Player Protection FAQ

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.

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 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, "How to Play" 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.

The Louisiana Lottery advises players to learn about how a game is played, the various winning combinations for the game and the odds of winning prior to playing. This website contains instructions, prize charts and odds of winning for all the games the Lottery offers.  If you believe you have won a prize of $600 or less you can redeem that at participating Lottery retailers. When presenting a ticket at a Lottery retailer, a discreet screen called the Customer Display Unit will indicate whether the ticket is a winner and if so, its value. You may also request a printed Validation Receipt containing this information. If you are told your ticket isn't a winner, you may request the return of the ticket. For accounting purposes, winning tickets are retained by the retailer or Lottery office that paid the prize. To report a problem or a concern with cashing a winning ticket at a retail location, please e-mail us signitnow@louisianalottery.com.

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.

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 statue, 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.

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 info@louisianalottery.com .

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.

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.

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 signitnow@louisianalottery.com or at 1-800-735-5825.