Cash 3 is the name of Georgia’s three-digit lottery. It works almost exactly the same as other versions of the game that are played across the U.S. and other countries, where it is commonly known as Pick 3.
There are three Cash 3 drawings every day in Georgia – a Midday draw at 12:29 p.m., an Evening draw at 6:59 p.m. and a Night draw at 11:34 p.m.
Ticket sales stop at 12:20 p.m., 6:50 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. respectively for the Midday, Evening and Night draws. Sales resume immediately after the drawing has taken place.
To play Cash 3, choose three numbers from 0 to 9, select your play amount and pick a play type – Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Combo, 1-Off, Front Pair or Back Pair. Go to the How to Play page for a full step-by-step guide to purchasing tickets.
The 1-Off play type is a prediction on the three winning numbers in exact order, but you can still win if any of the digits are one higher or lower. For example, if you choose 147 and the winning numbers are 258, all three numbers are just one digit out, so you still receive a payout. Go to the Play Types page for a more detailed explanation, plus more examples of winning combinations for each method of entry.
A 3-Way play has three ways of winning, and a 6-Way play has six ways of winning. Whether you play a 3-Way or a 6-Way comes down to the combination of numbers you want to play when you select a Box or Combo. If you have three different numbers, such as 123, this is a 6-Way. If you have two identical numbers out of three, such as 112, this is a 3-Way. If you choose three identical numbers, for example 777, there is only way this combination can be arranged so you would have to play it as a Straight.
In Cash 3, you can decide whether to pay $0.50 or $1 per play. However, a Straight/Box is a fixed $1.
You can cancel a ticket bought from a retailer, but only at the same location where it was purchased. It must be canceled within 15 minutes, and is only allowed if sales are still open for the relevant draw.
You must be at least 18 years old to play Georgia Lottery games.
There are a variety of prizes you can win in Cash 3. The top prize is $500, for matching the numbers exactly on a $1 Straight.
The odds are different for each play type, but the chances of matching three numbers ecxactly are 1 in 1,000.
All the prizes are fixed so your prize would never be reduced in normal circumstances. However, the Georgia Lottery has imposed a liability limit of $10 million per drawing, as they could not pay out more based on the sales they generate for a single draw. Sales for a particular number may therefore be suspended if it would take the total payout beyond the threshold.
Yes, you can play Cash 3 without living in Georgia. If you buy a ticket whilst visiting the Peach State, remember that you will have to claim any prizes you win in Georgia. You will not be able to claim in another state.
You can claim Cash 3 prizes from lottery retailers, or by mailing your winning ticket to Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
You have 180 days from the date of a Cash 3 draw to claim any prizes you are due.