Which Massachusetts Lottery Has the Best Odds?

Casual players often wonder which Massachusetts (MA) Lottery game gives them the best chance to win. Each game offers a different trade-off between jackpot size and odds.

In general, smaller daily games have much better odds than huge multi-state jackpots. We’ll break down the major Massachusetts Lottery games, including Numbers Game, Mass Cash, Megabucks, Lucky for Life, Mega Millions, and Powerball. For each, we’ll note how they’re played, the prize structure, and most importantly their odds. (For quick access to results and winning numbers, you can visit LotteryCoast.com’s Massachusetts lottery results page.) At the end we’ll see which game really offers the easiest shot at a win.

Massachusetts offers daily and weekly draws as well as the big multi-state games. LotteryCoast.com highlights that Massachusetts “has some of the most exciting lottery games, offering players daily chances to win big”. In other words, whether it’s the Numbers Game (a pick-4 style draw) or a huge jackpot like Powerball, all the winning numbers are posted. Now let’s look at each game and its odds:

MA Numbers Game (Pick‑4)

The Massachusetts Numbers Game is a twice-daily draw. You pick 4 digits (0–9 each) for a chance to win cash. It’s one of the simplest games – and the best odds for a top prize.

The jackpot (matching all 4 digits exactly) is a few thousand dollars (for example $4,379 in a recent midday draw). Because you’re only choosing 4 digits, the odds are 1 in 10,000 to hit all four in order. In other words, every time you play, you have a 1-in-10,000 shot at the jackpot.

Even smaller prizes are easy – matching just 3 digits exactly is 1 in 1,000, and matching 2 digits is 1 in 100. For a casual player, that means you’re likely to win some prize in Numbers more often than not: for example, matching the first or last digit alone pays $5 (odds 1:10).

LotteryCoast describes the Numbers Game as “a popular game format that gives players frequent chances to win exciting cash prizes”, which is exactly right. Because the odds are so good, many Massachusetts players use the LotteryCoast Numbers Game results page to check the latest midday and evening draws.

In summary: Odds (Exact 4) = 1 in 10,000 (by far the best odds for a jackpot in MA), Prize ≈ $4,000–$5,000.

Mass Cash

Mass Cash is a daily multi-number draw (Monday–Sunday) with a $100,000 top prize. You pick 5 numbers from 1–35. The top prize is smaller than Powerball, but you only have to match 5 of 5. As a result, the top prize odds are much better than the national games. Specifically, the odds of winning the $100K jackpot in Mass Cash are about 1 in 324,632. And even more importantly, the odds of winning any prize in Mass Cash are roughly 1 in 72 (thanks to multiple smaller prize tiers). For a $1 ticket, that’s very generous compared to bigger games. (By contrast, Powerball’s any-prize odds are around 1 in 25.)

According to LotteryCoast, Mass Cash “gives players frequent chances to win exciting cash prizes”. If you want to track results, see the Mass Cash results page. Because Mass Cash is drawn nightly, it’s a favorite for players who want a good balance of decent jackpot and decent odds.

In short: Odds (Jackpot) = 1 in 324,632, Odds (any prize) ≈ 1 in 72, Prize = $100,000.

Megabucks (formerly Doubler)

Megabucks (recently redesigned and no longer called “Doubler”) is a tri-weekly draw (Mon, Wed, Sat) with a large jackpot. You pick 6 numbers from 1–44. Megabucks jackpots start at $500,000 and roll over. Because you must match 6 of 6, the jackpot odds are much longer than Mass Cash but better than big multi-state games. In fact, the odds of winning the Megabucks jackpot are about 1 in 7,059,052 (roughly one-in-seven million). The overall odds (any prize) are about 1 in 39.3. Secondary prizes are fixed: $5,000 for matching 5, $200 for 4, and $4 for 3.

LotteryCoast notes Megabucks also “gives players frequent chances to win exciting cash prizes”, reflecting that it’s drawn regularly each week. If you play Megabucks, remember it costs $2 per ticket. Compared to mega-jackpots, these odds are not bad: if you win the jackpot, you get at least $500K (with no roll-down cap).

In summary: Odds (Jackpot) ≈ 1 in 7,059,052, Odds (any prize) ≈ 1 in 39.3, Prize ≥ $500,000. (For more info or the latest numbers, see LotteryCoast’s Megabucks results page.)

