New scratch-off offers prizes linked to draw games of the same name

By Kate Northrop

The DC Lottery has taken its iconic local draw games and reimagined them into an instant game in the form of a scratch-off ticket.

While Washington, D.C. lottery players have traditionally played DC 3, DC 4, and DC 5 by buying a ticket and waiting for the draw to occur, the game is available as a remixed instant game for the first time.

To bridge the gap between draw game and scratch-off game players, the DC Lottery brought together two of its "most established play styles into a single, cohesive experience," the Lottery announced last month. By combining the design and visuals of its draw games with the format of an instant ticket, it's hoping to attract players favoring one play style to the other.

"This launch represents a new chapter for how lottery games can be designed and experienced," Lottery Executive Director Randy Burnside said in a press release. "By bringing DC 3, DC 4, and DC 5 into a scratcher format, we're rethinking the player journey — giving our loyal players a new way to engage while creating an easy, intuitive entry point for scratcher players to discover draw-style play."

This also marks the Lottery's first-ever $4 scratch-off ticket, which fills in the space between its existing $3 and $5 tickets to provide players with more flexibility.

The "DC 3" scratch-off is priced at $3, the "DC 4" game at $4, and the "DC 5" game at $5.

Each game offers a different top prize: $35,000 for "DC 3," $45,000 for "DC 4," and $55,000 for "DC 5." Each top prize exceeds those typically associated with their draw game counterparts, something the Lottery is hoping that will appeal to players looking to dip their toes into instant play.

Each game also offers a chance to win a DC 3, DC 4, or DC 5 Straight Bet Quick Pick ticket.

"DC 3" offers two top prizes of $35,000 and eight second-tier prizes of $3,500, of which none have been claimed so far. There are also 49 out of 58 third-tier prizes of $500 remaining. The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.84.

"DC 4" offers two top prizes of $45,000 and eight second-tier prizes of $4,500, of which none have been claimed. The game also has 149 out of 159 third-tier prizes of $500 left to win. The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.69.

And finally, "DC 5" offers two top prizes of $55,000. There are also seven out of eight second-tier prizes of $5,500 remaining, as well as 168 out of 192 third-tier prizes of $500. The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 3.20.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)The "DC 3" scratch-off is priced at $3, the "DC 4" game at $4, and the "DC 5" game at $5.