Lotto Texas Online Lottery Review

Texas Lottery Overview

Texas lottery is one of the oldest lotteries in this state. Upon reviews, we would have to say the odds of winning are not the most favorable when compared to other lotteries in the world and within the state of Texas. However, the jackpots are pretty impressive and people who win at this state lottery do get some life-changing sums.

But odds aside, the biggest bummer of this game is the fact that it can’t be played online or by anyone that is not from the state of Texas. This is probably the biggest short come, so if you are not born in Texas, you will have to stick to the many other international games that feature online bet buying.

Lotto Texas History

Lotto Texas is the first-ever in-house lottery game that dates back to 1992. It is operated and regulated by the Texas Lottery and in the beginning, it was only played as an annuity-only game. Meaning, there was no cash-out option for jackpot winners to select. Still, this did not stop Texans from buying bets and reaching more than one billion dollars worth of sales within the first year.

In the beginning, the Lotto Texas started with one drawing per week only, but in May 1993, the Texas Lottery announced that it would add one more draw per week and that they will pay the prizes in cash should the winners select that option.

Is Texas Lotto a Scam?

Before starting to play any game, it is important to check whether it is a scam or not. Upon doing our research, reading reviews of comments, and players’ past experiences, we can safely say that the Lotto Texas is a legitimate game.

It is organized by the Texas Lottery Commission, a government-operated agency responsible for all of the legitimate games in the state of Texas. However, the portfolio of the Texas Lottery Commission isn’t limited to the Lotto Texas only. They are responsible for the following games:

• Texas Two-Step
• Texas Triple Chance
• Pick 3
• Daily 4
• All or Nothing
• Mega Millions
• Powerball
• Cash Fiver and a range of scratch games

Such a large portfolio of lottery games ensures the players that their bets are in sure hands and that they are offered fair play and secure payouts of their winning draw. Also, the Lotto Texas drawings are held each Wednesday and Saturday and are broadcasted live via the webcast page set up by the agency.

Texas Lottery Commission Donations

The Texas Lottery donates a good portion of the revenue to support good causes. So, far they have donated more than $19 billion to charities for various projects in Texas. These projects range from education initiatives to donations for veterans, so by playing this lottery, you are doing something good for those in need too.

How to Play the Lotto Texas?

To play Lotto Texas, the player must be 18 years or older to purchase a bet. The rules of the gameplay for Lotto Texas is relatively simple because it follows the same principles of many other lotteries.

The players have to match six numbers from a pool of 54 different numbers from 1 to 54. There is the option to select your numbers or let a system generator pick six random.

The Extra! Feature

Additionally, there is a twist to the game which makes it more exciting and helps winners increase their lower-tier winnings. This feature is called Extra! and the Extra! number can be selected in addition to the six primary numbers.

If a player decided to play this feature, they will have to pay an additional $1 but could increase their winning draw to up to $10,000. So, we would say, it is definitely worth it!

Prize Tiers and Odds of Winning

It is important to say that the minimum guaranteed jackpot in Lotto Texas is $4 million. This is a very impressive sum when compared to other lotteries that have this at only $1 million or even below. The odds of winning this jackpot are 1 in 25,827,165.

With that said, let’s review some of the other tiers and the chances of winning them.

• To match five numbers, you are in for the second-tier prize and your chances are 1 in 89,678. With this, you can expect to win approx. $2000.
• To match four, you will win the third-tier prize and get $50 and the odds of winning are 1 in 1,526.
• For the fourth and last tier prize, your odds are 1 in 75 and to win it you have to match three numbers from the primary six. This will get you only $3 as a prize.
• The odds of winning any prize in Lotto Texas are 1 in 71.

Largest Jackpots in the Lotto Texas History

The record-breaking jackpot of Lotto Texas reached $145 million on June 19, 2004, and was won by a lucky Texan. However, many other massive jackpots have also gone unclaimed in the following years. For instance, a $5 million jackpot winner never claimed their bet, and to-date no one claimed it although it is only known that the bet was purchased in San Antonio.

Prize Changes with the Extra! Option

If a player activates the Extra! option for $1 additionally, they are automatically entered for a larger lower-tier winning draw. Therefore, if the player matches five out of the six primary numbers, they will win the second prize tier as we said before, but instead of getting only $2000, they will get $10,000 on top of the base prize. By getting four correct numbers, the third prize tier will increase by $100 while the fourth-tier prize will get an additional $13.

Texas Lotto Prize Payment Option

The Lotto Texas jackpots and the other winning drawings are available to be paid out in a lump sum. However, because of the large sums that the jackpots reach, these sums are available to be transferred in the form of annuity payments. This might ensure that the winners get a steady payout of their draw each year and that they won’t spend them as fast. Upon purchasing the bet, the player has to choose whether they want the lump sum or the annuity payment. If no choice is made prior to the drawing, the bet is considered invalid regardless of the matched numbers on the draw.

To claim a prize, the players have 180 days from the date of the drawing.

Claiming Your Winnings

If you win up to $599, you can go to the authorized retailer that sold you the ticket and get paid. For any prize from $600 to $2.5 million, you will have to head to the Texas Lottery Claim Center. Prior to contacting the center, you will need to download and fill out a Texas Lottery claim form from their official website. You can then request the cash value option payment.

For anything above $2.5 million, you will need to go to Austin in the Texas Lottery Commission’s headquarters.

Lotto Texas Taxes

Any prize up to $599 isn’t subject to tax and therefore isn’t reported to the IRS. Prizes above $5000 will get taxed with the 25% federal withholding tax. If you are not a US resident who won the Lotto Texas, your prize is subject to the 30% federal tax rate.

Can You Play Lotto Texas Online?

The Lotto Texas is not available for online play and you cannot buy lottery tickets anywhere online. This lottery is available only for the people within the state and bets can be bought through an authorized retailer. You can buy tickets that have the multi-draw option, which enables you to buy up to ten bets for ten consecutive drawings at once. This way you ensure that you won’t forget about buying a bet and missing a drawing which increases your chances of winning.

Lotto Texas Bottom Line

If you were looking to try your luck with Lotto Texas within the state, you have every reason to be excited! This lottery is legit and offers some great prizes at affordable bet prices. Plus, you can feel good about yourself, because, after every draw, the Texas Lottery Commission donates considerable amounts to good causes and community projects. So, don’t hesitate and check what this lottery is all about today!