How do you enter the California lottery second chance drawings?
Executive summary
Entering the California Lottery 2nd Chance drawings requires creating a verified California Lottery account, submitting the non‑winning ticket’s 2nd Chance code (either by typing the code on the website or scanning the ticket with the official mobile app), and complying with age, residency and submission‑period rules; entries are weighted by ticket price and drawn in weekly and special promotional pools [1] [2] [3]. Winners are notified by e‑mail to log into My Account and must complete a 2nd Chance Claim Form to receive prize payment [4] [5].
1. Register and meet basic eligibility first
To participate, a player must be at least 18 years old and register for a California Lottery account using a valid California address — that account must be verified before you can submit 2nd Chance entries [1] [6] [7].
2. Convert a non‑winning ticket into an entry: web or app submission
Non‑winning Scratchers, draw game or special promotional tickets carry a 2nd Chance code that must be submitted to the Lottery’s 2nd Chance system: either manually on calottery.com by typing the required digits (for Scratchers, the first 13 digits of the entry code and first 7 digits of the ticket ID) or by scanning the ticket barcode with the California Lottery Official Mobile App for faster entry [2] [1] [3].
3. How many entries a ticket gives and when it counts
Entries are allocated by price point: typically one entry per $1 spent (so a $5 ticket gives five entries), with some games like Fantasy 5 using a one‑code‑per‑$5 convention and special promotions granting additional bonus entries up to advertised caps (examples and specifics vary by game) [1] [8] [3]. Each submitted 2nd Chance code is automatically placed into all applicable weekly draws and any promotional draws for which the ticket is eligible, provided it is submitted during the draw’s entry period [6] [9] [10].
4. Submission limits, visibility and timing
The Lottery’s public materials impose submission caps and note that entry deadlines and rules can vary by promotion: the site says players can enter up to 500 total codes per month for 2nd Chance drawings [2] [6], while demo rules elsewhere reference a 1,000 monthly submission cap — a discrepancy that suggests relying on the official, current rules posted for each promotion on calottery.com [11]. Submitted codes appear on the account’s “My Submissions” page so entrants can track which draws their tickets are entered into and whether they meet a promotion’s submission window [4] [8].
5. What happens if a ticket wins and how to claim
Winners are randomly selected, posted on the Results & Winners page, and notified by e‑mail to log into My Account for “important information” and a link to the 2nd Chance Claim Form; claim forms for 2nd Chance prizes are returned to Lottery headquarters and a check is mailed after processing (typically several weeks) — the site gives specific mailing and processing instructions and timelines [4] [5].
6. Important caveats, promotional windows and where to check for changes
Promotional drawings (Holiday, MONOPOLY, Game Day, etc.) usually require that eligible non‑winning codes be submitted during a defined entry period to be eligible for that promotion’s draw, and the Lottery reserves the right to change or terminate promotions; odds depend on total entries received and the number entered per player, so prize chances vary by promotion and timing [9] [10] [12] [3]. Where sources conflict on limits or procedures, the authoritative details are those posted in the specific promotion’s official rules and the 2nd Chance pages on calottery.com [6] [2].