Frequently Asked Questions

No, the state constitution dictates how Lottery proceeds are to be directed. Effective July 1, 2004, the state constitution provides that Lottery proceeds be dedicated to the Minimum Foundation Program, which funds public education in Louisiana. The dedication was a result of a 2003 constitutional amendment, which was passed by voters, 64% to 36%. The Lottery is required by its statute to transfer at least 25% of its revenue to the state.

Louisiana's citizens! Our mission is to generate maximum revenues for the state of Louisiana, which is the corporation's sole shareholder. Although many Louisiana businesses benefit indirectly from having a state lottery, only the state directly receives Lottery profits, which amount to at least 25% of its revenue.

The Lottery is totally self funded, retaining roughly 5% of its revenue to fund its headquarters, regional sales offices, ticket technology, drawings, advertising, promotions, and staffing. This also includes vendor fees for printing scratch-offs and maintaining the draw gaming system.

Yes! Join the Louisiana Lottery's free online players club—Club Lotteaux—for the latest updates on new games and promotions, plus winning numbers delivered to your email inbox after each nightly drawing. As a member, you are eligible to participate in opinion surveys about our games for the chance to win cool Lottery merchandise. Learn more about Club Lotteaux here.

According to the State Gaming Revenue Sources and Uses Report published in 2022, Lottery transfers represented 20.9% of total gaming industry proceeds transferred to the state, but the Lottery’s share of total state gaming spending was only 6.9%. The reason for this difference is the effective tax rate, which is the share of net revenue after prize expenses are transferred to the state. The Lottery’s effective tax rate was 77%, compared to an effective tax rate of 32.2% for video poker, the next highest taxed form of gaming.

Although the Lottery is not engaged in law enforcement, we aggressively promote the 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, we are 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.

The legislature's decision to pursue a state lottery was based on a 1989 study indicating expected sales between $129 million and $164 million, which the Louisiana Lottery has far exceeded every year. In fiscal year 2023, sales were over $652 million.

The Louisiana Lottery is concerned about the issue of problem gambling. Toward that end, we include the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling's 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 our annual proceeds are earmarked for problem gambling programs, as outlined in the Lottery's statute.

Employment opportunities at the Lottery can be viewed on our recruitment site.

To ensure the highest level of accountability, the following entities have varying degrees of oversight over the corporation, including review of its budget and administrative rules and drawings: Governor of Louisiana, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, Senate Judiciary B Committee, House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice and Office of the Legislative Auditor.

The president of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation handles the daily activities involved with running the corporation under the supervision of the LLC's nine-member, governing board of directors. Board members are appointed to staggered terms from each of Louisiana's six congressional districts and three members are appointed at large with one of those at large members being selected from a list of five candidates submitted by the Louisiana Oil Marketers and Convenience Store Association. Each member is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Louisiana Senate before beginning a four-year term. The state treasurer serves as an ex-officio board member. The state Attorney General's office represents the corporation in legal matters.

No. Administrative law prevents retailers from being engaged exclusively in the sale of Lottery tickets.

No. Retailers are provided an optimal product mix to maximize revenue based on the demographics of the stores' customer base and traffic. Also, administrative law prevents retailers from selling tickets at a price other than what is established by the corporation. Additionally, retailers may not charge a surcharge to cash winning tickets.

One requirement for becoming a retailer is having an electronic funds transfer (EFT) bank account for Lottery ticket payment. The Lottery will "sweep" this account for draw game tickets sold and scratch-off settlements. The Lottery has a billing option that bills retailers for scratch-off packs only after a substantial amount have been sold or after 60 days. In the event an instant game is closed and the retailer still has remaining inventory of that game, a credit will be issued for any scratch-off tickets from an activated pack that is returned. Since retailers are not billed for a pack of instant tickets until the pack is activated, there is no charge or credit for an unactivated pack of instant tickets if returned.

For a complete outline of the process, click here. You can also watch a brief video outlining the process by clicking here.

