Second Chance Drawings

Second chance drawings let players turn in non-winning tickets for lottery and instant win games for the chance to win a prize. While cash is the most common prize, many state lotteries offer fun gadgets, gifts and experiences to those who are chosen to win prizes.

Draw games are getting in on the fun as well and are offering second chance prizes that rival the regular cash on offer. Monopoly Millionaires' Club, a new interstate lottery game, lets players submit their non-winning tickets to their state lotteries for the chance to appear on a live game show in Las Vegas.

These special drawings are a great chance to try your luck again after buying an instant win game that turns out to be a dud. Hold on to those pieces of paper, as they could net you a serious windfall, tickets to see your state's football team, gift cards and so much more!

How Do Second Chance Drawings Work?

Players submit details from their non-winning tickets to the state lottery, such as the printed code on the back of instant tickets. You may need to establish a personal account on your state lottery's website if you want to take part in one of these drawings. This ensures that the ticket is being submitted from a state resident, which helps keep the system as fair as possible.

State lotteries will send winners an email after the drawing has taken place asking them to check their account. The player can then log in and start the process of redeeming their prize.

There may be limits on how many entries you can make for a specific game. Read the rules of every second chance drawing carefully and contact your state lottery officials if you have any questions.

Rules

As with all U.S. lotteries, you need to meet the age requirements for playing lottery games in your state.

Always remember that you have to submit your losing instant win game to your state lottery. No one can do it for you, and there's no system in place where lottery officials will record the details of all the losing tickets sold everywhere in the state and then pick you at random. As with regular lottery games, you have to be in it to win it!

Anyone who tries to tell you that you've won a second chance drawing that you never entered is trying to set you up as the target for a scam. Read the scams page to learn more about how to protect yourself from fraudsters.