Newest game becomes the state's second locally-drawn game

By Kate Northrop

Mississippi lottery players hoping for another local draw-style game won't have to wait much longer — last Monday, the Mississippi Lottery announced that it will be releasing its newest draw game in April called Match 5.

Match 5 will be the fourth draw-style game in its current lineup, joining multi-state games Powerball and Mega Millions and in-state game Cash 3. Drawings will take place three nights a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and ticket sales will commence on Wed., Apr. 28 with the first drawing to occur on Thurs., Apr. 29.

"Mississippi players have been looking forward to a 'pick-5' style game, and we are pleased to add it to our game mix," Lottery President Tom Shaheen said in a press release. "It features a rolling jackpot; each time no one matches all five numbers, the jackpot increases and rolls to the next drawing similar to Powerball and Mega Millions."

The starting jackpot for each new drawing cycle in Match 5 begins at $50,000. Players enter a drawing by selecting five numbers from a pool of 1-35 or by opting for a Quick Pick, where a computer randomly generates your numbers for you.

A play costs $2 each, but players have the option to spend an additional $1 per play to add on a Multiplier feature to their ticket that multiplies non-jackpot winning prizes by 2, 3, 4, or 5 times. Prizes of different values are won based on how many numbers a player matches on their ticket to the numbers drawn, with prizes ranging from a free ticket to the jackpot.

Last August when the Lottery first launched Cash 3, its first game drawn in-state, the Lottery hinted at also releasing a daily-4 number game and a daily-5 number game sometime in the near future. With the Lottery's future looking bright, Shaheen confirmed with Lottery Post that it is looking into a traditional pick-4 type game, similar in play style to Cash 3, but it will be a daily game with larger payouts.

Players can redeem prizes under $600 at any approved retailer, by filing a claim via mail, or at Lottery headquarters in Flowood. Those looking to either try out the new Match 5 game or searching for a retailer to make a claim under $600 can download the free Lottery Places app, available for Android, iPhone, and Windows users.

Prizes ranging from $600 to $99,999 can be claimed via mail or at Lottery headquarters, but all prizes of $100,000 and more must be claimed in-person at Lottery headquarters.

Match 5 drawings will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Results are anticipated to be available by 10:00 pm CST. Mississippi Lottery drawings are conducted via computer random number generators (RNGs).