The Texas Lottery began in 1992. The
first drawing was on Nov. 14, 1992, and the first jackpot win occurred two
weeks later, Nov. 28. The lottery launched with weekly drawings on Saturdays
but added Wednesday drawings in 1993. Over the years, Texas has added several
more games, including Texas Two Step in 2001 and All or Nothing in 2012 and
also scratch tickets.
Since its inception, the Texas State
Lottery has generated more than $31 billion for causes such as Texas veterans'
services and education with support Texans throughout the state.
Here’s a breakdown of where the
money generated by the Texas Lottery actually goes, according to a report from
the TLC:
·
65.1 percent is paid to lottery winners.
·
25.5 percent goes toward Texas education through
the Foundation School Fund
·
5.4 percent goes toward compensating retailers.
·
3.7 percent goes to the lottery administration.
·
0.3 percent funds the Veterans Assistance
Program and other state programs
Public education is the lotto’s biggest beneficiary outside of lottery winners. Since 1997, the TX Lottery has contributed some $24.4 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas. Ticket sales hit a record $8.107 billion this fiscal year. The state of Texas has the nation’s fourth-richest lottery organization in terms of ticket sales and has recently renewed its relationship with International Game Technology (IGT).
Texas Lottery Commission
Headquarters
1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 6.403
Austin, Texas 78701
Mailing Address - General
Correspondence
Texas Lottery Commission
P.O. Box 16630
Austin, TX 78761-6630
Here's the process for claiming Texas Lottery prizes.
All Lottery claim centers are open for walk-in claims (no appointment needed).
Prizes over $5 million always require an appointment.
To claim a prize by mail, send the signed winning ticket to:
Texas Lottery Commission
ATTN: Austin Claim Center
P.O. Box 16600
Austin, TX 78761-6600
To claim a prize over $25 by mail, you must also include a completed claim form, your Social Security number, and a copy of your ID.
Keep a copy of all claim documents for your records.
Prize | Options |
---|---|
$599 or less | Option 1 Claim at any local retailer. |
Option 2 Claim at any Texas Lottery claim center. | |
Option 3 Claim by mail. | |
$600 to $2.5 million | Option 1 Claim at any Texas Lottery claim center. |
Option 2 Claim by mail. | |
Over $2.5 million and up to $5 million | Option 1 Claim at the Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, or San Antonio claim centers. |
Option 2 Claim at the Texas Lottery Headquarters. | |
Option 3 Claim by mail. | |
Over $5 million | Claim at the Texas Lottery Headquarters. |
Here are the taxes withheld for lottery winnings claimed by U.S. citizens or residents.
Winnings | Tax | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Over $5,000 | State Tax | 0% |
Federal Tax | 24% | |
Total: 24% |
If the winner is not a citizen or resident of the U.S., the Texas Lottery withholds a greater amount for taxes.
Winnings | Tax | Percentage |
---|---|---|
$600 or more | State Tax | 0% |
Federal Tax | 30% | |
Total: 30% |
Learning how to play the Texas
Lottery is simple. You choose a lottery game purchase a ticket and select your
numbers. If you buy a scratch-off just scratch the ticket to see if you match
any of the winning numbers to see if you have a winning ticket. Many games have
between three and six numbers. Your prize depends on how many numbers you match
to the next draw. Drawings may happen multiple times a day, every day, or twice
a week, depending on the game you play. The less frequent the drawings, the
bigger the winnings are for most games.
You must be at least 18 years old to
play the lottery in Texas.
You can purchase many types of
lottery tickets for $1 or $2. Some lotteries, particularly daily numbers, may
allow you to wager different amounts and change your payout. The top prizes for
Texas lottery games are as follows:
·
Daily 4: $5,000.
·
All or Nothing: $250,000.
· Cash Five: $25,000.
Lotto Texas, Texas Two Step,
Powerball, and Mega Millions have jackpot prizes. If multiple players win the
jackpot, the total sum is divided evenly among them. If no winners exist, the
jackpot rolls over to the next drawing. The minimum jackpots are as follows:
·
Lotto Texas: $5 million.
