The Pick 3 lottery is a daily draw game run by most state lottery commissions in which you choose a three-digit number from 000 to 999, pick a bet type, and win a fixed prize if your digits match the drawing according to the rules of that bet. A single play costs as little as fifty cents, and most states hold two drawings a day.
How the Numbers and Drawings Work
You choose three digits, each from 0 through 9. Repeats are allowed, so 7-7-2 and 5-5-5 are valid plays. At drawing time, the lottery pulls one digit for each position, and whether you win depends on how your digits line up with the draw and what bet type you placed.
Most states run a midday and an evening drawing. A few run only an evening draw. You mark which drawing you want on the play slip, and many slips let you enter both on one ticket. Tickets have to be bought a few minutes before the cut-off, which varies by state.
Choosing a Bet Type
Your bet type is the single most important choice on the slip. It sets both the odds and the prize.
Straight
A straight bet wins only if your three digits come up in exact order. Odds are 1 in 1,000. A $1 straight pays $500. It is the hardest bet to hit and the best-paying one.
Box
A box bet wins if your digits match the drawing in any order. The payout depends on how many unique arrangements your number has.
- 6-way box: all three digits different, like 1-2-3. Six winning arrangements. Odds 1 in 167, pays $80 on a $1 bet.
- 3-way box: one digit repeated, like 1-1-2. Three arrangements. Odds 1 in 333, pays $160 on a $1 bet.
A box bet doesn’t work on triples like 5-5-5, since there is only one possible arrangement. Those need a straight bet.
Straight/Box
This splits your wager in half. On a $1 play, fifty cents goes to a straight bet and fifty cents to a box. You win the straight portion if the digits match exactly, the box portion if they match in any order, or both on an exact hit. Each prize is smaller than a full straight or full box because each half is funded by only half the wager.
Combo
A combo places a separate straight wager on every possible arrangement of your digits. Three unique digits means six straight bets, so a $1 combo costs $6. A number with one repeated digit is three straight bets for $3. Whichever order the digits come up in, you collect the full straight prize of $500 per $1. It is the most expensive way to play, but it gives you box-style coverage at straight-bet payouts.
Pair Bets and Fireball
Many states offer additional options on the play slip, though not every state carries all of them.
Front Pair and Back Pair
A pair bet covers just two of the three drawn digits. A front pair matches the first two digits of the draw; a back pair matches the last two. Odds are 1 in 100, and a $1 bet typically pays $50.
Fireball
Some states offer a Fireball add-on. One extra number is drawn, and that Fireball digit can substitute for any one of the three main digits, creating additional winning combinations. The add-on doubles your ticket cost. The Fireball-modified prizes are smaller than the base game’s because your chances of winning go up.
Filling Out the Play Slip
Play slips sit in a rack at any lottery retailer. Each slip holds several plays. For each one, you mark:
- Three digits, one per column, from 0 through 9
- Bet type: straight, box, straight/box, or combo
- Wager amount, usually from fifty cents to $5 per play
- Draw time: midday, evening, or both
If you’d rather not choose your own digits, mark Quick Pick and the terminal generates them. Most states also offer a multi-draw or advance play option, letting you enter the same numbers into a run of consecutive drawings on one ticket, often a week or more of draws at a time.
Buying the Ticket
Hand the completed slip to a clerk at any authorized retailer, or feed it into a self-service terminal. The machine prints an official ticket. Check it before you leave the counter. The printed ticket is what counts, not the slip.
You generally have to be at least 18 to buy a lottery ticket, though a handful of states require 21. There is no federal minimum age; each state sets its own rule. Cash and debit cards are the standard payment methods. Many states don’t allow credit card purchases for lottery tickets.
Around 16 to 17 states now allow online purchases of draw games like Pick 3 through official state lottery websites and apps. If your state is one of them, you can pick numbers, pay, and get a digital ticket without going to a store.
Payouts and Odds at a Glance
Pick 3 prizes are fixed, meaning your prize is set in advance and doesn’t change based on how many other people picked the same number. On a $1 wager:
- Straight: $500, odds 1 in 1,000
- 3-way box: $160, odds 1 in 333
- 6-way box: $80, odds 1 in 167
- Front or back pair: $50, odds 1 in 100
- Combo, three unique digits: $500, odds 1 in 167 (costs $6)
- Combo, one repeated digit: $500, odds 1 in 333 (costs $3)
Prizes scale with your wager. A fifty-cent straight pays $250. A $5 straight pays $2,500.
Claiming a Win
Sign the back of the ticket as soon as you buy it. An unsigned ticket works like a bearer instrument: whoever holds it can try to cash it. Your signature is the simplest protection against loss or theft.
Prizes up to about $600 can usually be cashed at any lottery retailer. The clerk scans the ticket, confirms the win, and pays you. Above that, you’ll go to a lottery district office or state headquarters, or mail in the signed original ticket with a claim form, typically by registered mail.
Every state sets its own claim deadline, and an expired ticket is forfeited. The window runs anywhere from 90 days to a full year, with 180 days common. Check your state lottery’s site for the specific date. Daily play makes it easy to let tickets pile up, so get in the habit of checking them the same day as the drawing.
Taxes on Pick 3 Winnings
Every dollar you win is taxable. The IRS requires you to report all gambling winnings on your federal return, regardless of amount, using Schedule 1 of Form 1040.1Internal Revenue Service. Gambling Income and Losses A $40 box win counts the same as a $500 straight.
For state-conducted lottery prizes, 24% federal income tax is withheld automatically when winnings exceed $5,000.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 3402 – Income Tax Collected at Source Most Pick 3 players never see that threshold on one ticket, since the top prize on a $1 straight is $500. A $5 straight pays $2,500, and larger combo wins or multiple wins on the same ticket can push the total higher. State income tax withholding may also apply depending on where you live.
Starting in 2026, the general threshold for issuing a Form W-2G on gambling winnings rose from $600 to $2,000 under federal legislation.3Internal Revenue Service. Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-19 For state lottery winnings specifically, a W-2G is issued when prizes exceed $5,000. State lottery payees only need to provide a taxpayer identification number when collecting, unlike other gambling where you must show two forms of ID.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754
You can deduct gambling losses against winnings, but only if you itemize on Schedule A, and the deduction cannot exceed the winnings you reported for the year. Win $800 and lose $1,200, and your maximum deduction is $800. Keep losing tickets, receipts, and a log of what you played.1Internal Revenue Service. Gambling Income and Losses If you take the standard deduction, as most casual players do, losses aren’t deductible at all.