Easy 5

Easy 5 is an exciting lottery game by the Louisiana Lottery Corporation. The corporation began in 1991 following the enactment of the State Lottery Act 1045. The main aim of the corporation is to generate revenue for the state without the need to increase taxes. This explains why Easy 5 and the rest of the lottery games offered by the corporation such as Lotto, Mega Millions, Powerball, Pick 3, Pick 4, Scratch Offs have such attractive prizes.

Easy 5 costs only a dollar per play and has drawings on Wednesdays and Saturdays each week. Therefore, playing is more affordable and members of the public are highly encouraged to take part in it.

How to Play Easy 5

The starting jackpot offered by Easy 5 is a cash prize of $50,000. If you want to take part in this game, these are the steps you should follow:

Identify Where to Play

Louisiana Lottery Corporation has lots of retailers within the state from which you can buy your ticket. To ensure that you are buying your ticket from a legitimate retailer, you should get onto the official Louisiana Lottery website and enter your city or zip code under the Where to Play tab. The website will load the retailers who are within 2 miles, 5 miles, 10 miles, or 25-mile radius from where you are. This makes it easier to identify and select your preferable retailers.

Playslip and Ticketing

When you get to the retailer, you will be given an Easy 5 playslip which has 37 numbers printed on it. The playslip has 5 panels A to E which means you can enter up to 5 plays on the same playslip. It is important to note that you can only mark the numbers using either black or blue ink. Marking with red ink will render the playslip invalid.

From each panel, you can only mark 5 numbers. This is the allowed number per play.

The playslip also has a Quick Pick box at the bottom of each panel. When you check the box, for the specific panel, your numbers will be generated randomly using a computer terminal.

You can also enter up to 10 plays on a single ticket. To do this, simply ask the retailer and he will do it for you.

If you want advance draws, you can play the same set of numbers for 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, or 20 consecutive draws. To ensure the system picks your advance draw preferences, ensure you check the appropriate multi draw box printed on the playslip. For the Quick Pick system, you can tell the retailer the number of drawings you want before they randomly generate the numbers.

Once you hand over your selected numbers with the respective payment, you will be issued with a ticket. Printed on the ticket will be the game you have entered that is Easy 5, the estimated jackpot for the draw, the date of the draw, the date of ticket purchase, the serial number of the ticket, and your chosen numbers. It is important to clarify whether the numbers printed are those you have selected. If not, raise the issue with the retailer immediately.

The EZmatch

Easy 5 also gives you an opportunity to win $250 instantly. For just one dollar extra per play, you can select the EZmatch box on the playslip. Alternatively, you can ask the retailer for the EZmatch when paying for the Easy 5 Quick Pick.

When you add the EZmatch on your ticket, the computer terminal will print 5 EZmatch numbers in a column on your ticket. Corresponding to each number is an instant prize. If you match any of the 5 EZmatch numbers with any of your Easy 5 numbers printed on your ticket, you win the EZmatch prize shown for the respective number. For each number you match, you can get an EZmatch prize. For instance, if your ticket numbers are 05,09,12,23,30 and your EZmatch numbers are:

• 10 - $20
• 25 - $5
• 12 - $250 (This matches the Easy 5 number 12)
• 16 - $50
• 03 - $2

From your Easy 5 numbers, you can see that the Easy 5 number 12 matches with the EZmatch 12 which is worth $250. This is your prize for the EZmatch.

You can purchase EZmatch on a ticket that has multiple boards selected. The terminal will simply print separate tickets with separate EZmatch numbers for each play. You can also purchase EZmatch on a multi draw ticket.

The beauty with EZmatch prizes is that they are claimable on the spot from your retailer. If you claim before the Easy 5 drawing has taken place, you will be given an exchange ticket that has your chosen numbers for your Easy 5 drawing as well as your EZmatch prize. However, if you wait until the Easy 5 drawing has taken place for you to claim your EZmatch prize, it will be combined with whatever winnings you have from the Easy 5 play and issued as one prize.

The Drawing

Every Wednesday and Saturday except on Christmas Day, Easy 5 drawings are held. For you to be entered for the upcoming draw, you should ensure that you buy your tickets latest 9.30 p.m. on the day of the drawing. Any tickets you buy past 9.30. p.m. on the night of the drawing will be automatically entered for the next drawings. There are several channels which bring a live broadcast of the drawing and where you can watch to know whether your ticket has won a prize or not.

For the Easy 5, the official air times are 9.59. p.m. on the following channels:

• KALB Channel 5 in Alexandria
• Coke Channel 4 in Baton Rouge
• Coke Channel 4 in Lafayette
• KVHP Channel 29 in Lake Charles
• KARD Channel 14 in Monroe
• WVUE Channel 8 in New Orleans
• KPXJ Channel 21 in Shreveport

You can also get updates of the results on the official Louisiana Lottery Website.

Matching all the 5 numbers wins you the cash jackpot and the odds for this are 1:435,897. The jackpot is a cash prize starting at $50,000 and keeps on rolling until it is won. The amount allocated to the jackpot depends on the ticket sales. Jackpots are also pari-mutuel which means in the event of multiple winners, they are divided equally amongst them. All the prize payments, including the jackpot are subjected to both federal and state tax withholding as stipulated by law.

Matching 4 out of the 5 numbers wins you $100 at odds of 1:2,724.

If you match 3 numbers, you win $7 at odds of 1:88.

Lastly, matching 2 numbers wins you $1 at odds of 1:9.