Glossary

Lottery games have their own lingo around play types, bets, and prizes. Here, you can expand your vocabulary. Check out Lottery USA’s comprehensive glossary to find definiti𓂃ons for popular terms.

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6/49

A common type of lottery game. In this game, players choose six numbers out of a pool of 1 through 49. To win,🦂 the selection must match a certain number of balls🎶 from the draw.

1-Off

A play t📖ype available in some daily draw games. If selected, you can win by matching the winning numbers in either exact order or be off by one (higher or lower), on one, two, three, four, or five numbers, depending on the game.

See: Box, Combo, Pairs, Straight, 加拿大28预测开奖:Straight/Box

A
Add-on feature

Many lottery games include add-on features that players can choose to include in addition to the main game when buying lottery tickets. Norm🐬ally, there’s a spot on lottery play slips that players can mark in order to include an ꧟add-on feature.

Add-on features usually co🎃st an extra fee and offer a chance to increase prize money or improve odds.

Advanced draw

A game feature that allows players to enter future draws of the game. Players can choose to enter their numbers in multiple consecutive draws from a ra🉐nge defined by the lottery. The ticket value will increase based on the total nu𒈔mber of plays.

Also 🌳known as an ꦫ"Advanced bet" or "Multi draw."

Advertised jackpot

The jackpot value that the lottery advertises online and in the media.ꦑ This is how much money the lottery operator guarantees if the winner chooses the𓂃 annuity payment option.

Agent

A lottery ticket retailer.

Annuity

A payout option available in some lottery games with large jackpots. The winners collect their prize in recurring annual insꦕtallments over a specific period of time, normally 20 or more years, instead of a one-time lump sum payment. The payments are ✱set by the lottery rules and will add up to the advertised jackpot amount.

Also known as "Annuity payment."

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Lump sum payment

B
Ball

The numbered object the lottery randomly sele𒅌cts during draws. Each game has a predefined amount of balls that will be drawn. To ♚win, players must match the winning balls drawn.

Also known as "Number" or 🦄&quoꦺt;Digit."

See: Digit, Number

Ball set

A group of numbered balls used in draw machi🔯nes to choose the winning numbers of a lottery game. Each lottery has special rules and standards when it comes to the way the balls are built, drawn, and vali♔dated.

Bearer instrument

A document that declares the owne🌼rship of a certain property or payment.

A lottery ticket acts as a bearer instrument, entitling its holder’s ownership to whatever prize it may have won. Ownersh🌠ip of your ticket is not officially recorded elsewhere, which is why🍸 signing the back of it is recommended.

Beneficiary

The recipient of any relevant lottery winnings.

Bet

See: Wager.

Bonus number

A number (or numbers) that is drawn alongside a lottery’s main draw with the potentia🌃l to influence prizes.

Bonus numbers are either drawn from t🎉he main draw’s number pool or their own unique number pool.

Sometimes, bonus numbers are included in the cost of the ticket. Other times, they are an add-on that players must pay extra for. In some games, bonus numbers can be used to generate new winning combinations (in da🏅ily draw games). They are sometimes also used to define prize categories.

Also known as a "Supplementary number," "Ext✱ra number🌃," or "Bonus ball."

Book

A collection of playable instant-win lottery tickets/sc꧃ratch cards.

Box

A type of wager, commonly referred to as a &quo🥃t;play type". To win, the player’s numbers can match the drawn numbers in any order. This appears in daily draw games such as Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4, or Pick 5♛.

Also known as "Any order".

See: 1-Off, Combo, Pairs, Straight, 加拿大28预测开奖:Straight/Box

Bundle

An asso🐎rtment of personal and syndicate entries available to tღhose playing online through a lottery messenger service.

C
Cancelled ticket

A ticket printed🃏 🌳by the terminal that has been voided.

Capped jackpot

A jackpot that stops growing once it has rꦿeached a certain predefined value. Often, when a jackpot reaches its cap, any money that would have been added to ♉it goes to lower prize tiers instead.

Cash option

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Lump sum payment

(Prize) Claim form

A document that must be completed by winners𓃲 in order to receive 🥃a particularly large prize.

Claim center

An official lottery office or authorizeꦚd lo🐻ttery location where players can validate tickets and claim prizes. The prize amounts payable by claim centers varies between states.

These are separate from lottery retailers,♔ which are authorised and licensed locations that are allowed to sell lottery products and to payout prizes up to a predetermined amount.

Claim period

The time period during which a lottery winner must claim their prize. Claim periods vary between lotteries. Beyond the🌼 claim period, a winner may no longer be able to claim their prize.

Claim process

The instructions to red༒eem a lottery prize outlined by a lottery operator.

Cold number

A number that is, based on previous♔ draw🅰 statistics, thought not due to make a draw appearance soon.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Hot number, Overdue

Combo

🎃A wager in which a 𒁏player’s selection combines a Box play type and a Straight play type. This play type often appears in daily draw games.

