Illinois Lotto
Next estimated jackpot:
$3,950,000
Want to enter the Illinois Lotto but not sure where to start? Here you’ll find the Illinois state lotto information you need— from the IL Lotto jackpot breakdown to lottery statistics and odds that could increase your chances of winning big.
The Illinois Lotto drawing schedule is easy to remember. Draws are held on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday at 9:22 PM CT.
Illinois Lotto Overview
IL Lotto has a starting jackpot of $2 million and no jackpot cap, which means that it can generate prizes that run into tens of millions of dollars. Tickets cost $2 and to win the jackpot you need to match six numbers from a possible 50.
In addition to the Lotto draw, your numbers are automatically entered into two extra draws, Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2, each of which offers a $1 million prize.
You can also opt to play an add-on number, named Extra Shot, to increase non-jackpot winnings by up to 25 times for $1 more per line. A number from 1 to 25 is randomly printed on your ticket as your Extra Shot number. A winning Extra Shot number is then randomly selected in the draw - you win a prize if you match the number by itself, or in addition to the Lotto numbers drawn.
The standard game has five prize tiers including the jackpot, while Extra Shot offers six more prize tiers.
Illinois Lotto & Georgia Fantasy 5 Comparison
Draw Days
Starting Jackpot
Record Jackpot
Ticket Price
Next Jackpot
Illinois Lotto
3x Weekly
$2 Million
$69.9 Million
$2
$3.95 Million
Georgia Fantasy 5
Every day
$125,000
$2.3 Million
$1
$326,000
You may also find these pages useful:
Statistics
Check out the latest Illinois Lotto statistics, updated in real-time after each drawing.
Number Generator
Generate your own Quick Pick numbers for a future draw, as many times as you like.
Illinois Lotto Odds Table
Players must pick 6 balls from a pool of 50. (Extra Shots are drawn from the same pool)
| Numbers Matched | Prize | Odds (Rounded) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Main Numbers | Jackpot (minimum $2 million)* | 1 in 15,890,700 | ||
| 5 Main Numbers + Extra Shot | Pari-mutuel; estimated $50,000 | 1 in 1,504,801 | ||
| 5 Main Numbers | Pari-mutuel; estimated $2,000 | 1 in 60,192 | ||
| 4 Main Numbers + Extra Shot | Pari-mutuel; estimated $1,250 | 1 in 27,996 | ||
| 4 Main Numbers | Pari-mutuel; estimated $50 | 1 in 1,120 | ||
| 3 Main Numbers + Extra Shot | Fixed prize of $125 | 1 in 1,500 | ||
| 3 Main Numbers | Fixed prize of $5 | 1 in 60 | ||
| 2 Main Numbers + Extra Shot | Fixed prize of $25 | 1 in 195 | ||
| 2 Main Numbers | Fixed prize of $2 | 1 in 7.8 | ||
| 1 Main Number + Extra Shot | Fixed prize of $10 | 1 in 61 | ||
| Extra Shot Only | Fixed prize of $5 | 1 in 56.3 | ||
| Approx. Overall Odds of winning any IL Lotto prize on a basic ticket: 1 in 6.9. | ||||
*Shared jackpot, minimum $2 million annuity
Lotto Million
Each Lotto play receives an automatic entry into the Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2 drawings. Match all 6 numbers to win the $1 million top prize in either of the two separate additional draws.
| Winning Tier | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Match 6 | $1 million | 1 in 15,890,700 |
1
Biggest Illinois Lotto Jackpot
Jackpot: $69.9 Million
Date: 1989
Location: O'Fallon
The largest Illinois Lotto jackpot was won in 1989, six years after the lottery’s launch, by four ticket holders. The grand prize was equally shared among them. The winners were Ron Miller from Little York, Dan Dixon from Naperville, Pat Baerske who bought the ticket in O’Fallon, and Barbara Lambert from Windy City.
Illinois Lottery History
- July 1974
The Illinois Lottery was first established in July 1974 when US lotteries were restricted to the north-east and mid-west areas. - August 1974
The first state draw game was held in August 1974 and the jackpot reached $1 million for the first time in October of that year. - February 1983
In February 1983 the Illinois Lottery was officially formed with a six from 40 matrix to be drawn every Saturday night. - May 1984
In May 1984, the game changed to a six from 44 matrix in order to generate bigger jackpots. In September 1984 these changes achieved their aim when the largest lottery jackpot to date in American history was won, the sum of $40 million. - January 1986 - April 1987
Wednesday draws were added to the game for a brief period between January 1986 and April 1987 - May 1988
The matrix was changed to six from 54 in May 1988. - August 1990
The Wednesday draw was reintroduced in August 1990 - January 1998
The matrix was scaled down to six from 48. - April 1999
The matrix changed once again in April 1999 to become a six from 52 game. - November 2012
Extra Shot was introduced as an add-on to the main game in November 2012, offering players the chance to win bigger secondary-tier prizes for matching an additional number alongside their main numbers. - July 2013
The Wednesday draw was moved to Thursday to avoid a clash with the multi-state Powerball draw. Additional innovations comprised a Monday draw and a new prize tier with the aim of building larger jackpots and increasing the value of secondary-tier prizes. - April 2021
There was another update to the format and the number range was reduced from 52 to 50.
How to Claim a Prize
Congratulations on your win! Read on for everything you need to know about how to claim your prize the right way.
$600 and Below
If you played on the Illinois Lottery's website, your prize will be deposited straight into your online account.
If you purchased your ticket from a retailer, you can cash out at most Lottery retailers.
You can also make an appointment to visit a Lottery Claims Center to redeem your winning ticket. You'll need to present a government-issued photo identification and proof of your Social Security Number.
Another option is to claim by mail - simply send the signed winning ticket to:
Illinois Lottery Claims Department
P.O. Box 19080,
Springfield, IL 62794-9080
The Lottery recommends keeping a copy of your ticket, and sending the original by certified mail.
$601 to $10,000
Winners have three ways to claim prizes on this tier.
You can claim by mail, following the procedure above to send your ticket and a completed winner claim form to the Lottery's Springfield Headquarters.
If you don't want to send your ticket through the mail, use e-Claim to submit your claim online. After processing, your winnings will be mailed to the address you specified.
Another option is to visit the nearest Lottery Claim Center in person, by appointment only. You'll need to present a government-issued photo identification and proof of your Social Security Number.
Winners will be paid prizes up to $25,000 right away. If your prize is over $25,000 but under $1 million, the Claims Center will forward your claim to the Central Lottery Office in Springfield.
If you've won $1 million or more, please call the Central Lottery Office at 1-217-524-5147.
Illinois Lotto Quick Stats
Discover the frequently drawn hot numbers and the long-absent cold ones in Illinois Lotto. All related stats can be viewed using the button below.
Hot Numbers
- 4
- 21
- 16
- 32
- 50
Cold Numbers
- 5
- 6
- 35
- 33
- 48