Lotto America
Lotto America is the successor to the original 1988 game of the same name — the game that Powerball replaced in 1992. MUSL revived the brand in November 2017 as an affordable, lower-jackpot alternative. Five numbers from 1 to 52, plus a Star Ball from 1 to 10.
How it works: Lotto America
Pick five main numbers from 1 to 52 and one Star Ball from 1 to 10, or take a Quick Pick. Tickets cost one dollar. Add All Star Bonus for another dollar to multiply non-jackpot wins. Draws happen Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10 PM Eastern.
The real odds of Lotto America
These figures come straight from the game's official number matrix, so they're fixed by math — not by which numbers you pick. A quick pick has exactly the same chance as any other combination, and no generator can change that.
- Match all 5 main numbers
- 1 in 2,598,960
- Match all 5 numbers plus the bonus
- 1 in 25,989,600
Putting those odds in perspective
- Total possible combinations
- 25,989,600
- Cost to buy every combination
- $25,989,600
- Tickets for a 50% chance of the jackpot
- 18,014,618
- Tickets for a 1% chance of the jackpot
- 261,205
Playing one line per draw, you'd expect to hit the jackpot about once every 25,989,600 draws — roughly once every 166,600 years.
How Lotto America compares
Among the 14 games we generate, Lotto America ranks #6 by jackpot difficulty (1 = hardest to win).
| # | Game | Jackpot odds (1 in) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keno | 1,646,492,110,120 |
| 2 | Powerball | 292,201,338 |
| 3 | Mega Millions | 290,472,336 |
| 4 | Bank a Million | 130,504,920 |
| 5 | Super Lotto Plus | 41,416,353 |
| 6 | Lotto America (this game) | 25,989,600 |
| 7 | Lotto Texas | 25,827,165 |
| 8 | Bonus Match 5 | 19,575,738 |
| 9 | Wild Money | 16,564,086 |
| 10 | Match 6 | 13,983,816 |
| 11 | Classic Lotto 47 | 10,737,573 |
| 12 | Tri-State Megabucks Plus | 4,496,388 |
| 13 | All or Nothing | 2,704,156 |
| 14 | Texas Two Step | 1,832,600 |
Prize tiers
| Match | Approx. odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Star Ball | 1 in 25,989,600 | Jackpot ($2M+) |
| 5 mains | 1 in 2,887,733 | $20,000 |
| 4 + Star Ball | 1 in 110,594 | $1,000 |
| 1 + Star Ball | 1 in 91 | $2 |
A brief history
The original Lotto America ran from February 1988 to April 1992, when it was renamed Powerball. The relaunched 2017 version is sold in 13 states including Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Minimum jackpot is $2 million cash. The game pays winners as either annuity or cash option.