The Lottery licenses retailers to sell all of its products, including draw-style and scratch-off game tickets. In selecting retailers for licensure, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation considers the retailers' financial responsibility, integrity, reputation, accessibility of the place of business or activity, security of the premises, whether sufficient retailers already exist to serve public convenience, and the projected sales volume. Because of the considerable investment of equipment and sales support the Lottery makes for retailers, potential retailers are scrutinized to ensure an adequate return on investment in making the decision to grant or renew a license.

Applying for a retailer license involves a one-time $35 fee. There is no charge for yearly renewals. Retailers must also maintain an electronic funds transfer (EFT) bank account. Use of other equipment and training is provided free of charge, including ticket dispensers, ticket-printing terminal and supplies, customer play center, shipping charges, and sales materials. Also, retailers are assessed a weekly $20 fee to cover communication costs. Since the sale of Lottery tickets is considered a government service, retailers are required to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Any costs for store modifications necessary for compliance are the responsibility of the retailer.

Retailers are assigned a customer service representative who will use proven sales techniques and area demographics to assist them in developing a sales plan and goals. At the very minimum, retailers must maintain four scratch-off games on sale at all times and place an order for scratch-offs at least every 60 days. However, due to the considerable expense in servicing retailers, the Lottery evaluates retailers' sales volume for return on investment and reserves the right to cancel, suspend, revoke, or terminate retailer licenses for the insufficient sale of tickets.

The following conditions prevent an individual or business from obtaining or renewing a Louisiana Lottery retailer license:

• Not being current in filings and payment of all taxes, interest and penalties owed to any political subdivision, including the Department of Labor, Department of Revenue and Taxation and the Secretary of State.
• Being convicted of any illegal gambling activity, false statements, false swearing or perjury or a crime punishable by more than 1 year imprisonment, a fine of more than $1,000 or both.
• Being a vendor or employee of the Corporation or residing on the same household as an officer of the Corporation.
• Knowingly making a false statement of material fact to the Corporation.
• Not being in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The vast majority of licensed retailers are convenience stores; however, grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants also sell Lottery tickets. Outlets which provide one-stop shopping convenience or entertainment for adults work best for the sale of Lottery tickets.

All of the Lottery's games are games of chance. Drawing games are conducted using random number generation. This means that every number combination has an EQUAL chance of being selected for every drawing, REGARDLESS of whether or not it was drawn in the past. If number combinations that had been drawn in the past were removed from play, the game would be unfair. Even assuming that number combinations could be eliminated, it would take 1,000 drawings, or 2.8 years, for every possible Pick 3 combination to be drawn.

Pick 3 started on August 31, 1992.

On occasion, certain popular Pick 3 numbers may "sell out" and cannot be purchased. Unlike jackpot games, daily games pay out an established prize regardless of how many tickets are winners. In order to adequately fund these fixed prizes, the Lottery establishes a prize liability limit on these games and restricts sales of tickets for such drawings if the liability limit would be exceeded by the drawing of any particular numbers.

All of the Lottery's games are games of chance. Drawing games are conducted using random number generation. This means that every number combination has an EQUAL chance of being selected for every drawing, REGARDLESS of whether or not it was drawn in the past. If number combinations that had been drawn in the past were removed from play, the game would be unfair. Even assuming that number combinations could be eliminated, it would take 10,000 drawings, or 28 years, for every possible Pick 4 combination to be drawn.

On occasion, certain popular Pick 4 numbers may "sell out" and cannot be purchased. Unlike jackpot games, daily games pay out an established prize regardless of how many tickets are winners. In order to adequately fund these fixed prizes, the Lottery establishes a prize liability limit on these games and restricts sales of tickets for such drawings if the liability limit would be exceeded by the drawing of any particular numbers.

All of the Lottery's games are games of chance. Drawing games are conducted using random number generation. This means that every number combination has an EQUAL chance of being selected for every drawing, REGARDLESS of whether or not it was drawn in the past. If number combinations that had been drawn in the past were removed from play, the game would be unfair. Even assuming that number combinations could be eliminated, it would take 100,000 drawings or about 274 years, for every possible Pick 5 combination to be drawn.

