Do You Have To Keep Your Ticket for Second Chance California?

The short answer is yes, you do need to keep your losing scratcher or draw game ticket in order to enter California Lottery’s second chance drawings. While you don’t have to physically mail in your losing ticket anymore, you will need to enter the ticket’s unique serial number, as well as upload a picture of the front and back of the ticket, in order to complete the online entry process for second chance drawings in California.

What are second chance drawings?

Second chance drawings, also sometimes called promotional drawings, give players who didn’t win on their scratchers or draw game tickets another chance to win a prize. The California Lottery runs various second chance contests throughout the year that are tied to specific scratcher or draw games. Players enter into the contests by submitting the serial numbers from non-winning tickets through the Lottery’s website. The Lottery then randomly selects winners from the pool of entries.

Prizes in California’s second chance contests typically include vacations, electronics, gift cards, concert tickets, sporting event tickets, and more. While the prizes aren’t usually cash, they can still be quite valuable, with some being worth thousands of dollars. So it’s definitely worth taking a few minutes to enter your non-winning tickets into second chance contests for another shot at winning something nice.

Why you need to keep losing tickets for entry

In order to enter second chance drawings in California, players must provide the unique serial number that is printed on each Scratchers ticket and draw game ticket. The serial number allows the Lottery to verify that each entry is from a legitimate ticket. This prevents people from trying to enter second chance contests without actually having purchased official Lottery tickets.

You’ll also need to upload photos of the front and back of each ticket you enter. This provides further validation that each entry comes from a real ticket that was purchased. It prevents people from trying to submit fake or duplicate serial numbers. The photos show that you have the actual ticket in your possession.

So in summary, to complete the online entry process for California’s second chance contests, you’ll need to have the physical ticket in order to:

• Read and enter the ticket’s serial number
• Take and upload pictures of the front and back of the ticket

This is why it’s important to hold on to your losing draw game and Scratchers tickets, rather than throwing them away. Keep them safe so you can enter them into second chance promotions for another opportunity to win.

How to enter second chance contests in California

Entering second chance contests in California is easy and can be done completely online using the Lottery’s website or mobile app. Here are the basic steps:

1. Create an account – You’ll need to register for a free account on the California Lottery website or mobile app. This allows you to securely store your entries.
2. Find an active second chance promotion – Go to the Promotions page to see available second chance contests and find one(s) you want to enter based on the qualifying Scratcher or draw game.
3. Enter ticket details – For each ticket you submit, enter the 14-digit serial number and upload photos of the front and back.
4. Confirm entry – Verify all ticket details accurately entered and submit. Your entry is now complete.
5. Come back to enter more tickets – You can keep entering additional tickets into the same promotion anytime during the entry period before the posted end date.

Once you’ve submitted all your entries during the entry period, there’s nothing else you need to do except wait for the drawing and see if you’re picked as a winner. California Lottery will notify winners directly if their entries are selected in the random drawings. Some important tips:

• Double check serial numbers are entered correctly
• Make sure ticket photos are clear and legible
• Enter tickets early, don’t wait until the last minute
• Take advantage of reminder emails the Lottery sends as entry deadlines approach

What to do if you lose or damage your ticket

For second chance contests, the Lottery requires the actual physical Scratchers or draw game ticket in order to complete entry. Just having the serial number is not enough. So you won’t be able to enter a second chance drawing if you end up losing or damaging your ticket.

Some options if you don’t have the ticket anymore:

• Retrace your steps – Carefully retrace everywhere you’ve been to see if you can locate the lost ticket.
• Contact retailer – If you know approximately when and where you purchased the ticket, contact the retailer to see if they found a discarded ticket.
• Report to Lottery – File a claim with the California Lottery so they have a record of the missing ticket details.
• Take a picture – As soon as you buy a draw or Scratchers ticket, take a quick picture of it before misplacing it.

Unfortunately, without being able to physically enter the unique serial number and upload images of the ticket, there is no way to submit it into a second chance promotion if you no longer have the ticket in your possession.

Tips for keeping and organizing lottery tickets

To avoid problems with lost or misplaced tickets, it’s a good idea to have a system for organizing and storing your Scratchers, Powerball, Mega Millions, SuperLotto Plus, and other draw game tickets. Here are some tips:

• Take a photo – As mentioned above, take a picture of each ticket right after purchasing. This gives you a digital record that may allow claiming smaller prizes.
• Designate a storage spot – Keep tickets in the same place like a drawer, envelope or box so they don’t get scattered and lost.
• Use an app – There are apps like Lottery Ticket Organizer that let you scan and store ticket data securely.
• Sign tickets – Write your name or initials on tickets as soon as you buy them to prevent confusion if misplaced.
• Check tickets often – Check draw tickets promptly after each drawing to avoid missing deadlines to claim prizes.

It takes a little extra effort, but staying organized with your lottery tickets means you’ll always have them handy when needed. This ensures you can fully take advantage of second chance contests and claim any prizes you might win.

Reasons to enter second chance contests

Here are some of the top reasons you should make sure to enter all your eligible losing lottery tickets into California’s second chance contests:

• More chances to win – It gives you additional opportunities to win vacations, electronics, gift cards, concert tickets and more valuable prizes.
• No extra cost – Entering second chance contests with losing tickets is free. It doesn’t cost anything beyond what you already paid for the ticket.
• Easy to enter – Submitting eligible losing tickets online through the Lottery website/app is fast and simple.
• Drawing reminders – The Lottery sends email reminders ahead of second chance entry deadlines so you don’t forget.
• Win without matching numbers – Prizes are awarded randomly through drawings, unlike needing to match numbers to win on a ticket.

With millions in prizes up for grabs across its many second chance contests, the California Lottery gives players plenty of extra opportunities to take home something exciting. So hold onto those draw game and Scratchers tickets and get them submitted for your next chance to win!

Remember, in order to successfully enter second chance contests in California and have a shot at winning great prizes, you must keep your physical draw game and Scratchers tickets. You’ll need to reference the 14-digit serial number from each ticket and upload photos of the front and back. Keep those non-winning tickets organized and safe so you can take full advantage of the Lottery’s many fun and rewarding second chance promotions.