Updated: September 2026 · Sources: California Lottery draw-game pages and California Franchise Tax Board guidance on gambling income.
SuperLotto Plus is California's own jackpot game, and it differs from Powerball and Mega Millions in two ways that matter: the odds are far shorter, and every single prize is pari-mutuel. If you have ever seen a Californian match five numbers and receive a different amount from someone in another state, that second point is why.
How SuperLotto Plus Works
You choose 5 numbers from 1 to 47, plus one Mega number from a separate pool of 1 to 27. Matching all five main numbers and the Mega number wins the jackpot, which starts at $7 million and rolls until somebody hits it.
| Detail | SuperLotto Plus |
|---|---|
| Matrix | 5 of 47, plus 1 Mega of 27 |
| Drawing days | Wednesday and Saturday |
| Entries close | 7:45 p.m. Pacific on drawing days |
| Jackpot odds | 1 in 41,416,353 |
| Prize structure | Nine tiers, all pari-mutuel |
| Claim deadline | 180 days from the drawing date |
The odds come from the same combination formula as every other draw game: C(47,5) = 1,533,939 possible main-number sets, multiplied by 27 possible Mega numbers, giving 41,416,353 distinct tickets. That is roughly seven times friendlier than Powerball's 1 in 292,201,338, on a jackpot that is much smaller but still life-changing.
Every Prize Is Pari-Mutuel — Read This Before You Plan
In most states the lower tiers pay fixed amounts: match three Powerball numbers, collect $7, every time. California does not work that way. State law requires all California Lottery draw-game prizes to be pari-mutuel, so each tier gets a defined share of the prize pool for that drawing, and that share is divided among everyone who matched it.
The consequences are worth understanding:
- The same match pays different amounts on different nights. A five-number match with no Mega might pay tens of thousands after a quiet drawing and much less after a busy one.
- Big sales cut both ways. A huge rolling jackpot draws more tickets, which grows the pool but also increases the number of people sharing each tier.
- Popular number patterns cost you money here more than anywhere. Because lower-tier prizes are shared, matching alongside thousands of birthday-pattern tickets dilutes your prize directly.
- Published "typical" amounts are just history. Always read the actual amounts on the California Lottery's winning-numbers page for the drawing you played.
The nine tiers run from the jackpot (5 + Mega) down to matching the Mega number alone, with the Mega ball appearing in most of them — which is what makes it so much more than a decorative extra ball.
The Mega Number Is Where Most Tickets Die
Matching five main numbers from 47 is a 1 in 1,533,939 event. The Mega number multiplies that by 27. Put differently, the single extra ball is responsible for about 96% of the difficulty of the jackpot. It also drives most of the prize table: the tiers pay noticeably better with the Mega than without it at the same main-number count, and matching the Mega alone still returns a prize.
Every Mega number from 1 to 27 has an identical 1-in-27 chance in every drawing, no matter how often it has come up before. There is no such thing as a warm Mega ball.
California's Unusual Tax Position
California does not tax California Lottery winnings. The Franchise Tax Board states plainly that lottery winnings from the California Lottery — including SuperLotto Plus, Powerball and Mega Millions bought in-state — are exempt from California state income tax. Federal tax still applies in full: 24% withheld on large prizes, with the final liability reaching the top federal bracket.
That makes California unusually good for a resident winner, on par with the no-income-tax states. It does not exempt you from tax in another state if you live elsewhere, and it does not apply to out-of-state lottery winnings. Compare across the country in our state tax guide, and read lump sum vs annuity before choosing a payout.
Prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. Retailers pay smaller prizes; district offices and the Sacramento headquarters handle the rest. California is also a disclosure state — the names of winners are public record — so speak to a lawyer before claiming a large prize.
Hot and Cold Numbers: What We Will and Will Not Claim
We do not publish a SuperLotto Plus frequency table. Our stored history covers Powerball and Mega Millions, drawn from a public feed we validate and save ourselves; we have not verified an equivalent source for California, and we are not going to invent one. The California Lottery publishes its own past winning numbers if you want the raw record.
Even with perfect data, frequency does not predict. Balls have no memory, the machine is re-mixed for every drawing, and each of the 47 main numbers has the same chance every Wednesday and Saturday. Across a few hundred drawings, random variation alone produces a visible spread between the most and least frequent numbers — change the window from 90 days to two years and the "hot" list changes with it. That is the definition of noise.
Frequency is still worth looking at as a record of what happened and as a way to make a decision you can stand behind. It is not a forecast, and any site presenting it as one is selling something. Our overdue numbers article covers the fallacy in detail.
The Strategy That Actually Affects Your Payout
In a pari-mutuel game this is more than a footnote. You cannot change your odds, but you can change how many people you split with. Human picks cluster around dates, so 1 through 31 is heavily over-selected and 32 through 47 is comparatively ignored. Neat patterns on the play slip and sequences like 1-2-3-4-5 are chosen far more often than chance would suggest.
Leaning toward the upper end of the range and avoiding obvious patterns will not improve your chance of matching. In California, where every tier is shared, it improves the size of what you collect when you do. See Quick Pick vs Your Own Numbers.
Common Questions
Are SuperLotto Plus odds better than Powerball? Yes — about 1 in 41.4 million against 1 in 292.2 million, for a smaller jackpot. Our national game comparison sets the context.
Why did my prize differ from a friend's for the same match? Different drawings, different pools and different numbers of winners. That is pari-mutuel.
Can the Mega number repeat one of my main numbers? Yes. It comes from a separate pool, so the same value can appear in both positions.
Does an even/odd split matter? No. Mixed splits show up more often only because there are more of them; every individual five-number line has identical odds. See our even/odd guide.
Build Your Line
Our number generator covers SuperLotto Plus through custom ranges: 1–47 pick 5 for the main numbers, then a separate 1–27 draw for the Mega. Random, instant, and honest about what it can do.
For entertainment purposes only. Official California Lottery results and rules always take precedence. Must be 18+. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.