South Carolina Education Lottery
The South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL) began in 2002.
South Carolina is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), best known for Powerball. Like most US lotteries, on January 31, 2010, it participated in the cross-sell lottery expansion, adding Mega Millions.
SCEL-only games consist of Pick 3, Pick 4, Palmetto Cash 5, and numerous scratch tickets.
The minimum age to purchase SCEL tickets is 18.
Current draw games
Pick 3
Pick 3 is drawn twice daily (day and evening drawings) except on Sunday where only evening drawings are offered. It draws 3 sets of digits 0 through 9. Prices, prizes, and options vary.
Pick 4
Pick 4 also is drawn 13 times weekly, picking a 4-digit number. Prices, prizes, and options vary.
Palmetto Cash 5
Palmetto Cash 5 are held every day. It draws 5 balls from 1 through 38. Palmetto Cash 5 also draws a Power-Up multiplier that is randomly drawn from 16 balls (eight balls are marked with the number 2; five are marked with 3; two are marked with 4, and one with 5). Games cost $1 each; the Power-Up option costs an additional $1 per game. Jackpots begin at $100,000 (unlike Mega Million's Megaplier, and Powerball's PowerPlay, the Power-Up multiplier also applies to the jackpot.)
Powerball (multi-lottery game)
Since 2002, the SCEL has been a member of MUSL. Powerball's jackpots begin at $40 million; it is drawn Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Mega Millions (multi-lottery game)
On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in US lottery jurisdictions. Mega Millions tickets became available through the SCEL on January 31, 2010.
Future SCEL games
In an October 2012 website survey, the SCEL asked players for feedback on a potential SCEL drawing game. Among the potential SCEL games is Decades of Dollars, begun in 2011 and played in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia.