New Mexico Lottery

You must be 18 years of age or older to play the NM lottery and redeem lottery claims.

The proceeds from the sale of all lottery games played in New Mexico remain in the state and do not go out of state.

The lottery is required by law to report any prize over $600 and to withhold state taxes at the current rate of 6% and federal taxes at the rate of 24% from any prize over $5,000. 

As per the New Mexico Lottery Act, prizes may be paid to a deceased winner’s estate or to a person designated by judicial order.

Yes, there have been several New Mexicans that have won several millions of dollars by having winning tickets which can be found here. The biggest winner is Timothy Monte of Tohajiilee who won $4 million dollars on the New Mexico Lottery Mega Millions on December 18, 2018, at Giant Station #25, 2930 Coors Blvd. NW Albuquerque

All New Mexico Lottery prizes must be claimed within 90 days from the date of the drawing or the end date of a Scratcher game or the first business day after the 90th day if the Lottery is not open.

 There are several ways you can claim your lottery winnings.

Always make sure you sign the back of your so only you can claim it.  Lottery tickets are bearer instruments meaning that if someone found an unclaimed ticket, they could claim it and collect the winnings.  All drawing game prizes must be claimed within 90 days from the date of the drawing or the first business day after the 90th day if the Lottery is not open for business.

All Scratcher prizes must be claimed within 90 days of the announced end of game or the first business day after the 90th day if the Lottery is not open for business.

To claim a prize of:

 $100,000+: must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters.

 $601 – $99,999: must be claimed at Lottery headquarters or mailed with a completed claim form 

The New Mexico Lottery's customer service center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Lottery retailers are open during their regular business hours.

Lottery tickets can be purchased from authorized retailers throughout the state which can be found at gas stations, grocery stores, etc.   

No, lottery tickets can only be purchased in person from authorized retailers in the state.

If a lottery ticket is lost, stolen, or damaged, the NM Lottery is not responsible. It is the lottery player's responsibility to sign the back of the lottery ticket and keep it in a safe and secure location. If anyone find a winning unsigned ticket, they can sign it and claim it. 

If you win a lottery jackpot or lottery prize by matching the winning numbers and you are not a resident of New Mexico, you are still eligible to claim prizes from the New Mexico Lottery. However, you are subject to state and federal taxes on their winnings.

The proceeds from the lottery are used to fund public education in the state of New Mexico. The proceeds are used to supplement New Mexico’s educational programs, including the construction and maintenance of school facilities, the purchase of instructional materials, and the support of educational technology.

•  Powerball Drawings are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 8:59 pm Mountain Time (MT). You can buy Powerball tickets with the optional Powerplay until 8:00 pm for that night’s drawing.
•  Mega Millions Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 9:00 pm MT. Mega Millions tickets with the optional Megaplier  can be purchased until 8:45 pm MT for that night’s drawing.
•  Lotto America Drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday evenings at approximately 9:15 pm MT. Tickets can be purchased until 8:00 pm for that night’s drawing.
•  Roadrunner Cash Drawings are held Sunday through Saturday at approximately 9:30 pm MT. Tickets can be purchased until 9:30 pm for that night’s drawing.
•  Pick 3 Plus Drawings are held twice daily Sunday through Saturday at approximately 1:00 pm and 9:30 pm MT. Tickets can be purchased until 1:00 pm MT for the Day Drawing and until 9:30 pm MT for the Evening Drawing.
•  Pick 4 Plus Drawings are held twice daily Sunday through Saturday at approximately 1:00 pm and 9:30 pm MT. Tickets can be purchased until 1:00 pm MT for the Day Drawing and until 9:30 pm MT.