South Carolina Lottery General Information
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The South Carolina Lottery plays three state drawn games - Pick 3 (with midday and evening draws), Pick 4
(with midday and evening draws), and Palmetto Cash 5. Plus, two multiple-state games - Powerball
and Mega Millions. Compared to other states, the South Carolina Lottery offers a medium variety of lottery games.
South Carolina Lottery drawings can be viewed live on TV stations listed here.
This page is a quick reference, or a summary of the most relevant information contained in the South Carolina Lottery
web site. Links to details are provided for more pertinent information.
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South Carolina Lotteries Drawing Days and Times
The following table lists the drawing schedule of all South Carolina lottery games. Drawing times are local and approximate.
| Game | Draw Days | Draw Time |
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| Pick 3 Day | Everyday except Sunday | 1 p.m |
| Pick 3 Evening | Everyday | 7 p.m |
| Pick 4 Day | Everyday except Sunday | 1 p.m |
| Pick 4 Evening | Everyday | 7 p.m |
| Palmetto Cash 5 | Everyday | 7 p.m |
| Mega Millions | Tuesday and Friday | 11 p.m |
| Powerball | Wednesday and Saturday | 11 p.m. |
South Carolina Lottery Games - Types, Top Prizes, Odds
The following is a compact summary of each South Carolina lottery game. It includes a brief description of how to play a game, the top
prizes/jackpots, and the odds of winning the top prize. You can click on a game name for detailed information.
| Game | How to Play | Top Prize | Top Prize Odds |
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| Pick 3 | Select 3-digits 000 to 999 | $500 | 1 in 1,000
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| Pick 4 | Select 4-digits 0000 to 9999
| $5000 | 1 in 10,000 |
| Palmetto Cash 5 | Select 5 numbers, 1 through 38
| $100,000 | 1 in 501,942 |
| Mega Millions | Select 5 numbers, 1 through 56
+ 1 Megaball number, 1 through 46 | $12,000,000
Rollover, Pari-mutuel | 1 in 175,711,536 |
| Powerball | Select 5 numbers, 1 through 59
+ 1 Powerball number, 1 through 39 | $20,000,000 +
Rollover, Pari-mutuel | 1 in 195,249,054 |
Top prizes listed with "rollover" are the starting amount. The Jackpot prizes will grow after every draw until someone wins.
Pari-mutuel prize structure means players' winnings are determined by dividing the prize pool allocated for that winning category by the
number of winners.
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South Carolina Lottery General Rules and Regulations
The following are the most prominent rules and regulations that the player should be aware of before playing the South Carolina lottery games.
- South Carolina Lottery players must be 18 years of age or older.
- You are only allowed to buy lottery tickets from a licensed lottery retailer. You cannot buy lottery tickets over the Internet
- You cannot use a credit card or check to purchase lottery tickets. All lottery ticket purchases MUST be paid for with CASH.
- Tickets are bearer instruments, meaning if you lose a ticket before you sign it, you no longer have valid ownership of the
ticket. SCEL is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. If you lose a ticket, it is like losing cash and cannot be replaced.
- To protect yourself against theft, always SIGN YOUR WINNING TICKET as soon as you realize the ticket is a winner. Also, if
you are not cashing the ticket immediately, fill out the entire ticket back. This may increase your chances of having a lost
ticket returned to you.
- Each player is responsible for checking: 1.the ticket is legible; 2.the ticket represents the numbers you selected; and
3.the ticket is for the drawing(s) you wish to enter before leaving the retail location. Players should check that the ticket is
not damaged due to a misfeed by the terminal and is complete.
- If there is an error in the Pick 3 or Pick 4 ticket, have the retailer CANCEL the ticket and print another.
- Palmetto Cash 5, Powerball®,and Mega Millions tickets CANNOT be CANCELED.
- Please see also the following pages:
South Carolina Lottery Player FAQ
South Carolina Lottery Player Protection FAQ
Claiming Prizes of the South Carolina Lottery
Here are the steps you have to follow if you are a lucky winner of any South Carolina lottery,
- Winning tickets must be claimed within 180 days of the winning draw date on the ticket.
- If the winnings are valued at $500 or less, you may redeem your ticket at any Lottery Retailer.
- Winnings over $500 up to and including $100,000 may be claimed by mail or at the Columbia Claims Center.
- To redeem winnings by mail: fill out a claim form and include a copy of a picture identification card (driver's license, state
or military I.D., or passport), then mail the signed ticket, the claim form, and the copy of the I.D. (via registered mail) to
the Columbia Claims Center.
- Winnings greater than $100,000 must be redeemed in person at the Columbia Claims Center.
- SCEL will withhold taxes from lottery winnings over $500. Reporting amounts of less than $500 is the responsibility of each individual winner.
- For further information, please see the
South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center and the
South Carolina lottery FAQ page.
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South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center
Where do the South Carolina Lottery profits go?
The SC Education Lottery legislation, states that “proceeds of lottery games must be used to support improvements and
enhancements for educational purposes and programs as provided by the General Assembly and that the net proceeds must be used to
supplement, not supplant, existing resources for educational purposes and programs.”
More information can be found Education Wins page
and the SC Lottery Education FAQ page.
Information on Each South Carolina Lottery Game
Further information on each South Carolina lottery lottery game such as how to play, how to win, prizes, etc., is available on
this site at the following pages.
Disclaimer
US-Lotteries.com is not in any way affiliated with the South Carolina Lottery. The information listed here is just a summary of important facts
extracted from South Carolina Lottery web site. The main purpose of US-Lotteries.com is to present statistics and analysis of winning numbers, plus, online
tools and calculators such as wheels and combinations generators. Click below to see the contents of the tools available for each game.
Pick 3
Pick 4
Palmetto Cash 5
Mega Millions
Powerball
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