Find out how to play Pick 3 in Nebraska with this simple guide, and learn more about the types of bet you can make. Draws are held every night by 10 p.m., but the cut-off time for buying tickets is 9:00 p.m.
As the name of the game suggests, you have to pick three numbers. Each number is drawn from a separate set, numbered from 0 to 9, so you can choose the same number more than once.
There are various types of bet to choose from - Straight, Box, Straight/Box or Combo. The way you play determines how much you can win.
You can enter just the next drawing or multiple draws in a row. Use the Multi-Draw box on your playslip to select how many draws to enter, up to a maximum of 72.
You can purchase tickets anytime between 5:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., but if you miss the cut-off time of 9:00 p.m. you will be entered into the next day's draw.
You can pick up to five different sets of numbers on each playslip. The cost of a bet is fixed at $1, unlike in many other states where you can choose your play amount in Pick 3. The total cost therefore just depends on how many sets of numbers you pick, and how many draws you enter.
From time to time, you may find that you cannot play the numbers you want. This is because there is a top prize liability of $150,000 – which is the most that the Nebraska Lottery can pay out in a single draw. This is the equivalent to 250 prizes of $600, and means that only 250 tickets can be sold for the same Straight combination. For example, once the Nebraska Lottery sells 250 tickets with the number 777 on it, sales for that digit are suspended until the next drawing.
Straight - You must match all three numbers in exact order to win.
Box – You win if your three numbers appear in any order. There are two different types of Box bet. A 3-Way is when two of your three numbers are identical (such as 112), while a 6-Way is when all three digits are unique (such as 123). The term tells you how many possible ways those numbers could be combined.
Straight/Box – For a $1 Straight/Box bet, half your money goes on matching the numbers exactly and half on matching them in any order. You win both parts of the wager if your numbers are drawn exactly, or just the Box part if they appear in another order.
Combo – You win if you match one, two or three numbers in the correct position. For example, if you pick 123 and the numbers drawn are 188, you still get a payout for matching the 1 in the right place.
Prizes range from $1 – for matching one digit on a Combo – to $600 for getting all three correct on a Straight. Go to the Odds and prizes page to find out how much you can win for each bet type.