How do second-chance lottery drawings work?
The basic steps are similar in most states.
- Sign up for a free account with your state lottery's players' club, on its official website or app. Don't use a third-party site.
- Enter your non-winning tickets. Scan the barcode with the official app or type the ticket's entry code on the website. Some promotions take only scratch-offs from specific games; others take draw-game tickets.
- Wait for the drawing. Each promotion has its own entry deadline and drawing dates. Winners are contacted through their account or by email.
Entering costs nothing beyond the ticket you already bought. That makes it worth doing for tickets you have anyway, but not a reason to buy more: the drawing is random and nothing guarantees a prize.
Which states have second-chance lottery drawings?
Most lotteries run some version, but names and formats change with each promotion. A few examples from the lotteries' own sites:
- Texas. Luck Zone is the Texas Lottery's second-chance site. Players register and enter non-winning scratch tickets in active promotional drawings, which have included sports-team and travel prizes.
- Florida. The Florida Lottery runs "Bonus Play" promotions through its second-chance site. In 2026 these have included a Celebrate Summer Bonus Play and a Pick and Cash Pop promotion (July 2 to September 20), each with prizes of up to $20,000; see its promotions page.
- New Jersey. Second-chance entries go through the free VIP Club. The programs include Million Dollar Replay, a yearly drawing for $1 million using non-winning scratch-offs, and Collect 'N Win, a monthly drawing for up to $5,000 using draw-game tickets.
- Georgia. Second-chance promotions tied to specific games are entered through a free Players Club account.
- Virginia. Virginia Lottery Rewards works on points. You scan tickets (including losing ones) to earn points, then spend points on entries into Rewards drawings. Points must be collected before a winning ticket is claimed, scanning is capped at 50 retail tickets a day, and points expire after a year.
- North Carolina runs second-chance promotions alongside a points program on its official site.
If you don't see your state here, look on its lottery's official site under names such as "Second Chance", "2nd Chance", "Players Club", "Rewards" or "VIP Club". Each state's page on our results homepage lists its games.
Are second-chance drawing odds better than regular lottery odds?
They can't be compared directly. A game's printed odds are fixed by its number pool. A second-chance drawing's odds depend on how many entries are submitted for that promotion compared with the number of prizes, so they aren't known until entries close. Not every ticket buyer enters, which works in favor of those who do, but there's no reliable public figure for how many skip it.
Read the rules for each promotion before assuming every ticket counts the same. Some cap entries per day or per player, and some give more entries for higher-priced tickets.
How do you get the most out of second-chance drawings?
Scan every ticket before you throw it away. The official app checks whether the ticket won and, where the program allows, records the second-chance entry in the same step. It also catches a winning ticket you might have misread.
Enter before the deadline. Promotions close, often when the related game ends. Tickets entered late don't count.
Keep the physical ticket until the drawing is over. Some lotteries ask a second-chance winner to produce it.
Treat unexpected win messages with care. A real notice relates to an entry you made and comes through your lottery account or the lottery's own email domain. No lottery asks for a fee, bank login or gift cards to release a prize; that is a scam. Our guide to lottery scams shows the common patterns.
Expect tax on bigger prizes. Second-chance prizes are lottery winnings. Under the IRS instructions for Form W-2G, the lottery reports prizes paid in 2026 of $2,000 or more and withholds 24% federal tax when a prize exceeds $5,000. A non-cash prize such as a car or trip counts at its fair market value, so you can owe tax on a prize without receiving any cash. See our federal and state tax breakdown.
Our guide to what actually works covers other ways to get the most from tickets you already buy.
Second-chance drawing FAQ
What is a second-chance lottery drawing?
A promotion run by a state lottery in which non-winning tickets can be entered, through the lottery's website or app, into a separate drawing for prizes such as cash, trips or merchandise. Entry is free with a ticket you already bought.
How do you enter second-chance lottery drawings?
Create a free account with your state lottery's players' club, then scan the ticket's barcode in the official app or type its entry code on the lottery's website before the promotion's deadline.
Are second-chance lottery odds better than regular odds?
The odds depend on how many entries a promotion receives compared with how many prizes it offers, so they aren't known in advance. Some promotions also limit entries per player or per day.
Do second-chance winnings get taxed?
Yes. They are lottery winnings. For prizes paid in 2026, the lottery reports prizes of $2,000 or more to the IRS and withholds 24% on prizes over $5,000. Non-cash prizes are valued at fair market value.
How do you know a second-chance win notification is real?
It refers to an entry you actually made, comes through your lottery account or the lottery's official email domain, and never asks for a fee, bank details or gift cards. Any request for payment is a scam.
Sources: Texas Lottery, Luck Zone; Florida Lottery, promotions; New Jersey Lottery, Second Chance; Virginia Lottery Rewards FAQ; IRS Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754. Promotions change often; your state lottery's site has the current list. For help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-MY-RESET.