The Lottery launched Pick 5 on August 12, 2021.

On occasion, certain popular Pick 5 numbers may "sell out" and cannot be purchased. Unlike jackpot games, daily games pay out an established prize regardless of how many tickets are winners. In order to adequately fund these fixed prizes, the Lottery establishes a prize liability limit on these games and restricts sales of tickets for such drawings if the liability limit would be exceeded by the drawing of any particular numbers. Liability limits usually take effect when a large number of people have chosen a certain number, such as straight identical digits like 7-7-7-7-7.

No. State law prevents the sale of Louisiana Lottery products through the internet. Only licensed retailers are legally authorized to sell Louisiana Lottery tickets.

Yes! The Multidraw features on draw-style games allows players to purchase plays for multiple drawings, up to 14 for Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5, and up to 20 for Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto, and Easy 5. If you win a prize during one of the drawings, you do not have to wait until the last drawing has occurred before collecting those winnings. When you cash a winning Multidraw ticket with drawings still remaining, the Lottery's terminal system will print out an exchange ticket good for the balance of the remaining drawings and with the same numbers as on your original ticket. The retailer will retain the original ticket as it is no longer valid and give your exchange ticket with your winnings.

Winning draw-style game tickets can be claimed up to 180 days following the drawing in which the prize was won.

All of the Lottery's games are games of chance. Drawing games are conducted using random number generation. This means that every number combination has an EQUAL chance of being selected for every drawing, REGARDLESS of whether or not it was drawn in the past. If number combinations that had been drawn in the past were removed from play, the game would be unfair. Even assuming that number combinations could be eliminated, it would take 1,000 drawings, or 2.8 years, for every possible Pick 3 combination to be drawn. For Pick 4, it would take 10,000 drawings or 28 years. For Pick 5, it would take 100,000 drawings or about 274 years.

Players should sign the back of their ticket for security purposes, secure their ticket, and treat it as cash. We also recommend that players who believe they hold a Powerball, Mega Millions, or Lotto jackpot-winning ticket contact the Lottery's headquarters immediately at 225-297-2000 to schedule a time to claim their prize and have their questions answered. This will facilitate a smooth prize payment process. Players who believe they hold a jackpot-winning ticket must bring the original ticket to the Lottery's corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge within 180 days of the drawing in which the prize was won for verification and any prize payment. The Lottery recommends that before coming to claim a jackpot prize, winners get financial advice so they fully understand the tax or other legal implications involved.

Check out our Where to Watch page for a list of stations and air times.

The public is welcome to attend any drawing, but must reserve a seat by contacting the Lottery during regular business hours. Louisiana-based drawings are held every day beginning at approximately 9:30 p.m., Central Standard Time, with the exception of Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, after all ticket sales for the drawing have been verified.

Drawings are conducted at Lottery headquarters in downtown Baton Rouge using one of two secure, automated drawing machines. The machines are completely separate from the system that generates tickets, so the number of winners or where the winning tickets were sold is not known until after the drawing has occurred. To maximize security, access to the drawing room and equipment are reliant upon a dual key or password system from both a Lottery drawing official and a legislative auditor.

Prior to each drawing, a machine is randomly selected. The chosen drawing system utilizes several encryption algorithms to ensure randomness and security of the data, which is tested continuously. Finally, the system selects the winning numbers based on the game matrix parameters from the tested and secure raw data, displays them on the animated display console and writes them to a log file. The official results are then printed and signed off on by both the Lottery drawing official and the legislative auditor overseeing the drawing.

After drawings are conducted, the official winning numbers generated by the system are transmitted to Louisiana Public Broadcasting, WLPB, for satellite relay to all Official Lottery Draw Show TV Stations and are sent to state news media. The Lottery also posts the winning numbers on its website following the drawings each night after winning data is verified.

The drawing room is secured by alarms and motion detectors, and activity inside is videotaped. To maximize security, access to the drawing room and equipment are reliant upon a dual key or password system from both a Lottery drawing official and a legislative auditor. Each automated drawing machine is encased in locked cabinets . These tamper-proof, stand-alone computers are equipped only to perform random number generation. The devices pass independently verified and internationally benchmarked batteries of tests for producing random results.

