The Montana Lottery started in 1987 and has paid out more
than $774 million in prizes to lottery winners across the state, which has
benefited a lot of Montanans. The state of Montana on average has paid out $62,369
daily since to lottery winners since they opened their doors.
The Montana State Lottery sold its first ticket on June 24,
1987, and the state sold a record 1.1 million lottery tickets on its opening
day of sales. It all started off with a $1 Scratch ticket called “Pot of Gold.”
When Gov. Ted Schwinden bought the first two tickets ever sold. Shirley Waldo,
of Billings won the state’s first ever jackpot $10,000.
In fiscal year 2021, the lottery sold $112.6 million, and the state of Montana has grown sales
by 417 percent, and still has the same number of employees as they had back in
1987. In FY 2022 general fund revenues
through the end of May are $734.8 million or 28.4% increase from FY 2021.
Since the 1990s, the
lottery revenue has gone to the Montana General Fund, to fund state and government programs and 45 % goes back to the
citizens of Montana.
The Montana lottery games offered include Powerball with the
optional Powerplay, Mega Millions with the optional Megaplier, Lotto America,
and Lucky for Life, Montana Millionaire, Montana Cash, Big Sky Bonus, Treasure Play and Montana Scratch.
The Montana Lottery
Headquarters is in Helena, Montana. The exact address is PO
Box 4210 Helena, MT 59604.
Unfortunately, you cannot buy Montana Lottery tickets online
or through the mail. U.S postal regulations prohibit it, and it is also not
allowed on the internet.
For lottery games, you must claim your prize within six
months of the drawing after your win. For scratch off games, you must claim
your prize within six month after the announcement of the end of the game.
In the state of Montana, you must be 18 years old or older
to claim a prize or purchase a winning lottery ticket.
If you lost your winning lottery ticket, you are out of luck.
The MT Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. Once you get a winning ticket, it is your
responsibility to sign the back of the ticket and fill out your address so no
one else can claim it. Lottery tickets
are bearer instruments. Unless signed, anyone who has the unsigned ticket can claim your lottery winnings.
Yes, you can purchase tickets in advance which is called a
multiple draw ticket. Lottery players
can purchase Montana Cash, Lucky for Life, Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto
America tickets in advance for up to 24 consecutive drawings. Lottery tickets
for Big Sky Bonus can be purchased for up to seven consecutive draws.
In the state of Montana, you can remain anonymous if you win
the lottery. Under Montana law, the name of a Montana Lottery winner is not
public information and we do not release the names of our winners without the
expressed permission of the winner. The
only information that is released is the amount won, the sales agent location
where the ticket was purchased, the winner's community of residence and the
game played, the date of the drawing (or the date the prize was claimed (in
Scratch games). No other information is
made public.
You can purchase lottery tickets at more than 1,100 local
Montana Lottery retailers across the state including gas stations, convenience
stores, etc. Find the nearest one to you here.
All unclaimed lottery funds are transferred to the state’s General Fund. To find a list of unclaimed prizes, go here.
Yes, you can see the live drawings which occur at our Helena
headquarters and is open to the public to see the winning numbers. If you want
to watch the Montana Lottery results live should call 444-5825 to schedule your
visit. All individuals will be accompanied
by a member of our team during your visit. You can also watch the live drawings
on YouTube if it is streaming.
If you win a prize over $600, it cannot be claimed at a
sales agent and must be claimed at the Lottery headquarters in Helena or by
mailing the signed tickets with a claim form to the Lottery. If you are
claiming a prize $600 and over, you must submit a clear photocopy of your
driver’s license or another valid form of I.D. with this form and your social
security number. Questions: call us at 406.444.5825.
If you are claiming a lottery prize under $600, you can do it at a sales agent at any authorized lottery retailer. If you want to claim your prize by in-person appointment, call our office at 406.444.5825 to schedule an appointment. We process in-person, by-appointment claims each weekday, Monday through Friday. You can also come to the Lottery office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, (except state holidays). Please note that by-appointment claims take priority and walk-in claims are first come, first serve.
The Montana Legislature is responsible for distributing all state funds.
The state of Montana is required to withhold 6.9% for Montana state tax and 24% for federal tax from any prize greater than $5,000 for U.S. citizens. For non–residents of the U.S., we must withhold 30% federal tax on any prize $600 and over. At the end of the year, the lottery sends each lottery winner who has won $600 and over a W-2G form to use when filing their taxes.
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