How are winners notified for California lottery second chance drawings?
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Executive summary
Winners of California Lottery 2nd Chance drawings are notified first by email using the contact info on their Lottery account and instructed to log into their account for “important information”; when they sign in they see the prize and a link to a 2nd Chance Winner Claim Form (see official 2nd Chance and Draws & Winners pages) [1] [2]. For special or seasonal bonus draws the Lottery posts winners on its website within 20 calendar days after the entry deadline and similarly sends a courtesy email telling winners to log into their accounts [3] [4].
1. How notification actually happens — email to your registered account
The California Lottery’s published process is straightforward: when a 2nd Chance entry is drawn, the Lottery uses the contact information tied to the player’s California Lottery account to send an email telling the player to log into their account for “important information.” On login, the player is shown the prize and provided a link to the 2nd Chance Winner Claim Form to begin the claims process [1] [2] [5].
2. Public posting and timing — website listings and 20-day rule for promotions
In addition to private email notification, the Lottery posts winners on its Results & Winners page. For defined promotional draws (for example, Holiday or Scratchers bonus draws), official rules say winners will be posted on the Lottery website within twenty calendar days after the entry deadline; winners are also emailed a courtesy notification to log into their account [3] [4] [6].
3. What winners see and the next steps — claim form and mailing timeline
After receiving the email and logging in, winners are shown the prize and a link to download the 2nd Chance Claim Form. The official Draws & Winners guidance and Claim a Prize page explain that once the claim form and ticket (where applicable) are processed at Lottery Headquarters, payments such as mailed checks typically take about 6–8 weeks; some 2nd Chance prizes may require Headquarters processing rather than immediate same‑day payment at district offices [2] [7].
4. Entry records and how the Lottery reaches you — keep your account current
The Lottery makes clear that winners are contacted using the contact information provided in the player’s account, so maintaining an up‑to‑date email address matters. Players can also view and sort their 2nd Chance submissions on their My Submissions page to confirm entries and track which draws they were entered into [1] [8].
5. Deadlines, forfeiture risk and alternates
Promotional rules stress that winners must claim within specified timeframes: for example, some promotional draws state that if a prize isn’t claimed within 180 days from the “Winners Posted By” date listed online the winner waives rights to the prize. The Lottery also selects alternate winners if initial winners cannot be contacted or fail to claim, and winners’ names and related details are subject to public posting under disclosure rules [4] [9].
6. Where reporting is consistent and where it varies
All provided California Lottery pages consistently describe the same notification flow: email to logged account → login shows prize and claim form → follow claim steps [1] [2] [5]. Promotional notices add timing specifics (the 20‑day posting window) and claim‑deadline language; those details appear in promotion‑specific rules and not the general 2nd Chance overview [3] [10].
7. Practical advice and potential pitfalls
If you play 2nd Chance draws, ensure your Lottery account email is current and check the My Submissions and Results & Winners pages regularly. Because the Lottery relies on account contact info and posts winners publicly for many promotions, failure to receive or respond to the courtesy email — or missing the claim deadline listed with the winners posting — can result in forfeiting a prize or the Lottery moving to alternates [3] [4] [2].
Limitations: available sources do not mention specific spam‑filter or phishing guidance from the Lottery, nor do they describe alternative contact methods beyond email and the public Results & Winners postings; for those operational details, the Lottery’s Customer Service contact is referenced but not elaborated in the cited pages [2] [7].