Second Chance Lottery: How It Works and How to Enter (2026)

A second chance lottery is a separate promotional drawing that gives a non-winning ticket another shot at a prize. The state runs it next to the original game, so your first result stands.

Second chance lotteries differ from the main draw in 3 ways. You submit a code or barcode scan instead of buying a new play, each program has its own prize pool, and states cap entries, with California at 500 codes a month and Vermont at 10 tickets a day.

Every program follows the same loop. You buy eligible tickets, submit each code before the drawing deadline, and a random draw picks winners from the entry pool. California draws weekly, Georgia’s Rolling Jackpots run monthly, and Vermont holds a quarterly drawing.

Here’s how a second chance lottery works at most state lotteries:

• Buy a ticket for a game the state lists as eligible.
• Sign in to the state account or app.
• Submit the entry code or scan the barcode.
• Collect entries for second chance lottery drawings. For example, California and Georgia award 1 entry per $1 of ticket price.
• Wait for the random draw and the notification.

Names and prizes differ by state, so you have to double-check before you claim. Florida calls its program Bonus Play Drawings and the Ohio Lottery runs the MyLotto Rewards program. Another promotion may offer a trip package instead. Players who buy online can compare the best US online lotteries first.

Second chance programs come in 2 types, and the type decides what you do with a winning ticket.

Direct-entry drawings take a non-winning ticket straight into a draw. California’s Scratchers 2nd Chance and Vermont’s quarterly drawings work this way, so a Scratcher that won even a small prize cannot go in. Cash it as normal.

Points programs turn scanned tickets into points that you spend on drawing entries or prizes. Virginia Lottery Rewards gives points for winning and non-winning tickets alike, 5 points per $1 spent in a store, but no points once a prize on that ticket is claimed. So in Virginia, scan first and cash second. Ohio’s MyLotto Rewards is also points-based but takes non-winning tickets only.

Points come with limits. Virginia caps scans at 50 store tickets a day and 10,000 points a month, and unused points expire 1 year after you earn them. Ohio allows 1,200 points of tickets a month.

To tell which type your state runs, look at its site. Talk of points, tiers or a rewards balance means a points program; a list of promotions with closing dates means direct entry. Some states run both, such as New York, with NYL+ points next to its second chance promotions.

Here is how to enter second chance lottery programs in 5 steps. The sequence matches the official rules for California, Georgia, Ohio and Vermont. The rules and steps for other states may differ, so confirm yours on the official portal.

1. Check the game number against the state’s eligible list, then scratch or check the ticket to confirm it is a non-winning ticket.
2. Register with the state: Georgia requires Players Club membership, and California requires a verified account.
3. Pick a method: barcode scan in the app, entry code typed online, or mail-in entry in the rare promotions that allow it.
4. Submit before the drawing deadline: California closes Saturdays at 11:59 p.m., and Vermont posts an 11:59 p.m. ET date for each draw.
5. Track the entry and keep the ticket until the draw ends, since California advises it.

Entering Online or Through a State Lottery App

To enter losing lottery tickets online for the second chance drawings, start with the state account. Georgia asks for Players Club membership, Ohio runs entries through its MyLotto Rewards program, and California wants a verified account with your legal name, a California address and a birth date. In those 3 states, your 2nd chance lottery login is that account.

Ohio dropped manual entry on August 8, 2023. Entries now go through the barcode scan in the official Ohio Lottery app, which asks for camera access on first use. Have these documents and details ready:

• The scratched ticket, with the barcode visible
• The entry code, or the numbers the portal requests (Vermont asks for a 14-digit entry number and a 12-digit ticket number)
• Your account login

Entering Second Chance Lottery by Mail

A mail-in entry works only when a promotion’s official rules list a mailing address. Most programs take entries online or in the app only. Vermont’s rules say a ticket sent to its headquarters is ineligible, and Kentucky’s 2026 Festival Fanatic rules say non-winning tickets mailed to any lottery office are destroyed.

Never send second chance lottery tickets to a state office that lists no entry address.

This directory covers 18 state second chance lottery programs verified in November 2026. Each link opens the state’s own ticket entry portal, where you register, log in, submit entry codes and check current promotions.

Program names and links verified November 2026.

Rules and eligible games differ by state, so confirm yours before you buy. Pennsylvania players can also read our PA lottery review.

Georgia Lottery Second Chance Drawings

The Georgia Lottery second chance program takes any non-winning scratch ticket for its monthly Rolling Jackpots, and eligible games add promotional drawing entries automatically. You need a Players Club account first, and the sign-up form has an optional box for a GA Lottery promo code. The platform lists 7 active games as of November 2026, and our Georgia lottery review covers the rest.

