Ohio Lottery

If you're 18 years of age or older, you can play the following lottery games:

• Classic Lotto.
• Lucky for Life.
• Mega Millions.
• Pick 3 (Midday and Evening).
• Pick 4 (Midday and Evening).
• Pick 5 (Midday and Evening).
• Powerball.
• Rolling Cash 5.

You can play KENO, which is a draw game, at any licensed retailer by wagering $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, or $20. Choose from 1 to 10 numbers out of a pool of 80 numbers. To increase your potential earnings, bet an additional $1 for each $1 wagered. You can play up to 20 consecutive numbers on a card. You win by matching your winning numbers to the 20 numbers selected by the lottery. On a typical day, drawings occur every few minutes beginning at 6:04 a.m. and ending at 2:29 a.m.

Tune into WCPO-TV nightly at 7:29 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) to watch the live Ohio Lottery results. All lottery drawing times take place during the following times:

• Pick 3 Midday: 12:29 p.m.
• Pick 3 Evening: 7:29 p.m.
• Pick 4 Midday: 12:29 p.m.
• Pick 4 Evening: 7:29 p.m.
• Pick 5 Midday: 12:29 p.m.
• Pick 5 Evening: 7:29 p.m.
• Rolling Cash 5: 7:05 p.m.
• Classic Lotto: 7:05 p.m.
• Powerball with optional Powerplay: 10:59 p.m.
• Mega Millions with optional Megaplier: 11:00 p.m.
• Lucky for Life: 10:35 p.m.

The state of Ohio has strict regulations on lottery purchases. You cannot purchase lottery tickets online, by mail, or even over the phone. You must visit an authorized retailer to buy a ticket.

All Ohio Lottery prizes are subject to state and federal withholdings in addition to state and federal income taxes. As of 2021, the state tax percentage is 4%, the federal tax percentage is 24% for citizens, and non-U.S. citizens or nonresidents pay 4% for state tax and 30% for federal tax. The OH Lottery reports all winnings worth more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service. If you win more than $600, you must report your winnings on your tax return. Any prizes over $5,000 will have taxes withheld upon payment. 

You have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim your prize. If you win a prize up to and including $599, you can claim your winnings at any Ohio Lottery retailer. You can claim all prizes worth $600 or more by mail. Complete and sign the back of the ticket, fill out a prize claim form, and make a copy of a valid photo ID. Send all the documents via certified mail to the Ohio Lottery Commission, and make sure to keep a copy for your records:

Ohio Lottery Commission

The Lausche Building

Room 452

615 W.Superior Ave.

Cleveland, OH 44113

To collect prizes between $50 and $5,000, you can use the lottery app or the cashing program. Selecting this option will give you the winnings via a prepaid debit card, which you can use for purchases or exchange for cash at any PNC bank. For prizes up to $5,000, you can also claim your winnings at Cedar Downs in Sandusky or Northfield Park. As another option, you can visit any of the seven racinos in the state.

For prizes worth more than $5,000, you can claim your winnings via the High Tier Online Form Submission. You will need to provide the front and back of the winning ticket, the front and back of the file claim ticket, and a valid photo ID. Keep in mind that your signature is needed on the back of the ticket and the front of the file claim ticket. You can obtain the file claim ticket once you validate your winning ticket at a lottery retailer location.

No, you cannot remain anonymous. Information on lottery winners is part of the public record and can be requested through the proper channels. However, you can use a trust instead of claiming your winnings as an individual.

The official website is ohiolottery.com   

Some Ohioans have scored big. There have been 20 Mega Millions jackpots winners in Ohio over the years, including two payouts in Greater Cincinnati.  Here are a few:

•  Rebecca Jones-Jemison of South Euclid won a $162 million jackpot on Dec. 30.  2003. The ticket was purchased at Quick Shop Food Mart in South Euclid and was a manual pick ticket. The winner chose the cash option.
•  Eric Maxwell of Dayton won a $21 million jackpot on March 2. 2004. Kevin Robertson claimed a $106 million jackpot in trust on June 3, 2005.
•  In 2019. Brian C. Mulhall claimed a $372 million jackpot. The ticket was purchased at Giant Eagle in Mentor and was a quick pick ticket.

EZPLAY is an instant play-style game generated through the Lottery terminal.  Each game of EZPlay is generated at the time of purchase with a set of numbers/symbols on it. Lottery Players match their play numbers/symbols to see if they won. 

You have 180 days from the date of the draw to collect your lottery winnings.

The OH Lottery is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen tickets.  Tickets are bearer instruments. If someone finds an unsigned ticket, they can claim it.  Keep tickets in a safe place and make sure you sign the ticket and fill out your address. 

KICKER is an optional game featuring a six-digit number drawn with each Classic Lotto drawing.  You can purchase it for an extra $1 on all Classic Lotto tickets.  Adding it gives players the opportunity to win up to an additional $100,000! 

If you hit the Mega Ball, you will win 2$. If you hit the Lucky Ball you win $4.