Also known as a "Combination,&quo🔯t; "Super Straight," or "Wheel&quo𒐪t; bet.

See: 1-Off, Box, Pairs, Straight, 加拿大28预测开奖:Straight/Box

Commission

The sales figures of an official lottery operato꧙r used when partnering with retailers.

Not to be confused with the "Lotte꧑ry commission."

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Lottery retailer

Concierge service

A service that offers participation worldw🍰ide lotteries regardless of a player’s physical location.

Also known as a "Lottery messenger servic🐬e."

Consecutive numbers

Consecutive numbers are numbers that appear next to each other in numerical꧂ order.

A consecutive number sequence is broken when a draw🌼n number do෴es not immediately follow the one before it.

E🌄xamples of consecutive numbersꦡ: 2, 3, 4, and 43, 44, 45.

Example of a break in cons♑ecutive numbers: 16, 17, 22, 18. 22 broke the list.

D
Daily game

Aꦓ lottery game that takes place at least once a day.

The term "Daily game" is also used when referring to a specific type of lottery game in which numbers from 0 to 9 are selected and can repea✤t. These games tend to have fixed prizes, and off💟er multiple wagers and play types that players can choose from. Also called "Pick" games, they can have two, three, four, or five digits.

Also known as "C𓆉ash’" or "Number" games𒉰.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Numbers game

Date game

A lottery game that takes place on certain days.

Digit

Any of 🐽the numbers from 0 to 9. It’s commonly used in daily draw games and can be a synonym for "Number."

See: Ball, Number

Draw

A draw, or drawing, ꦐis where the winning numbers are revealed, and "Draw results" refers to the outcome of a specific draw.

Draws are conducted by an official lottery operator and are often broadcast live on t♛elevisi𝓰on or online.

Draw machine

The machine from which the winning lottery numbers are randomly c♚hosen.

E
Electronic funds transfer

A transfer of funds directly to a bank account.

Estate

Often refers to a deceased person’s assets, including their moneyꦬ and property.

Estimated jackpot

The approximate top prize🌳 amount for a lottery’s upcomꦰing draw.

The amount can fluctuate depending on the number of t💛ickets sold and th🍨e number of winning tickets.

Extra game

Also known as a "Supplementary game."

A game that operates in conjunctionဣ with a lottery game.

🍰These supplementary games often give players a chance to win an extra prize or increase prizes from the main draw. They are usually an ad♈ded cost to tickets.

F
Fixed prize

A fixed prize 🔴does not change from one draw t♊o the next. These tend to be found in lower prize tiers and daily draw games.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Fixed payout

Fixed payout

A fixed payout is the cash amount that a player receives by matching a certain amount of numbers. Commonly found in daily 𓂃draw games, instant win add-ons, or card games.

G
Game matrix

Refers to the amount of numbers a player needs to choose and the total amount of numbeꦯrs in the ball set. For example, a common game matri✃x is 6/49, which refers to picking six numbers from 1 through 69.

See: 6/49

Going public

Revealing your identity as a jackpot winner to the press 🐻and general public.

For certain large jackpot lotteries,jackpot winners must reveal their identities, including their name, city of residence,🌃 and the amount of money won.

Good causes

Certain non-profit organizations that receive a percentage of a lottery �ꦿ�operator’s funds.

Recipients of such funds are usuall𝐆y organizations within thওe education, health, and charity sectors.

H
High numbers

Numbers that are in the top half of a number set. For example, theꦯ high numbers in a num𓆏ber set of 1 to 40 would be 20 to 40.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Low numbers

Hit

The appearance of a specific number in a draw.

Example: "👍Numbeꦉr 23 is quite a strong performer, having hit the last three out of five draws."

Hopper

The cylindrical mach𝔉ine that used to draw the winning balls of a loꦍttery game.

Hot number

A number tha💝t, based on previous draw statistics, appears overdue to make an appearance.

See: Overdue, 加拿大28预测开奖:Cold number

I
Inheritance tax

Tax that must be paid b🍎y someone inheriting an estate or money.

Instant game

A lottery ticket with a coating th🍌at a player must scratch away in order to reveal if they have won a prize.

Instant game tickets are sometimes referred to as "Scratಞch Cards."

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Scratcher

Internet gaming

Taking part in games that are available online, including games ജsimilar to those found in casinos or online lottery games.

Internet wager

A wager𒊎 made in online gambling, with the options ranging from lottery games to sporting ওevents.

J
Jackpot

The top prize offered by a lottery game.

Many lotte꧟ry games have a progressive jackpot system. The jackpot amount will grow until it is either won or🐻, in some cases, it hits an established limit (the jackpot cap).

