California · CA · Money & taxes

California: Does the state have a lottery?

Has a state lottery

California runs a state lottery, created by voters in 1984, that supplements funding for public schools and colleges.

Voters approved the California State Lottery Act (Proposition 37) in November 1984, and the lottery began in 1985. By law, lottery money for education must add to school funding, not replace it. The lottery sells Powerball and Mega Millions along with SuperLotto Plus and other in-state games.

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What the law says

The California State Lottery began with a ballot measure, Proposition 37, that was approved by voters on November 6, 1984.

California State Lottery: About Us

Sources

California State Lottery: About Us Official · calottery.com
Cal. Gov. Code § 8880.1 (purpose of the California State Lottery Act) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
California State Lottery: Draw Games Official · calottery.com

Confirm with the state

Agency: California State Lottery
Phone: 1-800-568-8379
Website: calottery.com

How bordering states compare

Arizona Has a state lotteryArizona runs a state lottery overseen by the Arizona State Lottery Commission.
Nevada No state lotteryNo. Nevada's constitution bans state lotteries; only charitable raffles may be authorized.
Oregon Has a state lotteryOregon has a state lottery, approved by voters in 1984 and run by the Oregon State Lottery Commission.

Last verified Oct 21, 2026 · Confidence: High · How we research · Report an error

High confidence: an official source names this explicitly, and the quote above shows it.

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