News writer
Illinois Lottery players don't have to wait until the evening to find out whether they've won. Lottery officials announced a new draw game that will give players a chance to win every hour. And the best part: tickets start at just $1.
The Illinois Lottery has officially launched CASH POP, a draw-based game developed by Brightstar Lottery. The game offers four wager amounts, multiple ways to play, and prizes up to $2,500. But there's more to CASH POP than having to wait days before the next drawing, like for Lotto or Mega Millions. Players can customize their tickets, choose how many drawings to enter, and decide how much they're willing to spend.
How does CASH POP work?
CASH POP keeps things simple. Players don’t need to match several numbers to win. Instead, they need to match only one.
The game features 15 numbers, called POPs, ranging from 1 to 15. Players can select their favorite numbers, use Quick Pick to receive a randomly selected number, or choose POP ALL to play every number.
During each drawing, one number is selected. Players holding that number win a prize.
According to the Illinois Lottery, drawings will take place every hour, starting at 8:30 a.m. and going through 1:30 a.m. the following morning. Based on that, there will be 18 drawings held daily, with a seven-hour overnight break.
In addition, players will be able to buy tickets for one to six consecutive drawings, which helps to eliminate the need to buy another ticket each hour.
Does spending more improve your chances?
For CASH POP players, they will have four wager amounts to choose from: $1, $2, $5, and $10 per selected POP. The amount you wager determines the potential prize, with payouts ranging from five to 250 times the wager.
Here's how that translates into possible winnings:
| Wager per POP | Prize range |
|---|---|
|
$1 |
$5-250 |
|
$2 |
$10–500 |
|
$5 |
$25-1,250 |
|
$10 |
$50–2,500 |
Spending more on the same number doesn’t improve its chances of being drawn. It just increases the potential payout.
With 15 possible numbers, a single selected POP has a 1 in 15 chance of matching the winning numbers. Players can improve their chances of matching the winning number by purchasing additional numbers, but that also increases the ticket's cost.
For example, selecting three numbers at $2 each for five drawings would cost $30. Choosing all 15 numbers guarantees a match, but the prize amount can vary, and a winning payout isn't necessarily greater than the total ticket cost.
What happens when you win?
To see if you are a winner, you can check the results through the Illinois Lottery website, mobile app, or at participating lottery retailers.
For prizes of $600 or less, they can generally be redeemed at lottery retailers, subject to available funds. Larger prizes must be claimed through the lottery’s claim process. If you bought the ticket online, those online players will have their qualifying prizes automatically credited to their accounts.
In a press release, Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays stated:
We've seen the success this game has had with many of our lottery peers and look forward to it being in our draw-based lineup.
CASH POP joins the state's existing lottery offerings, providing a faster alternative to traditional jackpot games. For players, the biggest difference might be the waiting time. Instead of counting down the days until the next drawing, they'll only have to wait until the next hour.
Enjoy playing the Illinois Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
