To play Daily 3 in California, you have to pick numbers from 0 to 9 and choose a playstyle. It is the same set-up as other Pick 3 games across the U.S. You can find out more about the available playstyles further down the page, but to submit an entry all you need to do is follow these steps:
Choose three numbers from 0 to 9 – one from each line. If you wish to use random numbers, select the Quick Pick option on your playslip or request one from the cashier.
Specify your chosen playstyle – Straight, Box or Straight/Box. Mark the relevant option on your playslip or tell the cashier.
The ‘Advance Play’ option allows you to enter your selections into multiple consecutive draws. Play up to seven drawings in a row, or 14 if you are playing both Midday and Evening draws.
Ticket sales stop at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., just before the draws take place. The cost per play is $1. Make sure to keep your ticket safe as you will need it to claim any prizes if you win.
Choosing your playstyle is a big decision in Daily 3, as it directly determines your odds of winning and the prize amount you can win. A Straight offers the biggest potential payout but is the hardest to win, while a Box has better odds but lower prizes. Here's more about the three playstyles you can select.
A Straight play is when you try to match the winning numbers in the same order. You can choose any combination of numbers (three identical, three different or two identical and one different), but you only win if you get all three in the correct positions.
You win a Box play if the three numbers you select are drawn in any order. For example, if you choose the numbers 778, you would win if the numbers were drawn as 778, 787 or 877. You still need to get all three to win a prize. There is no payout for matching one or two numbers out of three.
The third playstyle - Straight/Box - gives you both a Straight and a Box play, with $0.50 going on each. If your numbers are exactly correct, you win half the Straight prize and half the Box prize. If your numbers are drawn in another order, you lose the Straight wager but win the Box. For example, if you choose 123 and the numbers are drawn as 312, you win the Box part of the prize only.
Go to the Prizes page to find out more about the different ways to win, along with the odds for each playstyle. Remember that the prize amounts always vary from draw to draw, based on how many tickets have been sold and the number of winners.