See: Rollover

Jackpot cap

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Capped jackpot

Jackpot fatigue

The slump in lottery ticket sales when the game’s jackpot amount is relatively low. Jackpot fatigue is a lottery phenomenon that suggests players are waiting until the game’s jackpot amouᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnt ♑rises.

K
Keeper

A lottery number that you frequently c💞hoose to play on your tic💫ket.

Keep out

A lottery number thatꦑ you refrain from using, whether based on superstitions, its appearance history, or any other reason.

L
Last drawn

Used to refer to the lastꦓ draw in which a number made an appearance in a lottery game.

Lottery

A luck-based game that involves matching cer𒆙tain numbers or symbols in order to win a prize.

Lottery betting

Placing a wager on the o🔴utcome of the numbers in a lottery draw rather than participating with an official lottery ticket. Not to be confused with a "Wager" or "Bet."

Lottery commission

The govern🔯ing body that oversees and regulates a jurisdiction’s lottery system.

Not to be confused with "Commission."

Lottery retailer

A store or company that sells lottery tickets.

Lottery scam

Unlawful attempts at gathering the personal information of lottery players. Scammers typically purport to be acting on behalf of the officia✨l lottery operator or aꦅ governmental organization.

Lottery tax

The taxes a lottery winner must pay depend✱ing on where 🐭they are located and how much they have won.

Some st🐎ates do not impose a lotte𒆙ry tax, and some only impose tax on winnings over a certain amount.

Low numbers

Numbers that are in the bottom half of a number set. For exam🐽ple, the low numbers in a number🌞 set of 1 to 40 would usually be 1 to 19.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:High numbers

Lump sum payment

A one-time payment of money for a jackpot win. It is typically lower t༒han the annuity amount.

Also known as the "Cash option."

See: Annuity

M
Match

When a drawn number is the same as a plaꦚyer🌳’s chosen number.

Messenger service

A service that purchases lottery tickets on a player’s beh🤪alf, regardless of their physica🎃l location. It offers people who do not live in a lottery’s host country the opportunity to play.

Multi-draw

An option in whic❀h players can purchase a certain number of t💖ickets for future draws.

Multi-jurisdiction lottery

A l💎﷽ottery that takes place in multiple U.S. jurisdictions. The main examples are Powerball and Mega Millions, which can be played in most states.

Multiplier

An extra number assigned to tick⛦ets. Typically, any non-jackpot winnings are multiplied by this number. It is either included in games or can be added for a fee.

N
National lottery

The official lottery organization of a country.

Number

See: Ball, Digit

Number checker

An online tool that lets players check their lottery numbers to see if they’ve won and, if so, hoཧw much they&r🌄squo;ve won.

Number generator

An online tool that can create lines of numbers🐻 for players.

Number range

The group of numbers from which a player selects ꦡtheir line from.

Also known as a "Numb🌱er pool🦹" or "Ball set."

Numbers game

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Daily game

Number trend

A pattern based on the lottery numbers thཧat have a꧂ppeared in recent previous draws.

Numerology

The belief in a supernatural rela✨tionship between numbers and🤡 events.

O
Odds

The probability of a prize being won, based on all t🧸he possible combinations that can be drawn.

Lottery games typically offer fixed odds, meaning that the c🔯hances of winning a specific p꧑rize remain the same for every draw.

Offline game

A game that does not use ꦿa computer terminal to validate an entry. Scratch caꦡrds are an example of an offline game.

Online agent

Similar to a lottery messenger servi💖ce, an online agent will purchase lottery tickets on your behalf.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Messenger service

Online syndicate

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Syndicate

Overdue

If a number has gone over its average draw appearance frequency, based on previous draw stati♔stics, it is referred to as "overdue."

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Cold number, 加拿大28预测开奖:Hot number

P
Pairs

Play types often available in d🔜aily draw gaꦡmes such as Pick 3, Pick 4, or Pick 5.

Examples include:

  • the first two numbers of a daily draw game (Front Pair)
  • the last two numbers of a daily draw game (Back Pair)
  • the first and last number of a daily draw game (Split Pair).

See: 1-Off, Box, Combo, Straight, 加拿大28预测开奖:Straight/Box

Pari-mutuel

A prize system in which the cash allocated toa prize tier is equally shared between the winners of that category. A fixed percen𝐆tage of total prize pool money goes into pari-mutuel prize tiers.

Payout

A monetary payment made by a lottery operator to a ꦇwinner.

Play slip

The card that players use to mark their lottery choices. A retailer processes the slip and then prints the player’s lottery ticket. Where online play is available, player꧋s use digit﷽al slips.

Also known as a "Betting slip."

Play type

An option for how to play chosen⛎ lottery numbers typically used in daily draw games. Each play type represents differentꦿ winning combinations available to the player.

Prize percentage

The percentage of a draw’s total payout amount thatꦓ went into a given prize tier.

