You can find the answers to some of the most common queries about Play3 by looking through the FAQs below. Learn about the different ways to play, the prizes you can win and how to claim any money that you are owed.
Play 3, or Pick 3, is a Connecticut Lottery game which takes place twice a day and sees three winning numbers drawn between 0 and 9.
Day drawings are held at 1:57 p.m., with Night drawings at 10:29 p.m.
The cut-off time for Day drawings is at 1:45 p.m., and for Night drawings it is 10:20 p.m. Ticket sales resume at 2:01 p.m. and 10:46 p.m. respectively.
To play, you need to pick three numbers from 0 to 9 and select a wager type – Straight, Box, Straight/Box or Combo. You can also play Front Pair or Back Pair, where you are only required to choose two numbers.
A Straight play is when you must match all three winning numbers in exact order. For a Box, you win if your numbers are drawn in any order. A Straight/Box is when you split the cost of a play between both wager types, while a Combo is entering all the possible Straight combinations of your three chosen numbers. Go to the How to Play page for more details.
In Play 3, you can set your own wager amount. This is between $0.50 and $5 for most wager types, although Combos must be either $0.50 or $1 per combination.
The minimum age to purchase lottery tickets in Connecticut is 18.
You can only cancel a Play3 ticket before sales stop for that particular drawing, and it must be cancelled at the same retailer where it was purchased.
Yes, you can play the same numbers into as many as seven consecutive drawings, by using the Advance Action box on your playslip.
To win a prize, you must match all the numbers you have selected. If you’ve played a Straight, you must get them all in order, whereas for a Box wager your numbers can appear in any order. See all the possible payouts on the Prizes and Odds page.
There is no prize for matching two numbers out of three. The only way to win by matching two numbers is if you have played a Pair wager. However, the Wild Ball can help you to win prizes if you just miss out in the base game.
The Wild Ball is a fourth number between 0 and 9 that is drawn after the first three. If you select the Wild Ball option on your playslip, you can use the Wild Ball that is drawn to replace any of the three winning numbers. This gives you another chance to win prizes, but does double the cost of your wager. Go to the Wild Ball page to learn more.
The Connecticut Lottery cannot afford to pay out all the prizes if too many players purchase a particular number and then it ends up being drawn, so there is a liability threshold of $7.95 million per number combination per draw. Once this limit is reached, sales of a particular number are suspended for that draw.
You can claim Play3 prizes of any value by mailing your winning ticket to CT Lottery Claims Department, 15 Sterling Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492. Prizes of up to $599 can be claimed from lottery retailers, while larger amounts can be redeemed at CT Lottery Headquarters or a high-tier claim center.
You have 180 days from the date of a draw to claim any Play3 prizes that you win.
No. You are allowed to buy tickets for Play3 in Connecticut without being a resident of the state, but you would not be able to claim prizes elsewhere. All lottery prizes must be claimed in the same state where the ticket was purchased.