Winning the top prize, usually a progressive jackpot, requires a player to match all six regular numbers drawn; the order in which they are drawn is irrelevant.
Therefore, six-number games generally offer a higher top prize.
While these games also draw six numbers, five are from one set, while a sixth is drawn from a second pool.
In a variant of the six-number game, such as Pennsylvania's Match 6, the player receives three sets of six numbers for each play; the sales terminal automatically generates two of these sets.
Some six-number games have a top prize(jackpot or otherwise) that always is paid as a lump sum, whereas other six-number games have an annuity top prize; generally, all six-number games with an annuitized top prize have a cash option.