The Kentucky Lottery
The Kentucky Lottery is a form of gambling that’s regulated by the government and comprises of various games of chance. The headquarters of the lottery are located in Louisville, but there are other regional locations as well from where tickets can be purchased. You can find them in Lexington, Henderson, Ashland, Bowling Green, Florence and Prestonsburg. The tickets can only be cashed at the headquarters or at the office in Lexington. The money that’s spent on every game in the Kentucky Lottery goes to different places.
63 cents of every dollar spent, which is the largest part of the ticket sale, is given out in prizes whereas 5 cents are taken by the administration. Retailers also get a share of the proceeds, which is about 6 cents of every dollar or 6% of all ticket sales. The second largest portion of the ticket proceeds is given to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which is 26% or 26 cents. Most of this money is spent on education as students are given grants and scholarships through it.
Knowing the Kentucky Lottery Rules
In order to participate in the Kentucky Lottery games, you have to follow some rules. First and foremost, you need to be at least 18 years of age in order to play any game. Secondly, you have to have a valid Kentucky address and need to be present physically in Kentucky in order to purchase a ticket. You should not use anyone else’s identity and should provide accurate information. If you are buying tickets online, you also need to have sufficient funds in your account and only purchase them under your own name. Violation of any rules can get you in serious legal trouble and should be avoided at all costs.
Guide for Playing the Kentucky Lottery
There are different types of games that you can play in the Kentucky Lottery and you can choose to play any or all of them:
- Pick 3 and Pick 4 have 13 drawings weekly and their prizes, prices and options can vary. A 50 cents ticket for the former can win you $300 and $2500 on the latter.
- Cash Ball has a daily draw and has a 4+1 matrix. Four numbers are chosen between 1 and 33 and another is the Cash Ball.
- 5 Card cash is a poker-themed game, which is drawn by RNG and allows players to win instantly if they make a ranked poker hand with the 5 cards.
- Lucky for Life is a six-state regional game where 5 out of 48 balls are chosen along with a Lucky Ball from another set of 18 numbers.
- You can also participate in the Mega Millions and Powerball lottery games available in Kentucky.
How Can I Win the Kentucky Lottery?
The simple law of probability states that buying more tickets will automatically increase your chances of winning the lottery. But, there is no guarantee that you will win and when you are paying for tickets, it means less profit. Also, you shouldn’t choose consecutive numbers and don’t select them from the same group. You should also ensure they don’t end on the same digit. You can also play less popular lotteries for increasing your chances of winning as they do have small jackpots, but the odds of winning are higher.
Kentucky Lottery Payouts
The payouts that you can get from the Kentucky Lottery can vary, depending on the game you have chosen to play. When you decide to play Cash Ball, you can win top prizes worth $200,000 and $100,000. In Lucky for Life, you get $1,000 per day for your entire life. The payouts from other games such as Powerball and Mega Millions are in millions. In fact, lottery officials in Kentucky say that every year, prizes of about $8 to $10 million remain unclaimed every year. The prizes need to be claimed within 180 days of the draw before being forfeit.
Second Tier Prizes
Apart from the big prizes, there are other smaller prizes that you can also win through the games in Kentucky Lottery. People who are unable to match all numbers in the draw are usually eligible for them and it depends on the numbers matched. When playing the Cash Ball, taking advantage of the Kicker option allows players to win $5,000 for an additional 50 seconds or $10,000 for $1. The Lucky for Life game offers $25,000 per year of your life as a second prize to players.
History of the Kentucky Lottery
In November 1988, a vote was carried out to decide whether to authorize the sale of lottery tickets in Kentucky or not. 60% voted in favor due to which the Kentucky Lottery began in April of 1989. The ticket sales began on April 4th and sales on the first day crossed $5 million for the two instant games that were available. The first two games of the Kentucky Lottery were scratch-off tickets, which were known as Beginner’s Luck for $1 and Kentucky Derby Dreamstakes for $2.
Buy Kentucky Lottery Tickets Online
Thanks to advancement in technology, you no longer have to visit the stores of official Kentucky Lottery retailers if you wish to participate in any game. These days, you have the option of playing Kentucky Lottery online. There are various websites where you can make an account for free and begin participating, such as Lottosend. However, you need to be 18, should verify your identity and have enough funds in your account to make the transfer. If these requirements are met, you can just choose your game, select the numbers, add to cart and checkout. You will get the ticket in your email.
Online Kentucky Lottery Syndicate
Playing online gives you another major benefit; you can join an established syndicate for improving your chances of winning the lottery. These syndicates have hundreds of members, which means more tickets can be purchased and the greater your chances of winning. Websites manage the syndicates and no work is involved in your part. The prize is divided if a ticket does win the Kentucky Lottery.