Prize pool

The to🉐taꦿl amount of money from ticket sales that gets distributed across all prize tiers.

Also known as a "Prize fund."

Prize tier

The prize levels in a lottery, normally definedꦫ by the amount of numbers matched i⭕n any given draw.

Also known as a "Division"🌠; or colloquially as a "Div."

Progressive jackpot

🍰A jackpot that increases in value every time there are on winners in a draw. Depending on the game, this process will ei🐼ther continue until the prize reaches a limit, or indefinitely until the jackpot is won.

Q
Quick Pick

An option whe🐻re a lottery ticket’s numbers are randomly generated by a machine or computer, rather than picked by the ticket holder.

R
Raffle

Similar to a lottery, people purchase raffle tickets for the chance to w𝓀in prizes. Unlike major lotteries—where the odds of winning are fixed—the odds of winning in a raffle can vary depending on how many players take part.

Result history

The history of lo♓ttery results, including information such as the winning numbers, number of winners, and prize amounts of past draws.

Results

The outcomes of ♋a dr💮aw, including numbers drawn, prize amounts, and the number of winners for each prize tier.

Rollover

When a lottery jackpot is transferred into the next draw’s prize pool after th🎉ere are no winners.

S
Scanned copy

Lottery messenger services often sca🌃n a player’s lott✃ery tickets to provide proof of purchase.

These lottery tickets are sometimes referred to as "scanned copies," and𝓀 are usually stored in a player’s online account.

Scratcher

Another term for a scratch card. A "scratcher" is an instant-win game that can ♍be bought in store or on🧸line.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Instant game

Skip

Refers to the absence of a given number from a draw. Note that this phenomenon does not affect the odds of a number coming up 💙in any individual draw.

Example: "Number 40 has💖 skipped the last three Powerball draws."

Starting jackpot

The minimum default jackpot for a game. After the jackpot is won, it goes back to this ꦍvalue.

Straight

A play type available in all daily draw games. When selected, a player wins if their numbers mat🦩ch the drawn numbersꦚ in the same order.

Also known 🍷as an "Exact ord🍬er" play type.

See: 1-Off, Box, Combo, Pairs, 加拿大28预测开奖:Straight/Box

Straight/Box

A play type av♑ailable in daily draw games. Player🔯s can win by matching the winning numbers in either exact or any order. Players pay extra for the added ways to win.

See: 1-Off, Box, Combo, Pairs, Straight

Subscription

An option for lottery players to set up a recurring payment for a number of tickets or draw entries over🦹 an agreed period of time.

Sweepstakes

A game in which prizes are awarded to a certain number 💜of randomly selected entꦗrants.

Syndicate

A group of people who buy multip🧸le lottery ticke💫ts by pooling funds together and share any proceeds proportionally to each member’s contribution.

Also known as a෴ "Lottery pool" or "Pooling."

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Online syndicate

Syndicate manager

The person in charge of the administrative tasks of running a lottery syndicate. Such tasks often include purchasin🎃g lottery tickets, collecting participants’ payments, and reimbursing participants with any winnings.

T
Terminal

An electronic device used by lottery retailers to ent🌊er, print, and pay out lottery tickets.

Ticket

The printed document with your numbers. It also acts as yoꦫur proof ofไ purchase.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Bearer instrument

Total sum

The value of❀ a player’s lottery numb🌃ers when added together.

Example: "Addi𝓰ng my numbers 17, 20, 03, 40, and 12 together🌺, my total sum is 92."

Some games offer add-on features where players can win a prize if their numbers add u😼p to the same sum as the drawn numbers. In daily draw games they may be referred to as a "Sum it Up" or "Lucky Sum" number.

Triple

A three-digit numb⛎er made up of the same digit repeated three times.

Example: 555.

U
Unclaimed prize

A lottery prize that has not been claimed by the winner. When a ticket that has won a large amount of money is nearing its expiration date, the lottery operator will often make an effort to find thಞe winner.

V
Validation

The process evꦬery winning lottery ticket must undergo to confirm the following: it🦂’s indeed a winner, it hasn’t been claimed before, and the prize amount is correct.

Depen🅰ding on the value of the prize, players can take their ticket to a lottery retailer or operator to validate it.

Vendor

A lottery ticket seller.

See: 加拿大28预测开奖:Lottery retailer

W
Wager

A sum of money placed on the outcome of an unpredictable event, such as a lottery draw. At the time of purchasing a ticket (typically for daily draw games) the pla🎶yer selects the desired wager when filling out the play slip.

Wheeling

A popular lottery systeꦏm. A player selects a set of numbers, and then additional ticket lines are made for every possible combination of that set of numbers.

Also known as a "Lottery wheel."

Winner

What everyone playing the lottery hopes to be!

Withholding

꧟The amount o🥀f money to be deducted from a winner’s prize in order to cover taxes.