Powerball, a multistate game, is conducted live at 9:59 p.m., Central Standard Time, on Wednesdays and Saturdays by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) in Tallahassee, Fla. Mega Millions, a multistate game, is conducted live at 10 p.m., Central Standard Time, on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, GA.

Television stations across Louisiana broadcast winning numbers nightly beginning at 9:59 p.m. A winning numbers report for the most immediate and recent drawings can also be obtained from your Lottery retailer. On this website, you can check winning numbers as soon as 30 minutes following the drawing, but sometimes as late as midnight, depending on the number of drawings that occur that evening. You can also download the Louisiana Lottery mobile app, which lists the latest winning numbers, or call the Winning Numbers hotline at 225-297-2350.

Live drawings were discontinued for draw-style games in 1998, ahead of an industry trend toward automated drawings. There were several factors that contributed to the decision to convert to the automated drawing process now being used; producing live drawings is extremely cost-prohibitive; the Lottery does not pay television stations to carry the Lottery’s winning numbers broadcast; with up to six different drawings being conducted nightly, airing live drawings would require a significant increase in airtime from participating television stations who could otherwise sell the time to advertisers.

The Lottery relaunched Easy 5, with a starting pari-mutuel cash jackpot of $50,000, September 16, 2007. The first drawing occurred September 19.

No. State law prevents the sale of Louisiana Lottery products through the internet. Only licensed retailers are legally authorized to sell Louisiana Lottery tickets.

Yes! The Multidraw features on draw-style games allows players to purchase plays for multiple drawings, up to 14 for Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5, and up to 20 for Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto, and Easy 5. If you win a prize during one of the drawings, you do not have to wait until the last drawing has occurred before collecting those winnings. When you cash a winning Multidraw ticket with drawings still remaining, the Lottery's terminal system will print out an exchange ticket good for the balance of the remaining drawings and with the same numbers as on your original ticket. The retailer will retain the original ticket as it is no longer valid and give your exchange ticket with your winnings.

No. There are no free ticket prizes in Fast Play games. Visit the game's detail page on this website for a list of prizes and odds of winning in that game.

Fast Play is a type of instant-win game. These games play like scratch-offs in that you can find out immediately whether you have won and the prize amount without having to wait for a drawing; however, unlike scratch-offs, tickets print directly from the retailer terminal. To play Fast Play, just ask for the game by name or use the Official Louisiana Lottery Mobile App to select your game and show it to the retailer to purchase your ticket. Fast Play games come in $1, $2, $3, $5, and $10 price points.

Winning scratch-off or fast play tickets can be claimed up to 90 days following the closure of the game. Check out our list of expired games and end-of-redemption dates to see a game's current status.

Published game odds apply to the entire game overall. For this game, those odds do not mean that every fourth ticket is a winner. Lottery games are games of chance, so winning Fast Play tickets are randomly distributed throughout the game. Just imagine what would happen to the integrity of Lottery games if it was known which tickets were winners prior to their sale.

The Robert H. LeBas Family Partnership of Church Point won $21.2 million, which was the largest jackpot won on a single ticket. The largest multi-winner jackpot was $31 million and was split between Kimberly D. Hall of Bon Wier, Texas, and Roland and Marion LeBeouf Family Partnership of Houma, with each receiving $15.5 million. These jackpots were paid as annuities. The largest single-payment winner was Timothy M. Smith of Marrero, who won $15.6 million.

December 4, 1996. A second weekly drawing was added for drawings on Wednesday and Saturdays and the minimum jackpot prize was reduced from $500,000 to $250,000. On Aug. 2, 2020, the Lottery raised the minimum starting jackpot from $250,000 to $500,000 in order to be able to offer players more jackpots worth $1 million or more throughout the year.

The Lottery's first draw-style jackpot game, Lotto, was introduced January 22, 1992. The first drawing was conducted nine days later.

Winners have 60 days after the ticket is validated by the lottery to elect either the annuity or cash payment options.

