Texas Cash Five is a state lottery run by the Texas Lottery Commission.
The game offers a consistent fixed jackpot and many draws per week, giving players a lot of chances to win.
To find out more about what this lotto game has to offer and how you can buy Texas Cash Five tickets online, keep reading our guide below.
About Texas Cash Five
Texas Cash Five was launched on July 29, 2002, as a replacement for a similar Texas Lottery game called Cash 5.
The game remained unchanged for many years, until a relaunch on September 23, 2018, switched things up.
The relaunch saw the game adopting a new matrix, which gave players better overall odds of winning.
Included in the changes was a switch to guaranteed prizes and a new jackpot of US $25,000.
The first draw with the new rules took place on September 24, 2018.
Texas Cash Five Draws
Texas Cash Five is a daily draw with six draws a week. Draws take place every Monday through Saturday at 10:12 p.m. CT.
They are webcast live through the Texas Lottery website.
During each draw, a total of five numbers are randomly selected.
How to Play Texas Cash Five
Texas Cash Five is a straightforward game with a single matrix.
Players have to choose five numbers from a pool of numbers 1 through 35. There are no bonus numbers for this game.
A standard ticket for Texas Cash Five is relatively inexpensive at US $1. However, players living outside of the US who buy lottery tickets online may have to pay an additional fee.
Players in the state of Texas can buy tickets from official lotto retailers or through the Texas Lottery app.
The game also offers players the chance to play the same numbers in multiple draws on a single ticket. To do so, they must simply select the Multi-Draw option.
The Multi-Draw option allows players to buy tickets for up to 12 consecutive drawings at once.
Players have up until 10:02 p.m. CT on draw day to buy tickets. There is a brief Draw Break between 10:02 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. CT when tickets are not available.
Texas Cash Five Prizes and Odds
The game has a total of four prize tiers, each with a guaranteed prize. The minimum amount of matched numbers needed to win a prize is two.
Each draw has a guaranteed jackpot of US $25,000.
If there is no jackpot winner, the jackpot does not roll over or continue to accumulate. The jackpot remains at US $25,000 for every draw, regardless of recent winners.
Though the jackpot is not very large, the odds of winning are very good at 1 in 324,632.
Compared to other lotto games with similar odds, Texas Cash Five has a decently sized jackpot.
For example, South Africa Daily Lotto has jackpot odds of 1 in 376,992. However, it has an average jackpot of only about US $6,700.
The lower-tier prizes of Texas Cash Five have similarly good odds, but much smaller prizes. The lowest prize is a Quick Pick ticket for the next draw, which has a value of US $1.
The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 7.2.
The breakdown for each prize tier is as follows:
Numbers Matched | Odds of Winning | Guaranteed Winnings |
5 | 1 in 324,632 | Jackpot |
4 | 1 in 2,164 | $350 |
3 | 1 in 75 | $15 |
2 | 1 in 8 | Free Quick Pick Ticket |
Claiming Texas Cash Five Prizes
Winners have up to 180 days from the draw date to claim their prizes.
All winners receive their prizes as lump-sum payouts.
Unfortunately, Texas Cash Five prizes qualify for federal taxes, so winners don’t get to take home their entire prize.
Prizes of more than US $5,000 come with a 25% tax for US residents and 30% for non-residents.
Players who purchase tickets from popular online lottery websites may be subject to additional taxes from their home country.
Notable Texas Cash Five Winners
As Texas Cash Five is a fixed-jackpot game, the biggest prizes awarded in the game’s history are all US $25,000.
Though that amount is much smaller than many popular lottery games, the daily draws and excellent odds mean the jackpot is won frequently.
For example, in the first three months of 2021, there were 39 jackpot winners. In that time, the longest amount of time that passed without a winner was only six days.
Texas Cash Five-Should You Play?
Texas Cash Five is a simple game that can be enjoyed by beginners and experienced lotto players alike.
Though the prizes aren’t very large, ticket costs are low and odds are great. While prizes are taxed, that is an unavoidable feature of playing any lotto game in the US.
Overall, if you’re looking for a low-risk game to try, Texas Cash Five is a good option.
Bernard