·
Texas Two Step: $200,000.
·
Powerball with optional Powerplay: $20 million.
·
Mega Millions with optional Megaplier : $20
million.
·
Pick 3 Morning, Daily 4 Morning, and All or
Nothing Morning: 10 a.m. daily.
·
Pick 3 Day, Daily 4 Day, and All or Nothing Day:
12:27 p.m. daily.
·
Pick 3 Evening, Daily 4 Evening, or All or
Nothing Evening: 6 p.m. daily.
·
Pick 3 Night, Daily 4 Night, or All or Nothing
Night: 10:12 p.m. daily.
·
Cash Five: 10:12 p.m. daily.
·
Lotto Texas: 10:12 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
·
Texas Two Step: 10:12 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
·
Powerball: 10:12 p.m. Wednesday
·
Mega: 10:12 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Lottery sales close shortly before
the draw time for each game. Below are the sales closing times for the Texas
Lottery:
·
Pick 3 Morning, Daily 4 Morning, and All or
Nothing Morning: 9:50 a.m. daily.
·
Pick 3 Day, Daily 4 Day, and All or Nothing Day:
12:17 p.m. daily.
·
Pick 3 Evening, Daily 4 Evening, or All or
Nothing Evening: 5:50 p.m. daily.
·
Pick 3 Night, Daily 4 Night, or All or Nothing
Night: 10:02 p.m. daily.
·
Cash Five: 10:02 p.m. daily.
·
Lotto Texas: 10:02 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
·
Texas Two Step: 10:02 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
·
Powerball: 9 p.m. Wednesday.
·
Mega: 9:45 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
The odds of winning the lottery in
Texas generally decline as the prize amounts rise. You have the best odds of
winning a jackpot playing Cash Five Texas. The jackpot odds for Texas's big
lottery games are as follows:
·
Cash Five Texas: 1-324,632.
·
Texas Two Step: 1-1,832,600.
·
Lotto Texas: 1-25,827,165.
·
Powerball: 1-292,201,338.
·
Mega Millions: 1-302,575,350.
The odds of winning any lottery
prize are much greater. These odds include winning a free ticket as your prize.
When you're considering your chances of winning any prize at all, the odds
change to the following:
·
Cash Five Texas: 1-7.2.
·
Texas Two Step: 1-24.
·
Lotto Texas: 1-24.9.
·
Powerball: 1-32.4.
·
Mega Millions: 1-71.1.
If your prize is between $1 and
$599, you can claim it immediately at any Texas Lottery retailer as long as the
retailer has the funds on hand. If you won between $600 and $2,500,000, you can
claim your winnings at any time at a local claim center. If you choose to claim
your winnings by mail rather than in person, you should allow four to six weeks
for processing.
If you've won more than $2,500,000,
you must make an appointment at the Lottery Commission in Austin to arrange for
annuities and prizes. You may consider contacting a financial adviser when
dealing with lottery winnings of this size.
Yes, lottery winners can remain
anonymous in Texas if you have a winning Texas Lottery Ticket. Your personal
details will not be made public if you win the Powerball jackpot or Mega or
another big Texas lottery prize.
Unfortunately, in the state of
Texas, State laws and regulations do not permit the sale of tickets by mail,
phone, or Internet. Lotto tickets must be purchased from a licensed retailer by
playing quick pick or choosing your own numbers.
The State Lottery Act prohibits
purchase of tickets by credit or with Food Stamps. It’s up to the retailers if
they want to accept a check for tickets or a debit card for payment.
For Draw Game i.e., Lotto Texas,
Mega, Powerball, Cash Five, Pick 3, Daily 4, Texas Two Step and All or Nothing)
winning tickets are valid for 180 days from the date of the drawing. Scratch tickets are valid for 180 days from
the close date of the game.
There are many claim centers located
throughout the state of Texas including San Antonio, Fort Worth, Austin, Dallas to name a few. Here is a list of claim centers.
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