Draw Live
For Lotto America, the drawings are held at the studios of WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. This television station is an affiliate of the ABC network. Viewers can tune into WSB-TV to watch the Lotto America drawing live as it happens at 9:15 PM Central Time in Tennessee. The drawings can also be viewed on some other local ABC affiliate stations across the Lotto America states.
There are also options to watch the drawing online:
- Lotto America website – A live stream of the drawing is hosted at www.lottoamerica.com.
- YouTube – The Lotto America YouTube channel posts the drawings after they are completed.
- Lottery websites – Some state lottery websites provide a live stream or video replay of the drawing.
Watching the draw live as it happens or reviewing later online is a way for Lotto America players to verify the winning numbers independently.
How to Get Lotto America Results
There are a number of ways Lotto America players in Tennessee can check the latest results:
- Lotto websites – The Tennessee Lottery website will post the winning Lotto America numbers shortly after each draw. Other state lottery sites provide results as well.
- Mobile apps – Lottery apps like Jackpocket let you view Lotto America results.
- Printed newspapers or lottery publications.
- Watch the televised draw recap – On some local news or lottery game shows.
- Visit authorized lottery retailers – They have printouts of recent results.
- Lottery self-checker machines – These can scan tickets to identify wins.
It is important for Lotto America players to always check their tickets against the official sources to confirm prizes. Never rely solely on store quick pick tickets or lottery retailer confirmations.
Winning Lotto America Numbers History
| Draw Date | Winning Numbers | Star Ball | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 12, 2022 | 9, 11, 13, 19, 46 | 5 | $55.9 Million |
| October 15, 2022 | 10, 20, 22, 24, 52 | 4 | $15 Million |
| October 19, 2022 | 7, 9, 10, 27, 50 | 1 | $26 Million |
| October 22, 2022 | 9, 17, 25, 44, 51 | 10 | $34 Million |
| October 26, 2022 | 4, 23, 29, 33, 52 | 7 | $15 Million |
This table shows the recent Lotto America winning numbers and jackpot amounts. All draws are at 9:15 PM Central Time in Tennessee. Players can look up any historic results at the Tennessee Lottery website archives.
Unclaimed Lotto America Prizes
For Lotto America and other Tennessee lottery games, players have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim any prizes won. After this period, unclaimed prizes are forfeited. The portion of forfeited prizes from Lotto America are:
- 50% returned to other lottery beneficiaries like education
- 50% used in future prize pools or special promotions
Reasons prizes may go unclaimed include:
- Players misplace or accidentally destroy tickets.
- Players do not check tickets after a drawing.
- Players are unaware a lottery ticket can expire.
- Winning tickets are lost in the mail if claimed by mail.
The Tennessee Lottery encourages players to sign the back of tickets after purchase and check carefully after each Lotto America drawing. Important jackpots or even smaller prizes are sometimes left on the table when people do not claim in time.
Odds of Winning Lotto America
The overall odds of winning any prize in Lotto America are about 1 in 25. Here are the odds for each prize tier specifically:
| Prize Level | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|
| Jackpot | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| $25,000 | 1 in 3,904,701 |
| $2,500 | 1 in 143,355 |
| $100 | 1 in 10,720 |
| $20 | 1 in 820 |
| $3 | 1 in 91 |
| $4 | 1 in 38 |
As the jackpot prize lies in the multi-million range, it is not surprising the odds of hitting it are quite high. But the chances of winning smaller tier prizes, especially the $3 and $4 levels, remain reasonable for players.
Tips for Winning Lotto America
There is no guaranteed strategy for winning the Lotto America jackpot or any other prizes. The drawings are entirely random. However, there are some tips to increase your chances:
- Buy more tickets – The more number combinations you play, the better odds you have.
- Join pools or lottery clubs – This lets you buy more tickets and number combinations as a group.
- Use key dates – Birthdays, anniversaries, and memorable numbers may give you a sense of luck.
- Mix up your choices – Don’t use just one set of numbers. Vary them across tickets.
- Purchase lottery subscriptions – This ensures you never miss a draw if traveling or busy.
- Check carefully – Look closely to avoid missing any wins from small prizes.
Following these tips can help provide more chances to win, but luck is still the driving factor in Lotto America.
Where Lotto America Revenue Goes
In Tennessee, the Lottery America game is run by the Tennessee Education Lottery. Their general beneficiary is education initiatives across the state. For Fiscal Year 2021, the TN Lottery raised over $528 million in total revenue. Here is the breakdown of where Lotto America and other game funds went:
- 82% – Lottery beneficiaries like scholarships and after-school programs.
