Want to know the difference between cold numbers and hot numbers? Ever found yourself asking what a Powerball or a lottery annuity is? Well you’ve come to the right place.

At Lottosend we use a lot of lottery terminology so we thought it’d be a good idea to create a lottery dictionary with the most commonly used terms.

Additional Number (A.K.A The “Powerball”)

A term coined for lotteries which share a common jackpot, Powerball lottery games are comprised of multiple lottery organizations’ combined prizes, offer additional prizes for players to win and are required in the six-number sequence to win the cumulative jackpot amount.

The Powerball number is selected separately from the initial pulling of lottery numbers.


Lottery agents are retail business owners who have completed the necessary application and received approval to sell state licensed lottery game tickets.


An annuity is a payment structured to be awarded to recipients over a given period of time, rather than in one single payment.


Lottery beneficiaries are those individuals, businesses and organizations that benefit from the proceeds of a lottery game. This includes prize winnings of players, commissions paid to retailers, and support programs sponsored by the given lottery commission.

Boxed Bet

A boxed bet is when the drawn range of lottery numbers matches a player’s card in no specific order.

Bonus Ball / Bonus Number

Not to be confused with the Powerball, a Bonus Ball is a sixth number drawn after the initial range of five lottery numbers are called. Typically, this number will qualify players to win lower-tier prizes.

Cashing Agent

A cashing agent is typically a retail business owner who is licensed and approved to not only sell lottery tickets, but also cash out winning lottery tickets.

Cold Numbers

Also known as "overdue numbers", cold numbers have not appeared in the range of drawn numbers for a given lottery in a long time.


The claims deadline is the date by which a winning party must claim their winnings. If the date passes without any successful claim being made, the winnings are forfeited.

Easy Pick

An easy pick is a lottery ticket for which the machine itself has randomly selected the lotto numbers for an individual.


A lottery game comprised of several participating European countries, including Spain, France and the UK. Euromillions was established in 2004 and is commonly viewed as the most popular lottery game in Europe, if not the world. Seven numbers in all must be matched to receive the jackpot prize amount, which cannot exceed €190 million. Since 2011, the draw has taken place twice a week, happening on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Fixed Payouts

Fixed payout lotteries are those lotto games where the payment structure and winning conditions are clearly laid out beforehand.

Hot Numbers

Often referred to as "draw numbers", hot numbers are selections that commonly appear in the range of drawn number for a given lottery.

Incentives (applies to retailers and agents)

Incentives are benefits, usually in the form of cash, awarded to retail agents who are part of the lotto system and are credited with generating revenue for the organization.


The jackpot is typically the largest prize awarded in any given lotto game.


Keno is a lottery style game where several numbers are chosen from a field. Most typically, 20 numbers will be called from a selection of 80.

Players will designate their selections before calling begins and will be awarded a sum depending on how many of their numbers match those drawn.


Players will be required to complete a line, also referred to as an entry or selection, to qualify for participation in a lotto game. Lines are chosen by filling in number spaces on the lottery ticket.

Lotto Pool

People who collaboratively play lottery games and commit to sharing the potential winnings with each other are referred to as a lotto pool, lotto club, or lotto syndicate.

Lucky Dip

Sometimes referred to as a "Quick Pick", a lucky dip is a random number selection generated by the lotto machine.

Lucky Star

Luck Star jackpot games are used in the EuroMillions lottery. These selections must both match the initial range of selected numbers in order for a player to qualify for the jackpot prize.


Some lottery games feature a win multiplier aspect for when numbers are called. If a player’s selection is in fact one of these numbers, for example with a value of $500, and a multiplier of 15, the prize awarded for this number being drawn would then be $7,500.


The odds are a statistical probability of winning a given prize in a lottery game, typically represented in an XXX:1 format.

Off-Shore Wagering

Off-shore wagering is an illegal act of wagering services located outside the United States catering to US citizens.

Play Slip

The form required to be filled out by players and submitted to a retailer. These do not apply to lotto games held online.

Quick Pick

The same as a Lucky Dip, a Quick Pick is a ticket’s number selection generated randomly by the lotto machine at the time of purchase.

RNG (random number generator)

An essential piece of software that ensures selected numbers are done so completely at random.


The full range of selected numbers at an official lottery draw. Find out the latest lottery game results here.


A rollover occurs when there is no prizewinner for a prize tier including the jackpot prize. The jackpot amount is then added to the next drawing of lottery numbers.


A hybrid game of chance, Slingo refers to a combination game where slots are coupled together with bingo.


The terminal refers to the machine where lottery number selections are made by the player or randomly generated by the machine. Tickets are printed out and paid for directly at the terminal or at a lottery agent location.


A vault is a secure location from where lotteries are distributed to agents, terminals and other licensed locations.


When a lotto organization is withholding, it means there has been a designated amount of prize money reserved to be used in support of various social programs or collected as tax from a winning sum.

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