Currently, 47 lotteries participate in Mega Millions, including Louisiana. The others are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Virgin Islands.

On November 6, 2011, the Lottery introduces a new multistate game, Mega Millions, a $1 per play draw-style game featuring starting jackpots of $12 million.

No. Each state participating in Mega Millions contributes a percentage of their sales to fund the jackpot. Louisiana is responsible for about 3 percent of total Mega Millions sales and prize pool funding. As in all other games, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation transfers 25% of all Mega Millions sales to the Louisiana state treasury, no matter where the top prize is won.

You can’t purchase a ticket directly from the mobile app, but you can create and save a digital playslip to save you time when you purchase your ticket at a Lottery retailer.

The mobile app ticket checker can only display winning information for drawings that have occurred. If you scan your ticket before the drawing your ticket is valid for, or if your ticket is valid for drawings that still remain, the message will display that the ticket is NOT YET A WINNER and that there are pending drawings on your ticket.

You do not have to scan your ticket again. After the drawing has occurred, visit the "Checked Tickets" area of the app, located in your User Account, which can be accessed by tapping the head icon on the home screen. A list of all previously scanned tickets is stored here. Tap on the desired ticket and updated results will appear. If your ticket has not won a prize on a previous drawing but still has drawings remaining, the message will continue to indicate NOT YET A WINNER and will display the number of pending drawings. The NOT A WINNER message will only appear after all drawings have occurred and a prize is not won in any of them.

There may be a few reasons why the app displays this message when scanning a scratch-off ticket. Most likely, the retailer who sold you the ticket has forgotten to activate the pack of tickets prior to selling. Please contact the Lottery and have the ticket in question available so that we may assist in resolving the issue.

This message may also display if you have a ticket for an expired prize. Scratch-off games must be claimed within 90 days of the announced game closure date. For a list of expired games, check out our expired games page. For a list of games with approaching claim redemption deadlines, visit our last day to claim page.

No, you don't have to wait until all the drawings have occurred on a Multidraw ticket in order to claim a prize from a previous drawing. If you choose to claim your prize, you will receive an Exchange ticket that is good for the balance of any pending drawings at the time. The ticket that you cashed will not display as "PAID" in the app's "Checked Tickets" list located in your User Account. Since the Exchange ticket is now the active ticket for pending drawings, you must check/scan this replacement ticket to track any winning information for those drawings.

Draw-style game tickets must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. Once the respective claim time period has passed, the prize is expired and cannot be paid.

According to Lottery administrative and game rules, a valid, original, printed winning ticket is required to claim a prize. The winner message using the Lottery's ticket checking function on the app is NOT a negotiable instrument.

You must present the digital playslip code to be scanned at any Lottery retailer. Every time you save a playslip, a QR code will appear along with the price of the ticket. You can retrieve the playslip code at a later time in the app by selecting the “Saved Playslips” button located in your User Account. The “Saved Playslips” screen will display all the playslips you have saved, as well as their cost and the date you created them. You can sort by game, date, and ticket cost. Find the playslip you want and tap on the code icon to retrieve the digital playslip code to present to your Lottery retailer.

The mobile app allows you to select numbers for draw-style games based on their frequency or infrequency of being drawn over the last year. To do this, select the “Statistics” (bar graph) icon as you are creating your playslip. The “Statistics” screen defaults to display “Times Since Drawn” in descending order so that numbers that have gone been drawn the least appear at the top. By tapping the down-arrow button in the top bar of the screen, you can reorder the list to see the numbers that have been drawn most recently.

Alternatively, you can select the “Times Drawn” button to display the total number of drawings in which the number was drawn in the last year. The list defaults to display the results in descending order so that numbers that have been drawn the most appear at the top. Again, you can tap the down-arrow button to reorder the list and see the numbers that have been drawn least.

Tap a ball number to add it to your play; to unselect a number, tap it again. Your selections will appear at the bottom of the screen. To clear all of your selections at once, tap the trash can icon. When you are satisfied with your selections, tap the NEXT button to have the Statistics play added to your playslip. If you select fewer than the total numbers needed to complete the play, the app will automatically generate the remaining number(s) needed.

