Virginia Pick 4 FAQs

Pick 4 is a lottery draw game played across the USA, but it isn't multi-state – states that play it all have their own separate versions with slightly different rules and terminology. The basic game stays pretty much the same though: Select a four-digit number from 0000 to 9999, pick the type of wager you want to make, and wait for the next drawing to find out if you've won.

Pick 4 has two daily drawings: a Day drawing at 1:59 PM ET, and a Night drawing at 11:00 PM ET.

For the Day drawing, you can buy tickets up to 1:53 PM ET, and for the Night drawing it's 10:45 PM ET. Tickets can still be purchased after the cut-off, and they are entered into the next applicable drawing.

In order to win Pick 4, you must match the winning numbers according to the conditions of the play-type on your ticket. There are lots of different play types, so we'd recommend visiting our dedicated Ways to Play page for a full explanation.

There are four play types to choose from: Exact Order, Any Order, 50/50, and Combination. Furthermore, the Any Order, 50/50, and Combination play types have different odds, prizes, and ticket costs depending on the numbers you pick. For a full explanation, we'd recommend reading over our Ways to Play page.

The price of your Pick 4 ticket depends on a number of factors, such as the play type you choose, how much you decide to wager, and whether you add the Fireball. For every ticket, you can wager either $0.50 or $1, and playing the Fireball add-on doubles the cost of your ticket(s). Play types also affect the cost of your ticket - making a Combo play costs quite a bit more! Visit our Odds & Prizes Page for more info.

Prize amounts are fixed, with a $5,000 top prize. To win this, you'd need to make an Exact Order or Combination play, and match all the winning numbers in drawn-order. You can check out the rest of the prizes on our Odds & Prizes page.

To win the $5,000 top prize on a $1 Exact Order bet, the odds are 1 in 10,000. However, if you instead made a $24 Combination bet, the $5,000 odds would be just 1 in 417. There are many other prize tiers, each with different odds, not to mention how the Fireball affects them. Check out the full list on our Odds & Prizes page.

The Fireball is an optional extra you can add to your Pick 4 ticket in many states, Virginia included. The Fireball is an additional number from 0-9 drawn along with the main numbers. If you've added it to your ticket, you can use the Fireball to replace any of the other drawn numbers, massively boosting your odds of winning a prize.
For example, if you play an Exact Match ticket with the numbers 4619 using the Fireball add-on, and the winning numbers were 4610, Fireball 9, you'd still win because you can swap the 0 for the 9! Find out more on our How to Play page.

You can use the Multi Draw feature to enter your playslip in up to 91 subsequent drawings. You can also ask the clerk to 'Repeat' any plays you make, which will grant you duplicate tickets for the same drawing.

You must be 18 or over to buy lottery tickets in Virginia, including Pick 4.

Yes, when doing your taxes, prizes of $600 or more must be reported. If you've won the $5,000 top prize, taxes are withheld automatically when the prize payment is made.

If you've played online, prizes up to $100 are automatically redeemed, direct to your VA Lottery account.
For online winnings greater than $100, you'll need to fill out an online claims form.
If you bought a physical ticket and won less than $600, this can be redeemed at any lottery-authorized store in Virginia.
For prizes greater than $600, you must visit a Virginia Lottery payment center or offices to redeem. Make sure to bring government-issued photo ID and a document confirming your Social Security Number when you go to make your claim!

If you've won a Prize in any Virginia Lottery game, including Pick 4, you've got 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim your prize. After this, the ticket will be considered expired.

Without a valid Pick 4 ticket, you will be unable to claim a prize – it's up to the player to keep their tickets safe. One solution would be to play Pick 4 online, as that way, there's no risk of digital tickets getting lost or damaged.