Crypto lottery: how it works

What makes a lottery a crypto lottery?

The difference from a traditional lottery is the money rail. Tickets are bought with digital assets, there is no card or bank account involved, and payouts arrive in the same kind of asset. Many crypto lotteries also publish how their random numbers are produced so players can check them.

That extra transparency is the main reason people choose them. It is not a guarantee of fairness, though, so it is worth reading how any specific lottery generates its numbers before you play.

How the CryptoDrawz weekly draw works

There is one draw every week, on Sunday at 20:00 UTC. Each ticket costs $5, paid in crypto. There is no account to set up: you give an email address and your lottery numbers are sent there.

Every ticket is a numbered entry. When sales close, we take one public random value from the drand beacon and use it, with the published ticket list, to pick 14 different winning tickets. 90% of ticket sales form the prize pool and 10% is the platform fee.

• Grand prize: 1 ticket wins 50% of the prize pool
• Runner-up: 3 tickets win 10% each
• Lucky draw: 10 tickets win 2% each
• Fewer than 50 tickets sold: the round is cancelled and everyone is refunded

Why the ticket price stays at $5

Bitcoin and Ether can move several percent in a day. CryptoDrawz prices tickets in dollars, so the price you see is the price you pay in whichever coin you choose, and prizes are easy to understand.

Before you play a crypto lottery

Check that online lotteries and crypto games are allowed where you live. Rules differ between countries and between US states, and you must be 18 or older, or the legal age locally. Only spend money you can afford to lose. A lottery is entertainment with negative expected value, not an investment or an income plan.

If you want limits or a break, the responsible gaming page lists the tools and support organisations available.

Frequently asked questions