When creating a playslip, pressing the "Quick Pick" icon will add a Quick Pick play to your digital playslip. Instead of ball numbers, you will see the QP symbols on your playslip. This is because the Lottery’s terminal system will randomly generate your numbers at the time your ticket is generated at the point of purchase. You will also see QP next to your numbers on your actual ticket, indicating that the numbers were generated randomly by the Lottery's system.

Using the Dice icon will add a Dice play to your digital playslip. For these plays, the app generates your numbers for you, not the terminal system. For this reason, you can see the numbers on your digital playslip. You can also generate a Dice play quickly by simply shaking your phone! If you are not happy with any of the numbers on your Dice play, tap the play to edit it. This will open the Manual play screen so that you can replace any of the numbers you want.

Louisiana Lottery tickets must be sold from physical licensed retail locations. 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.

Lottery tickets are "bearer" instruments, which means that the Louisiana Lottery Corporation is obligated to pay the holder of a winning ticket presented for payment. The Corporation pays 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.

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, the Lottery was 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 the Lottery to the player and payment of his 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.

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 contact us.

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 believe 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.

Winners have 60 days after the ticket is validated by the Lottery to elect either the annuity or cash payment options.

Since joining the multistate game in March 1995, Louisiana has had a total of 17 Powerball jackpot winners. View them here.

Currently, 48 lotteries participate in Powerball, including Louisiana. The others are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Virgin Islands.

The largest jackpot won in Louisiana was $191.1 million for the Oct. 25, 2017 drawing, claimed by the 292 Family Partnership.

Powerball added a third weekly draw night of Monday to its Wednesday & Saturday schedule, with the first Monday drawing held on August, 23, 2021.

November 2, 1997. In response to the increased population base, Powerball odds of winning the jackpot increased from 1 in 55 million to 1 in 80 million, while lower tier prizes were enhanced and odds were lowered. A lump-sum cash option for jackpot prize payment was also added.

The Louisiana Lottery joined the multistate, multimillion-dollar jackpot game Powerball March 2, 1995.

No. Each state participating in Powerball contributes a percentage of their sales to fund the jackpot. Louisiana is responsible for about 3 percent of total Powerball sales and prize pool funding. As in all other games, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation transfers 25% of all Powerball sales to the Louisiana state treasury, no matter where the top prize is won.

The Power Play option was added to Powerball March 4, 2001, giving players the chance to increase certain winnings for an additional $1 per play.

No. State law prevents the sale of Louisiana Lottery products through the internet. Only licensed retailers are legally authorized to sell Louisiana Lottery tickets.

Yes! The Multidraw features on draw-style games allows players to purchase plays for multiple drawings, up to 14 for Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5, and up to 20 for Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto, and Easy 5. If you win a prize during one of the drawings, you do not have to wait until the last drawing has occurred before collecting those winnings. When you cash a winning Multidraw ticket with drawings still remaining, the Lottery's terminal system will print out an exchange ticket good for the balance of the remaining drawings and with the same numbers as on your original ticket. The retailer will retain the original ticket as it is no longer valid and give your exchange ticket with your winnings.

No. Tickets winning a "FREE TICKET" may be redeemed only at a participating Lottery retail location and may be redeemed for a free instant ticket of equivalent sales price from any active instant game, within the claim period for that game.

Winning scratch-off or fast play tickets can be claimed up to 90 days following the closure of the game. Check out our list of expired games and end-of-redemption dates to see a game's current status.

Published game odds apply to the entire game overall. For this game, those odds do not mean that every fourth ticket is a winner. Lottery games are games of chance, so winning scratch-off tickets are randomly distributed throughout the game. Just imagine what would happen to the integrity of Lottery games if it was known which tickets were winners prior to their sale.

