What are the deadlines for submitting entries for California lottery second chance drawings?

1. Why the Saturday 11:59 p.m. cutoff matters — a clearing point for weekly draws

The recurring rule across multiple California Lottery documents is that the weekly Second Chance entry cutoff occurs at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, which defines the eligibility pool for that week’s drawing and determines when the administrative processing window begins. Several summaries and FAQ‑style entries state that entries submitted after the Saturday cutoff are automatically entered into the following week’s draw, creating continuity and avoiding lost entries; weekly draws are then scheduled within a few business days after the cutoff in typical practice ^{[4] [3] [5]}. This Saturday deadline is the operational anchor for routine weekly pools; players relying on Second Chance should plan purchases and code submissions to meet that cutoff if they want those tickets counted in the immediate week’s drawing rather than rolling forward ^{[1] [6]}.

2. Special promotional windows override the weekly schedule — read the rules for each promotion

The California Lottery runs bonus and promotional Second Chance drawings with specific start and end dates that supersede the standard weekly cutoff for entries to those promotions. Examples cited include the MONOPOLY Bonus Draw and the 40 Years of Play promotion, which had explicit entry periods with precise end times such as 11:59 p.m. PT on a stated deadline date ^{[7] [2]}. When a promotion is active, its published entry window controls eligibility for that bonus draw; failing to submit within that promotional window typically disqualifies an entry from that specific promotion, even though the code might still be usable in regular weekly pools if within other validity constraints ^{[2] [3]}. Players should consult the promotion’s rules page for start/end dates because those are binding for that draw ^[5].

3. Expiration of Scratchers codes — watch the 180‑day clock

The analyses consistently report a 180‑day validity rule for non‑winning Scratchers codes, but the reference point varies: many sources state Scratchers codes expire 180 days after the game’s official end date, while for some specific games the 180‑day clock begins from the date of purchase for certain jackpots like SuperLotto Plus and Fantasy 5 as noted in some guidance. This 180‑day limit is a hard eligibility constraint; after that period the code is no longer valid for Second Chance entry, so timely submission is required to preserve eligibility. Because the 180‑day trigger can be tied either to purchase date or game end dates depending on the product and explicit rule language, players should check the game‑specific rules published on the California Lottery site to establish the correct expiration reference ^{[1] [4] [5]}.

4. Timing of draws — when winners are selected after the cutoff

Multiple analyses indicate that after the Saturday 11:59 p.m. deadline the California Lottery typically conducts the weekly Second Chance drawing within about five business days, providing a short administrative window to validate and process entries before winner selection. This timing is not the same as the promotional end dates, which may lead to a final drawing scheduled later for bonus events; for regular weekly pools the five‑business‑day cadence is presented as the standard operational tempo. Players should expect a brief lag of several business days between the Saturday cutoff and public winner announcements; special promotions may specify different draw dates or longer processing times in their official rules ^{[6] [3] [5]}.

5. Practical takeaway and where uncertainty remains — verify promotion pages before relying on a code

The consistent, actionable rules are Saturday 11:59 p.m. PT for weekly draws, special‑event windows for promotions, and a common 180‑day expiration for Scratchers codes tied to game‑specific dates. However, the documentation shows variability in wording across pages and occasional site availability issues, so players should verify each promotion’s rules page and the game‑specific validity statement before assuming a code’s eligibility or exact expiration reference. Official promotion rules and the FAQs are the controlling documents for each draw; where analyses note a downed website or differing phrasing, treat the game’s published rules as decisive and use the standard Saturday deadline and the 180‑day rule as the baseline unless a promotion states otherwise ^{[8] [2] [4]}.