South Carolina Education Lottery
The South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) began in 2002.
South Carolina is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), best known for Powerball. Like most US lotteries, on January 31, 2010, it participated in the cross-sell lottery expansion, adding Mega Millions.
SCEL-only games consist of Pick 3, Pick 4, Palmetto Cash 5, and numerous scratch tickets.
The minimum age to purchase SCEL tickets is 18.
Current draw games
In-house draw games
Pick-3
Pick 3 is drawn twice daily (day and evening drawings) except on Sunday where only evening drawings are offered. It draws 3 sets of digits 0 through 9. Prices, prizes, and options vary.
Pick 4
Pick 4 also is drawn 13 times weekly, picking a 4-digit number. Prices, prizes, and options vary.
Palmetto Cash 5
Palmetto Cash 5 are held every day. It draws 5 balls from 1 through 38. Palmetto Cash 5 also draws a Power-Up multiplier that is randomly drawn from 16 balls (eight balls are marked with the number 2; five are marked with 3; two are marked with 4, and one with 5). Games cost $1 each; the Power-Up option costs an additional $1 per game. Jackpots begin at $100,000 (unlike Mega Million's Megaplier, and Powerball's PowerPlay, the Power-Up multiplier also applies to the jackpot.)
Multi-jurisdictional games
Lucky for Life
Begun in Connecticut in 2009 as Lucky-4-Life, it has changed it double matrix three times, and expanded to a regional game and then "quasi-national." It also began giving "lifetime" winners the option of cash in lieu of the annuity.
Players choose 5 of 48 "white balls", and a green "Lucky Ball" from a second pool, of 18 numbers. There are ten prize tiers, including two that have a "lifetime" prize. Drawings remain in Connecticut.
Powerball
Since 2002, the SCEL has been a member of MUSL. Powerball's jackpots begin at $40 million; it is drawn Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Mega Millions
On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in US lottery jurisdictions. Mega Millions tickets became available through the SCEL on January 31, 2010.