Yes! The Multidraw features on draw-style games allows players to purchase plays for multiple drawings, up to 14 for Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5, and up to 20 for Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto, and Easy 5. If you win a prize during one of the drawings, you do not have to wait until the last drawing has occurred before collecting those winnings. When you cash a winning Multidraw ticket with drawings still remaining, the Lottery's terminal system will print out an exchange ticket good for the balance of the remaining drawings and with the same numbers as on your original ticket. The retailer will retain the original ticket as it is no longer valid and give your exchange ticket with your winnings.

The prize on a winning ticket may be split among a group; however, only one prize check is issued, either to one person or one legal entity (partnership, trust, etc.). Each member of the group provides a completed IRS Form W-9 for tax reporting purposes at the time of the claim. The check recipient must provide picture identification and is responsible for distributing the winnings to the group members.
The Mega Millions jackpot prize may be paid in the annuity payment format or the single payment cash option, but the group members must all decide on one payment option. It's not possible for some group members to take the cash option and others to choose the annuity.

For a prize paid in a single payment, the check recipient may choose to complete a Federal Form 5754 that ensures the tax obligation of the prize is distributed among the group members according to the gross prize amount of each person’s share. This allows the Lottery to send a separate W-2G tax form to each individual winner noting the amount won and withheld on their behalf.

While it's not necessary for a group to form a legal entity to claim the cash option, the Lottery asks groups of winners to form a legal entity with an assigned tax identification number for a jackpot prize paid in annual installments. This simplifies the tax reporting and prize distribution. When claiming a prize as a legal entity, the legal document organizing the entity must list the name of each member of the group, their city of residence, and the portion of the prize each person will receive.

The Lottery encourages all players to seek financial advice before claiming a large jackpot prize. As with all claims, the names of those receiving prize funds and their city of residence is public record.

No, you may claim a prize at any time after the drawing. If there are still valid drawings remaining on your ticket, you will receive an EXCHANGE ticket good for the balance of the drawings remaining once your original ticket is validated. Once the prize has been paid/validated on the original ticket, it is no longer good for those future drawings.

Both federal and state governments consider winnings from all forms of gaming to be income for tax purposes. By law, the Louisiana Lottery must report winnings from each single ticket with a prize value over $600 to the IRS and the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Taxation. Income tax regulations require the Louisiana Lottery to withhold 24% federal taxes from each prize over $5,000 and 3% state taxes from prizes of $5,000 or more. A gambling income statement, W-2G, is printed for each ticket greater than $600 and given to the claimant when they receive their prize check. Winners should keep the W-2G secure until they are ready to file federal and state income taxes.

Visit our Claim a Prize page to see the claims options we have available.

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 free Louisiana Lottery Official Mobile App. The app allows you to scan the barcode on your draw 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 winning combinations of the particular game that they are playing. These can be found on this website and in brochures located in the Lottery's play centers at Lottery retailers.

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.

Winning draw-style game tickets can be claimed up to 180 days following the drawing in which the prize was won.

Winning scratch-off or fast play tickets can be claimed up to 90 days following the closure of the game. Check out our list of expired games and end-of-redemption dates to see a game's current status.

Winning tickets of $600 or less may be claimed as soon as the drawing has taken place and winning numbers and prize data from that drawing have been verified and loaded onto the retailer terminal system. For games with drawings that take place in Louisiana (Lotto, Easy 5, Pick 3, and Pick 4), this usually occurs between 9:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. For Powerball and Mega Millions, the Lottery must have clearance from the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which oversees the games, before enabling prize payment. This typically occurs between midnight and 1 a.m. Remember, only winning tickets worth up to $600 can be paid at retailer locations.

The prize on a winning ticket may be split among a group; however, only one prize check is issued, either to one person or one legal entity (partnership, trust, etc.). Each member of the group provides a completed IRS Form W-9 for tax reporting purposes at the time of the claim. The check recipient must provide picture identification and is responsible for distributing the winnings to the group members.

For a prize paid in a single payment, the check recipient may choose to complete a Federal Form 5754 that ensures the tax obligation of the prize is distributed among the group members according to the gross prize amount of each person’s share. This allows the Lottery to send a separate W-2G tax form to each individual winner noting the amount won and withheld on their behalf.

Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots prizes may be paid in the annuity payment format or the single payment cash option, but the group members must all decide on one payment option. It's not possible for some group members to take the cash option and others to choose the annuity.

While it's not necessary for a group to form a legal entity to claim the cash option, the Lottery asks groups of winners to form a legal entity with an assigned tax identification number for a jackpot prize paid in annual installments. This simplifies the tax reporting and prize distribution process. When claiming a prize as a legal entity, the legal document organizing the entity must list the name of each member of the group, their city of residence, and the portion of the prize each person will receive.

The Lottery encourages all players to seek financial advice before claiming a large jackpot prize. As with all claims, the names of those receiving prize funds and their city of residence is public record.

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.

When a prize is claimed it becomes the property of that individual, even if the prize is paid out as an annuity. Hence, all winnings become a part of the estate of the deceased.

According to the Lottery's statute, unclaimed prize money is returned to players in the form of prizes and promotions, such as increased payouts on scratch-offs and additional second-chance promotions.

The Lottery doesn't publicize every winner, so it's very likely there are winners in your area that you haven't heard about. When prizes are claimed at retailers, the Lottery does not know individuals' names. Also, some people who claim prizes at a Lottery office simply do not want any publicity and we respect their wishes when we can. When granted permission, the Lottery will post winners' pictures and stories on its website.

Winning tickets in the Lottery's scratch-off games are randomly distributed. For security reasons, the Lottery doesn't know where winning tickets are until they are claimed.

Drawings for the Lottery's draw games are also random events. Again, we don't know where the winning tickets were sold until after the drawing. Because of the random nature of winning numbers and distribution of winning scratch-offs, statistics dictate that the greater the sales in one area, the greater the likelihood of having winners in that area. As it turns out, that's exactly the case. More than 70% of Lottery sales come from south Louisiana, which is why that region collectively also has a larger percentage of winners.

The same statistical reality also exists for Powerball jackpots. Although every individual ticket has an equal chance of winning the jackpot, collectively, states with higher sales have a higher percentage of jackpot-winning tickets.

To check the value of any ticket, center the bar code on the front of your ticket three to four inches below the "Did You Win?" scanner. The screen will indicate whether your ticket is a winner and its value. You do not have to scan your driver's license in order to check a ticket. Obviously, the drawing has to have occurred for the WinStation to check draw-style game tickets.

The WinStation DOES NOT dispense cash or pay prizes in cash. However, if your ticket has won $25 or less, you can scan it again to have the WinStation validate it and receive CREDIT to make a purchase at the machine. This includes free tickets. When validating a free-ticket prize, you will receive purchase credit equal to the price point of the ticket redeemed. If your ticket is worth between $26 and $600, the WinStation will indicate the prize amount and prompt you to take your ticket to a retailer to claim your winnings. If your ticket is worth more than $600, the WinStation will prompt you to sign the back and claim your prize at a Lottery office.

The Lottery strongly promotes the legal and responsible use of its products. The law requires that retailers obtain proof of age through proper identification (including government issued IDs and drivers' licenses) in order to purchase a Lottery ticket. This requirement is met by the WinStation's functionality necessitating the scan of a valid driver's license indicating the user is at least 21 years of age. In addition, each WinStation is equipped with a remote deactivation device that retailers can utilize if they suspect a WinStation customer is underage.

All sales on the WinStation are final and all transactions are recorded. Should you believe the WinStation generated an unreadable ticket or a ticket different from the button you pressed, you may seek assistance from the retailer to resolve the situation.

WinStations dispense any type of draw-style game ticket and select scratch-off game tickets. Scratch-off game availability may vary depending upon the retailer.

WinStations will dispense scratch-offs as long as there is power. WinStations will NOT generate tickets for draw-style games if satellite communication is down or during a game's draw break. For Powerball and Mega Millions, the draw break is 9-10 p.m. on the night of the drawing. For all other draw-style games, the draw break starts at 9:30 p.m. and lasts only a few minutes. Any tickets purchased after a draw break are good for the next regularly scheduled drawing.