Since its inception in August 25, 1982, the DC Lottery has awarded more than $4.4 billion in prizes to members of its community and transferred more than $2.3 billion to the district’s general fund, which supports essential services in the district. DC Lottery's licensing of charitable gaming activities has helped local nonprofits raise more than $136.5 million in support of social causes.[2]
All D.C. Lottery games have a minimum age of 18.
Charitable games
The board licenses games of chance that are conducted by DC-based non-profit organizations. D.C., Virginia, and Maryland-based charities can offer raffles, with the provision that these drawings are held in the District of Columbia. Organizations seeking to conduct such fundraisers must obtain a license from the board, with D.C. Lottery employees supervising the drawings to assure fairness.[3]
Games
Numbers draw games
DC 2
DC 2 is a two-digit game, drawn twice daily.
DC 3
DC 3 is a three-digit game drawn three times daily.
DC 4
DC 4 is a four-digit game drawn three times daily.
DC 5
DC 5 is a five-digit game drawn twice daily in the style of DC 2, DC 3, and DC 4, with straight and box wagers. It is played in the same manner as Pennsylvania's Pick 5, and Ohio's Pick 5.
Monitor draw games
Race2Riches
Race2Riches is a horse betting type game, drawings are every four minutes, from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Participants bet which horse will place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
DC Keno
Drawings are held every four minutes, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily.
The Lucky One
Drawings are held every four minutes, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily.
Instant-win games
DC Fast Play
DC Fast Play is an instant-style game played at any DC Lottery retailer.
DC TAP-N-PLAY
DC TAP-N-PLAY is an instant game played in select DC Lottery retailers.
DC Scratchers
DC Scratchers are scratch-and-win instant games sold at any DC Lottery retailer.
On January 31, 2010, most U.S. lotteries with either Mega Millions or Powerball began offering both games. The D.C. Lottery added Mega Millions on the cross-selling expansion date. The largest Mega Millions jackpot was over $650 million.
On August 8, 2023, the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won was $1.602 billion in Florida.[4]
Since 1988, the D.C. Lottery has been a member of MUSL, which created Powerball in 1992. Its jackpots currently start at $20 million. It is drawn Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee, Florida.[5]
On September 19, 2010, the D.C. Lottery had entered the wrong Powerball numbers into its computer system. Terminals read some losing tickets as winners, and vice versa. The lottery revised its procedures to prevent such errors from recurring.[6]
On January 31, 2010, most lotteries with either Mega Millions or Powerball began offering both games. The D.C. Lottery added Mega Millions on that date. The largest jackpot in Mega Millions so far was more than $640 million.[7]
Sports wagering
On May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 which allowed sports wagering only in the State of Nevada to be unconstitutional.[8] This was brought forth in the case of Christie v. the NCAA in which then New Jersey governor Chris Christie (R) wanted to legalize sports wagering in his and other states and territories (Including the District) but professional sports organizations including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Major League Baseball, National Football League and the National Hockey League opposed such operations. Following the ruling, the District of Columbia government, which included Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the members of the D.C. City Council, began working on legalizing sports wagering within the district. On September 21, 2021 the D.C. City Council passed, and Mayor Bowser signed into law that legalized sports wagering, the D.C. Lottery was tasked with overseeing the regulation of sports wagering licenses and sportsbook facility.[9]
The D.C. Lottery began operating a wagering app which geo-fences customers to areas within the District of Columbia[10] but access to certain areas of the district would be excluded including, Capitol Hill, residential areas and in and around all the federal buildings, and within 2 blocks of a brick and mortar sportsbook facility.[11] The D.C. Lottery also began operating sports wagering kiosks (GambetDC) at authorized D.C. Lottery agents including at local bodegas, bars, gas stations and restaurants.[12]William Hill owned by Caesars Entertainment[13] was the first sportsbook in the District of Columbia opening its temporary sportsbook in an unused box office area of the Capital One Arena on July 31, 2020 and its permanent sportsbook on May 26, 2021, in the former Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Restaurant on the F and 6th Streets N.W. corner of the Capital One Arena.[14][15] This was followed by BetMGM opening a sportsbook at Nationals Park, FanDuel sportsbook at Audi Field and a sportsbook which will open at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
The DC Lottery unveiled DC iLottery,[16] a digital sales platform for purchasing lottery games. Players can access DC iLottery from their smart phone, computer, or tablet, and once registered for an account, can play DC3, DC4, DC5, DC Keno, Race2Riches games, and more while physically in the district and not within an area of the District where lottery play is prohibited. The platform uses geolocation technology to confirm a player’s location before a ticket can be purchased.[17]