Take the Holiday promotion, for instance. It offers 4 drawings, each with 1 $10,000 cash prize and 70 $500 prizes. A $10 ticket carries 10 entries. Georgia caps submissions at 60 tickets a day, by barcode scan in its app or manual entry online.

Pennsylvania Lottery Second Chance Drawings

Pennsylvania ties second chance entry to its online account. Its help center says you cannot enter second-chance drawings without signing up to play online, and a cool-off or opt-out locks you out of the drawings as well. The same sign-up form has an optional Bonus Code box, which is where a PA Lottery bonus code goes.

Virginia Lottery Rewards Points

Virginia Lottery Rewards is the points program described above. You scan tickets in the app or on the mobile site while logged in, then spend the points on drawings or free play. Scratchers need the eXTRA Chances or VA Lottery Rewards logo, and draw game tickets must be scanned within 30 days of purchase. A Virginia Lottery promo code goes into the same account when you register.

Kentucky Lottery Fun Club Second Chance

Kentucky runs direct-entry promotions through its Fun Club account. You enter on kylottery.com or by scanning the barcode in the Kentucky Lottery app, and its 2026 Festival Fanatic promotion capped entries at 200 tickets a week. New Fun Club accounts can also claim a registration bonus and first-deposit match with the KY Lottery promo code.

How to know if you won second chance lottery prizes depends on the state lottery. California emails winners to sign in to their account, Vermont notifies by mail, and Georgia contacts winners of prizes over $600 by phone, email or mail.

Also check the state’s winners list or results page, since emails can land in spam. Claim windows run short: Georgia gives 21 days to return a claim form for prizes over $600, Vermont moves to an alternate after 30 days, and California allows 180 days.

Second chance lottery scratchers tie entry to a game number. Georgia’s Holiday promotion lists 6 specific games, and Vermont splits its games in 2 groups: top-prize games qualify for a top prize drawing plus a quarterly drawing, while other listed games qualify only for the quarterly one.

Eligibility ends with the game, so only eligible tickets inside the window count. California’s Scratchers codes expire 180 days after the game’s end date, which turns a forgotten ticket into scrap. Check the state’s end-of-game list before you scan.

The fine print changes by state, so treat these named examples as a checklist, not a universal rule.

• Age: Georgia, Vermont and California each set 18 as the minimum; confirm your state’s rule.
• Limits: Georgia caps entries at 60 tickets a day, Vermont at 10 a day, California at 500 codes a month.
• Ticket source: Georgia opens its Holiday promotion to the original retail buyer, and Vermont requires a ticket from a licensed agent or the Lottery. Check whether a ticket bought through a platform such as Lotto.com qualifies before you assume it does.
• Entry deadline: California’s weekly cutoff is Saturday at 11:59 p.m., and late entries roll into the next draw. Georgia’s Holiday entries do not roll over.
• Expiration: California’s SuperLotto Plus and Fantasy 5 codes expire 180 days after purchase, and Vermont accepts each ticket once.

Do Lottery Tickets Bought Online Count?

It depends on the state, so read the promotion’s rules before you assume either way. Kentucky’s 2026 Festival Fanatic rules said tickets bought on the Kentucky Lottery website could not be entered. Pennsylvania says second chance drawings for online play run from time to time and appear in its Promotions section. Virginia goes the other way and adds Rewards points for online purchases automatically.

Yes, if you already hold the ticket: an entry costs $0. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries a drawing receives, a figure that California, Georgia and Vermont do not publish in advance, so treat any prize as a bonus. Never buy extra tickets to collect entries; a losing ticket is still lost money.

Find your state in the directory above and enter before the drawing deadline. Set a ticket budget, and if gambling stops being fun, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738); the National Council on Problem Gambling adopted it to replace 1-800-GAMBLER.

We read each lottery’s own second chance pages and official rules between November 8 and 13, 2026: California’s 2nd Chance rules and FAQ, Vermont’s 2nd Chance draw standards, Ohio’s MyLotto Rewards help page, the Virginia Lottery Rewards FAQ, Kentucky’s Fun Club terms and 2026 Festival Fanatic rules, the Pennsylvania Lottery help center and the Georgia Lottery second chance page. The screenshots come from the California and Georgia lottery sites on November 8 and 9.

We did not enter tickets or win prizes ourselves, so the steps in this guide come from the official rules, not from a test entry. Rules change often, so check your state’s page before you enter.