Player Protection FAQ

Can I purchase Lottery tickets over the phone or by mail?

Louisiana Lottery tickets must be sold from the physical licensed retail locations listed. By law, tickets cannot be sold by phone, fax, mail or other similar method. Selling Lottery tickets across state or national borders also violates federal law.

Do you verify the rightful ownership of every winning ticket?

Lottery tickets are "bearer" instruments, which means that we are obligated to pay the holder of a winning ticket presented for payment. We pay hundreds of prizes every month. It would not be feasible nor appropriate to investigate every winner who claims a Lottery prize. In addition, identification is required only when claiming prizes over $600 at a Lottery office.

How can I tell how much I've won?

Once you know what winning numbers were drawn or have finished scratching your scratch-off, there are several different ways to find out whether your ticket is a winner and if so, how much you have won.

The easiest way is to download the Louisiana Lottery Official Mobile App for FREE to your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet. The app allows you to scan the barcode on your draw-style game or scratch-off ticket to determine whether they are winners and the amount of the win.

The Lottery recommends that players familiarize themselves with all of the winning combinations of the particular game that they are playing. These can be found on all the game pages of this website. Also, "All Games Guide" brochures located in the Lottery's play centers at Lottery retailers describe how each draw-style game is won.

Finally, retailers can scan your ticket to determine whether it is a winner. Watch the Customer Display Unit when having your ticket checked. It will tell you whether or not your ticket is a winner and if so, the winning amount. For tickets that win more than $600 (the maximum amount a retailer can cash), the display will direct you to a Lottery office to claim your prize. You can also ask the retailer to provide you with a Validation Receipt confirming the value of your ticket.

Even if you are unsure if your ticket is a winner, it is a good idea to sign it.

How can players protect themselves from Lottery ticket theft?

The simplest way for players to protect their interests is to sign the back of the ticket at the time of purchase. Anytime the Lottery is presented with a ticket that appears to be altered in any way, we conduct an immediate investigation prior to paying the claim. In fact in 2004, we were successful in locating the owner of a $100,000 winning ticket which was stolen by a retailer, who was convicted of the crime. In that case, the player had signed the back of the ticket, but his signature was scratched through by the parties attempting to claim it. This triggered an internal investigation which led us to the player and payment of his prize.

How can the public protect itself from lottery scams?

Illegal lottery scams are ever present. To protect yourself from becoming a victim:

Never give your credit card numbers, bank account numbers or social security numbers over the phone or over the Internet to a business promising lottery jackpots.
Never accept a collect phone call from someone claiming to be a lottery official. Legitimate lotteries do not call collect.
Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who offers you a guarantee of winning a prize or a secret system for winning a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win a prize. Legitimate lotteries also do not require people to join a prize pool in order to play or win.
Never trust someone who says you can win the lottery by purchasing a set of "winning numbers" instead of a ticket. Legitimate lotteries require you to buy a ticket for a chance to win a prize.
Never play a foreign lottery by phone, mail or Internet. It is against the law and increases your risk of falling victim to a scam.
Never pay processing fees, insurance or commissions to claim a lottery prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything upfront to receive their prize.

How does the Lottery discourage underage play?

Although the Lottery is not engaged in law enforcement, it aggressively promotes the 21 minimum age requirement by printing it on all tickets, news releases, sales material and signage, as well as reinforcing the message in retailer training and communication. In addition, the Lottery is a member of the Louisiana Responsible Vendor Program which establishes mandatory training and certifies vendors on minimum age requirements for alcohol, tobacco and lottery sales.

If I win, can I remain anonymous?

If you win more than $600 and are therefore required to claim your prize at a Lottery office, you will be required to complete a claim form for tax purposes. Under the Lottery's statute, all prize payment records are open records, meaning that the public has a right to request the information. Depending upon the amount won and public or media interest in the win, winners may NOT be able to remain anonymous. The statute also allows the Lottery to use winners' names and city of residence for publicity purposes such as news releases. The Lottery's regular practice is not to use winner information in paid advertising or product promotion without the winner's willingness to participate.

If it is determined someone other than the person who claimed a prize is the owner of a winning ticket, will you pay that winner the prize?

State law specifically prohibits the Lottery from paying a prize more than once. After a winning ticket is claimed, a complainant's only recourse is to pursue the individual believed to have stolen a ticket in a court of law.

What can I do if the ticket I purchased has a misprint?

Lottery players are encouraged to double check their tickets prior to leaving the store for any discrepancies or inaccuracies. Players are NOT required to purchase a misprinted ticket they do not want, provided they alert the retailer prior to leaving the store. Refunds cannot be issued for scratch-off tickets that have already been scratched or for draw-style game tickets in which the drawing has already occurred. To report a problem or a concern with purchasing a Lottery ticket, please e-mail us at [email protected].

What can I do to help establish ownership of my ticket?

Signing the back of your Lottery tickets discourages theft and helps identify the owner of the ticket. The Louisiana Lottery strongly encourages players to sign the back of their tickets as soon as possible after purchasing them and before claiming a prize at a retail location. Even if you are unsure whether the ticket has won a prize, it is still important to sign the back of it for security purposes prior to having the ticket scanned or validated at a retail location. Any alteration to a signature on the back of a winning ticket worth more than $600 prompts a security investigation.

What does the Lottery do to promote playing responsibly?

The Louisiana Lottery is concerned about the issue of problem gambling. Toward that end, the Lottery includes the Department of Health and Hospitals' problem gambling hotline number on all tickets, advertising, news releases and sales materials, as well as periodically conducting "play responsibly" public service campaigns. In addition, $500,000 of the Lottery's annual proceeds are earmarked for problem gambling programs, as outlined in the Lottery's statute.

What happens if I lose a winning ticket?

The Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. To protect yourself and your winnings, we STRONGLY encourage you to sign the back of your ticket! Lottery tickets are bearer instruments; therefore, without a signature on the back of the ticket, anyone in possession of the ticket can file a claim.

What should I do if I think I was not paid the correct amount for my winning ticket?

If you are told your ticket is not a winner by a retailer, you may ask for it to be returned to you. If you beleive you have won more than you are paid, you may also ask the retailer for a validation receipt to confirm the ticket's winning value. We encourage players to contact us immediately if ever they have a concern about cashing a winning ticket at [email protected] or at 225-297-2000.