The Wild Ball was introduced in 2016 to give Pick 3 players in Pennsylvania even more chances to win. It is an extra number in every drawing, and if you opt in you can use the Wild Ball to replace any of the three main digits.
A Wild Ball is selected as part of every draw, but it cannot help you unless you include the option on your ticket.
To add it to your play, all you need to do is mark the appropriate box on your playslip or tell the retailer. Playing the Wild Ball doubles the cost of a play.
When the draw takes place, the Wild Ball is selected immediately after the first three. This then creates three new winning combinations, as shown in the example below:
The numbers on your ticket never change, but if they now match any of the new winning combinations created by the Wild Ball, you are eligible for a prize. The table below gives you more information about how the Wild Ball could help you win a prize, using 123 as the example of numbers on your ticket.
| Play Type | Your Numbers | Winning Numbers | Wild Ball Number Drawn | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight | 123 | 129 | 3 | Swap the 9 that has been drawn for the Wild Ball of 3, creating an exact match of 123 |
| Box | 123 | 327 | 1 | If you replace the 7 with the Wild Ball of 1, it gives you a combination of 321 – making you a winner as your numbers are all now selected |
| Straight/Box | 123 | 138 | 2 | Putting the Wild Ball of 2 in place of the number 8 creates the combination 132. This gives you a win for the Box portion of your play, but not the Straight |
| Super Straight | 123 | 213 | 2 | You already have a win in the base game, but if you swap out the 2 from the wining line for the Wild Ball of 2, it gives you another win |
| Pair | 12X | 82X | 1 | Replace the 8 with the Wild Ball of 1 to make a winning Front Pair |
Take a look at the Prize Chart to find out how much you can win if you add the Wild Ball option, along with the odds of winning for each play type.