Lucky for Life

Lucky for Life is a Maine-operated game (offered in MA) where the jackpot is $1,000 per day for life (at least $365,000 per year, guaranteed for 20 years). You pick 5 numbers (1–48) plus a “Lucky Ball” (1–18). Matching all 5 plus Lucky Ball wins the top prize. Because the prize is huge (effectively millions over decades), the jackpot odds are long: about 1 in 30,821,472. However, there are many secondary prizes (10 tiers total), so smaller wins are more common.

As LotteryCoast describes, Lucky for Life “gives players frequent chances to win exciting cash prizes”, but note that “frequent” here means nightly draws, not easy odds. The second-tier prize ($25,000/year for life) is still huge with odds ~1 in 1.8 million, and even matching fewer numbers pays out. For example, matching 3+LuckyBall wins $150 (odds ~1:3,414).

In short: Odds (Jackpot) ≈ 1 in 30,821,472, Prize = $1,000/day for life. (MA players can check the Lucky for Life results on LotteryCoast for the latest draw.)

Mega Millions

Mega Millions is a multi-state jackpot game (drawn Tue & Fri) played nationwide, including Massachusetts. Its jackpots can top hundreds of millions. Players pick 5 numbers (1–70) and a Mega Ball (1–25). The odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are extremely long – about 1 in 302,575,350. That means it’s essentially impossible to win, but if you do, you get a fortune (a recent record jackpot was $1.602 billion). The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are about 1 in 24 (thanks to small prizes even for one matching Mega Ball).

According to Fox Business, “the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302 million” (and Powerball’s jackpot is 1 in 292 million). These odds haven’t scared people off – Americans spend billions on these tickets – but for a casual player the takeaway is clear: Mega Millions offers life-changing prizes but very, very long odds.

In short: Odds (Jackpot) = 1 in ~302 million, Ticket Cost = $2. For up-to-date winning numbers in MA, see LotteryCoast’s Mega Millions results page.

Powerball

Powerball is the other giant multi-state lottery (drawn Mon, Wed, Sat). Like Mega Millions, it has huge jackpots (start at $20 million) but extremely long odds. Players pick 5 numbers (1–69) plus a Powerball (1–26). The odds of the Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 292,201,338. Smaller prizes range from $4 (matching just the Powerball) to $1 million (matching all five white balls, 1 in ~11.7 million). Adding Power Play ($1 extra) can multiply non-jackpot wins.

Powerball is often seen as a long shot. But if you do play, LotteryCoast can help you keep track – check their Powerball results page for the latest numbers. Again, Fox Business confirms “1 in 292 million” jackpot odds.

In summary: Odds (Jackpot) = 1 in 292,201,338, Ticket = $2 ($3 with Power Play).

(Bonus) Massachusetts Keno

Keno is a quick-draw game (usually sold in MA restaurants and bars, up to 80 numbers). You choose 1–10 numbers (“spots”) from 1–80 and 20 numbers are drawn every few minutes. Prizes depend on how many spots you choose and how many you match. Keno odds vary wildly: a 12-spot Keno (match 12 of 80) has astronomical jackpot odds (~1 in 478 million), while an easy 2-spot Keno (match 2 of 80) has very generous odds.

In fact, the overall odds of winning any prize in 2-spot Keno are just 1 in 2.27. Even 3-spot Keno has overall odds ~1:6.55, and 4-spot Keno ~1:3.86 – meaning you’ll win something (usually a small prize) on a large fraction of your tickets. However, Keno payouts for small wins are very small (often the same as your bet). So while Keno offers the easiest chance of walking away with some money, those wins tend to be tiny unless you hit the big jackpot (which is very, very hard).

Best Odds Summary

So which game has the best odds? If you mean jackpot odds, it’s the Numbers Game (pick-4). At 1 in 10,000 to win the top prize, it blows every other MA draw out of the water. (Compare that to 1 in 324,632 for Mass Cash, 1 in ~7 million for Megabucks, and 1 in hundreds of millions for the multi-state games.)

If you mean any-prize odds, then Keno deserves mention: for example, 2-spot Keno has overall odds of about 1 in 2.27. In other words, playing Keno (2 spots) almost guarantees a win on many plays – albeit usually a small one. Among the traditional draws, Mass Cash has any-prize odds of 1 in 72, and Numbers Game has easier wins when you include 3-of-4 or 2-of-4 prizes.

In practical terms for a casual player: Numbers Game and small-spot Keno will win you money most frequently (though the wins are relatively small). If you want a bigger payday, the odds get much harder. But remember, even a $5 prize every so often can be fun. Be sure to check your winning numbers regularly (LotteryCoast’s Massachusetts lottery results page is a handy one-stop source).

Good luck, and play responsibly!