California Lottery Promo Code: Max Bonus
Big Dreams Can Come True Playing the California Lottery
Like many states across the country, California‘s legislators were trying to devise a way to generate funds for education without raising taxes. California used the blueprint established by a number of states, states which launched lottery operations in the early 1970s.
While California didn’t embrace a statewide lottery until the mid-1980s, discussions about how a lottery could reduce taxes and boost education funding were ongoing. Let’s dig a little deeper into some features of the California Lottery.
California Lottery Bonuses and Promo Codes
The California Lottery gives you a chance to win using tickets that weren’t winners. Second chance drawings are available as special promotions on particular games. SuperLotto Plus™, Fantasy5, plus various scratch-off tickets offer extra chances to win.
Certain scratch-off second chance promotions pay a top cash jackpot of up to $100,000. Lottery players can also enter the Jackpot Captain promotional program. This is a program that allows for lottery pool play, plus receives notice of exclusive programs.
California Lottery History
Funding for public education was becoming an increasingly burdensome problem for Californians. In the early 1980s, lawmakers began discussing how a state-run lottery could help generate the much-needed money without further burdening residents with higher taxes.
During the summer of 1984, legislators put the finishing touches on Proposition 37. It was placed on the November 1984 ballot as the California State Lottery Act of 1984. Nearly 60 percent of voters agreed to a statewide lottery.
In January 1985, Governor George Deukmejian appointed the first commissioner. It took contractors less than three months to build the lottery commission headquarters. In May 1985, California brought in Mark Michalko.
Michalko brought his experience from coordinating many of the legal aspects of the Ohio Lottery. Once all the legal paperwork was completed and retail licenses issued, California began selling scratch-off tickets on October 3, 1985.
The California State Lottery Commission (CSLC) is appointed by the governor, who must secure consent from the California Senate. The CSLC meets at commission headquarters in Sacramento, and the public is welcome.
With Hollywood as a backdrop, it’s not surprising that the California Lottery had an affinity for televised lottery programs. Two TV shows, The Big Spin and Make Me a Millionaire had brief, but enthusiastic runs.
California’s original lottery games, the scratch-off tickets, are referred to as “scratchers”. The CSLC has added new games over the years, plus California is part of the multi-jurisdictional draw games Powerball™ and Mega Millions™. Let’s look at some popular California Lottery games you can play.
Popular California Lottery Games and Prizes
California Dreamin’ is one of the newer games on the California Lottery. It has exploded in popularity. Being able to purchase differently priced tickets is one appealing feature. The $10 ticket having a $1 million top prize jackpot is certainly another.
Like many state lotteries, California has its own unique jackpot draw game. SuperLotto Plus® is the California Lottery’s big jackpot game. The slogan is “May the Best Dream Win”. Perfectly blends with the California Dreamin’ marketing slogan.
SuperLotto Plus® is a five number draw game with an additional “Mega Number”. The minimum jackpot for the SuperLotto Plus® is $7 million and builds if there is no winner. There are also five dozen California Lottery scratch-off games.
Scratch-off California Lottery tickets range in price from $1 to $30. There is an array of prize jackpots as well. Players can enjoy fun crossword-themed scratch-offs. Instant Prize Crossword is a $20 scratch-off type game with a huge top prize jackpot of up to $2,000,000.
Word Games is another fun scratch-off that is a version of a crossword puzzle with a word-making game twist. Tickets are $3 and you could pocket the $30,000 top prize with the right word combinations. There are two fun poker-themed scratch-off games.
Both Poker Night and Poker are $5 scratch-off tickets where you could deal your way to a $50,000 top prize. For bingo lovers, the California Lottery offers a pair of $3 Bingo scratch-off games. Bingo Plus and Wild Bingo both have a possible top prize jackpot of up to $20,000.
Similar to the California Dreamin’ key number match game are three games that pay cash for life. Set for Life tickets are sold for $2, $5 and $10. Each game pays a monthly check for 25 years. A $10 Set for Life ticket could win you $20,000 a month for the next 25 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you play lottery games online at the California Lottery?
- What can you do with the California Lottery app?
- Where do the proceeds from California Lottery sales go?
- What is the tax rate for lottery winnings in California?
- What is Advanced Play® for the SuperLotto Plus® drawing?
Presently, there are no options to play any California Lottery game or purchase draw game tickets online. There have been serious discussions about adding online games. The first step towards online lottery games in California was the launching of the CaLottery app.
While players are still unable to purchase tickets or play lottery games online in California, you can check winning tickets or play second chance drawings using the California Lottery app. It is free to download and is available for both iOS and Android systems.
Ninety-five cents out of every dollar generated by California Lottery ticket sales goes back into the community. Eighty percent of this money goes directly to California’s K-12 public schools. Since it began in 1985, the California Lottery has funneled over $34 billion into the education fund.
All lottery winnings in California are subject to both federal and state taxes. The California Lottery will withhold 24 percent for federal taxes. The amount withheld for California state taxes depends on your tax bracket. Tax brackets range from 1 percent to 13.3 percent.
You can use the Advance Play® feature when you purchase your SuperLotto Plus™ tickets. Advanced Play® allows you to play up to 20 consecutive draw dates with a single ticket purchase. You can use Advanced Plus® at self-service terminals as well as at California Lottery retailers.
