The Florida Lotto 6-of-53

Tickest for the new 6-of-53 lotto went on sale October, 24 1999. The first drawing occured on Wednesday, October 27, 1999.

Drawings are held twice a week on Wednsday and Saturday nights at 10:57p.m. (ET).

Before October 27, 1999 the Florida Lotto was a 6-of-49 game with one weekly drawing on Saturday night.

Florida Lotto 6-of-49  tickets went on sale April 29, 1988. The first drawing occurred
Saturday, May 7, 1988. The last drawing was on Saturday October 23, 1999.

Players pick 6 numbers between 1 and 53. Players win prizes for matching three, four, five or all six numbers (Jackpot). The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 23 million.

All prizes are parimutuel, that is they depend on the number of dollars wagered and the number of winners. The minimum jackpot is $3 million. See prize structure for more details and odds. The jackpot is paid as a 30 year annuity or as a cash option (about 50% of the estimated jackpot). The player has 60 days after the drawing to decide which payment option to choose. If the jackpot is not claimed after 60 days it will be paid as a 30 annuity. (effective since 10-21-98)

Winning tickets are valid for 180 days.

Fifty percent of total sales for each drawing is allocated for prize payments (the prize pool). From the prize pool, 67 percent is used to pay jackpot winners (6-of-6), 5 percent is used to pay second-prize winners (5-of-6), 12 percent is used to pay third-prize winners (4-of-6), and the fourth prize category receives 16% (3-of-6). 34% of total sales go towards education in Florida.