Illinois Lottery — Games, Results & Smart Play Guide

Illinois is a powerhouse lottery state — home to multiple record-breaking wins and one of the first states to offer online lottery ticket sales. With a 4.95% state tax rate, IL falls in the middle of the pack for lottery taxes.

Illinois Games Ranked by Value

Lucky Day Lotto — Best Odds

• Cost: $1 | Top Prize: ~$100K-$500K (pari-mutuel) | Odds: 1 in 1,221,759
• Draws: Daily (midday + evening)
• Two chances daily to win with odds 240x better than Powerball. This should be your primary Illinois game.

IL Lotto — The State Jackpot

• Cost: $1 | Jackpot starts: $2M | Odds: 1 in 20,358,520
• Draws: Monday, Thursday, Saturday
• Extra Shot add-on ($1) enhances non-jackpot prizes. At $10M+, the EV gets competitive.

Pick 3 & Pick 4 — Daily Players

• Cost: $0.50-$1 | Top Prizes: $500 / $5,000
• Popular with regular players. Illinois was one of the first states to offer these games.

Powerball & Mega Millions

• Both available. Illinois made lottery history when a $536M Mega Millions ticket was purchased through the Illinois Lottery app in March 2026.

Illinois Lottery Tax: 4.95%

A $1M win in Illinois nets about $581,000 after federal (37%) and state (4.95%) taxes. Compare:

• Texas: $630,000 (0% state tax)
• Illinois: $581,000 (4.95%)
• New York: $521,000 (10.9%)

Calculate your exact take-home: Lottery Tax Calculator

Where the Money Goes

The Illinois Lottery has contributed over $23 billion to the state's Common School Fund since 1974. Every ticket purchase supports K-12 education.

Check Illinois Results

View all Illinois lottery results →

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