- 12% – Prizes
- 5% – Retailer commissions and incentives
- 1% – Operating expenses
Since Lotto America tickets in Tennessee cost $1 per play, a significant portion of that money goes towards lottery beneficiaries after prizes are paid out. So participating in Lotto America helps support education in Tennessee while also offering a chance to win.
Buying Lotto America Tickets
There are a few ways to purchase Lotto America tickets in Tennessee:
- In-person: Visit any authorized Tennessee Lottery retailers. There are over 4,500 locations across the state. Find a retailer on the lottery website.
- Online: Sign up at the Tennessee Lottery website or mobile app to buy tickets online. Must be located in Tennessee to play online.
- Subscription: Subscribe to automatically purchase Lotto America tickets for future draws, up to 15 in advance.
- Advance play: Buy tickets manually for up to 15 upcoming draws at a time.
The ability to purchase tickets online, subscribe, and advance play makes it more convenient for regular Lotto America players. Tickets can be bought during the day instead of just before the 9:15 PM CT drawing.
Claiming Lotto America Prizes
For Lotto America players in Tennessee, there are a couple options to claim prizes:
- Authorized retailers: Prizes up to $600 can be claimed at any lottery retailers in Tennessee. This is the most convenient option for smaller wins.
- By mail: Players can mail ticket claims to the Lottery headquarters for processing. Required for prizes over $600.
- In person: For large jackpots, players may need to travel to Lottery headquarters in person to complete claims. Headquarters are located in Nashville.
No matter the prize amount or method, make sure to sign the back of the ticket and keep it very safe until claimed. Also, claim prizes in a timely manner, as tickets expire 180 days after the drawing.
Lotto America Rules and Regulations
When playing Lotto America in Tennessee, there are some key rules and policies to keep in mind:
- Players must be 18 or older to buy tickets.
- Tickets cannot be purchased on credit.
- Mutilated or altered tickets are void.
- Drawings are final – no re-draws or modifications of results.
- Winning tickets must pass validation tests.
- Prize claims subject to applicable taxes.
- Lottery winnings are not taxable at the state level in Tennessee but are taxable federally.
Lotto America players should review the detailed rules, regulations, and disclaimers on the Tennessee Lottery website. This includes important information on game procedures, ticket validation, claiming prizes, expiration periods and more.
Other Tennessee Lottery Games
In addition to Lotto America, the Tennessee Lottery offers a range of other games to play for different prizes and at various price points. Other Tennessee lottery games include:
- Powerball – The big multi-state jackpot game drawn on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. It starts at $20 million minimum.
- Mega Millions – Another huge interstate jackpot game. It has drawings on Tuesdays and Fridays starting at $20 million minimum.
- Cash 3 – A pick-3 style game drawn twice daily. Match all 3 numbers in exact order to win up to $500.
- Cash 4 – A pick-4 game also drawn twice a day. Match all 4 numbers in exact order to win up to $5,000.
- Cash Pop – A keno-style draw game with prizes between $1 and $2,500.
- Instant games – Numerous scratch-off tickets for instant prizes. Games range from $1 to $25 in price.
Playing Tennessee’s various lottery games provides more chances to win different prizes. Lotto America remains a great option for its impressive jackpots and strong local support for education.
Lotto America History and Trivia
Lotto America has an interesting history going back over three decades:
- The original Lotto America game launched in 1988 before later being replaced by Powerball in 1992.
- Lotto*America was introduced in 2017 as Powerball’s companion game, replacing Monopoly Millionaires’ Club.
- In November 2017, Lotto*America officially changed its name to just Lotto America.
- Lotto America originally was drawn on Sunday nights before moving to Wednesdays and Saturdays in 2019.
- In August 2021, the starting jackpot increased from $1 million to the current $2 million.
- The largest Lotto America jackpot was $145.9 million hit on November 7, 2020.
- One person in Tennessee has won the Lotto America jackpot, a $2.4 million prize in September 2021.
Over its history, Lotto America has continued evolving but always provides players across over a dozen states the chance to win big jackpots. The game has created hundreds of millionaires and funded important lottery beneficiary programs.
Conclusion
Lotto America offers Tennessee lottery players opportunities for exciting jackpot chasing twice per week. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 9:15 PM Central Time. Tickets can be purchased online, in-person at authorized retailers, or through subscriptions and advance play. Lotto America supports education in Tennessee through its beneficiary contributions. With strong jackpots starting at $2 million and secondary prizes up to $25,000, Lotto America is a lottery game with big payouts and local impact.
