Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you claim a prize with family or friends? Why is the cash value of a jackpot about half of what is advertised? Get the answers to these questions and more. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to respond to informational requests.

General Information
Numbers Games
Scratchers

General Information

Do Lottery proceeds really go to schools?: Yes. About 27 cents of every dollar spent on the Missouri Lottery goes to Missouri's public schools. See the Where The Money Goes section for more detailed information.

Does the Missouri Lottery offer subscription sales to players?: No. Players can purchase Missouri Lottery tickets from a licensed Missouri Lottery retailer. The Lottery cannot mail tickets across state lines.

Does the Lottery keep most of its proceeds?: No. Less than 4 cents of every dollar goes to pay administrative expenses, including advertising, ticket printing and computer system costs. For more information see Where the Money Goes.

Who oversees riverboat gambling and bingo games?: Riverboat gambling and bingo games are governed by the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Who is the "average" Missouri Lottery player?: The typical Lottery player is a married high school graduate with some college, between the ages of 25 and 55, and has a household income between $25,000 and $60,000. For more information, see Fun Facts.

Is there a danger of Lottery players becoming compulsive gamblers?: Studies show that about 1 to 5 percent of those who gamble through any means experience problems. For more information, see Responsible Gaming.

How can I become a Missouri Lottery retailer?: Only businesses located within the state of Missouri can be Missouri Lottery retailers. For more information, see Retailer Resources.

Can I purchase Lottery tickets on-line?: No. The Missouri Lottery does not currently offer sales via the Internet. While federal legislation has exempted state lotteries from a new law restricting interstate online wagering, it is still unclear at this time how the new law will impact the sales of Lottery tickets via the Internet.

Numbers Games

Where can I find past winning numbers?: You can find complete lists of past numbers drawn in the Winning Numbers section.

If I win a big jackpot prize and die before I receive it all, where does the remaining money go?: When a jackpot winner dies, the Missouri Lottery continues to make payments to the winner's estate.

Why is the cash value of a jackpot only about half of what is advertised? Where does the rest of the money go?: The lump-sum payment is approximately half of the advertised amount since the Lottery will be giving you the money it would have invested over 25 years for a Lotto jackpot or 29 years (30 payments) for a Powerball jackpot. For more information, see If You Win a Jackpot.

Are the terminals in retail locations and the drawing equipment connected in any way?: No. Each drawing machine is self-contained and independent of any other system. For more information, see Game Security.

Why doesn't anyone in Missouri ever win the Powerball jackpot?: Actually, Missouri is quite a lucky state! Out of the 44 lotteries participating in the Powerball game, Missouri ranks second behind Indiana in the number of Powerball jackpot winners.

Can a group of people claim a prize?: Yes. When a group wins, the person who signs the ticket typically designates who will receive a portion of the prize and how much that person should receive. For more information, see If You Win a Jackpot.

When do Numbers Games shut down for the drawings?: Tickets cannot be purchased during draw breaks. Draw breaks are as follows:
Pick 3 and Pick 4 MIDDAY: 12:45 p.m. to 12:59 p.m., daily EVENING: 6:45 p.m. to 6:59 p.m., daily Lotto 6:45 p.m. to 6:59 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday Show Me Cash 6:45 p.m. to 6:59 p.m., daily 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., daily Powerball 8:59 p.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday Mega Millions 8:59 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday and Friday

Can Powerball players redeem their winnings in any Powerball member state?: No. Powerball players must redeem their prizes in the same state they bought the tickets. Because there are 32 lotteries participating in Powerball, all tickets and playslips must be identified by the state that sold the ticket so the prize can be claimed and paid properly.

What lotteries participate in Powerball?: Powerball is played in Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

NOTE: All Powerball tickets are identified by the state that sold the ticket and must be redeemed in the state where they were purchased.

Since so many people play Powerball, aren't the chances of winning worse?: No. No matter how many people play Powerball, the chances of winning never change. The chances are based on the amount of number combinations, not the number of players. For more information see Powerball.

Why does it seem like all the jackpot winners come from big cities?: Missouri Lottery jackpot winners have come from all across the state. For more information, see Winning Numbers and Winners.

If I buy a Quick Pick ticket, can anyone else buy those numbers using Quick Pick?: Yes. Quick Pick tickets are generated randomly by the terminal at the retailer, and there is no central computer that is controlling ticket generation. The chances of buying a Powerball ticket with the same numbers as someone else are the same as the chances of winning the jackpot — about 1 in 195 million.

Everyone gets so excited when the Powerball jackpot is high. Why not pay 50 winners $1 million each instead of $50 million to one winner?: Once the Powerball jackpot reaches $25 million beyond the record-level jackpot (the current record amount is $365 million), it will increase in increments of $25 million (annuitized) per drawing until it is won. All cash in excess of each $25 million increment will then be added to the second-level prize pool (5 of 5 white-ball match for $200,000). When the jackpot is finally hit, the money in the Match 5 prize pool will be divided equally among all winners who matched all five white-ball numbers. For some drawings, this could mean enhanced prizes of $1 million or more in cash.

Who decides how much the Powerball jackpot should be and how is it figured?: The jackpot comes from a percentage of the sales for each individual drawing. Fifty percent of the ticket sales go into the entire prize pool. From the prize pool, 32.6689 percent funds the jackpot prize and 17.3311 percent is used for the lower-tier prizes. For more information, see Powerball.

If I should win the jackpot, do I have the option of remaining anonymous to the public and the media?: Missouri state law requires the Lottery to release your name, city of residence and the amount of the prize. For more information, see If You Win a Jackpot.

Scratchers

Why don't I ever hear about top-prize winners in Scratchers games?: News releases with the names of prize winners of $10,000 or more are sent to media throughout the state. To see all winners of $1,000 or more, see our Winners Release each month.

Does anyone know where the winning Scratchers tickets are located?: No. Thanks to strict security measures, no one — including Missouri Lottery employees — knows where winning Scratchers tickets are located. For more information, see Game Security.

When the Lottery first started, it seemed I won more often on the Scratchers games. Are there fewer prizes now?: No. Actually, the chances of winning Scratchers games continue to improve. In the Lottery's early days, the games only paid out 45 percent of sales in prizes, the maximum amount allowed by law. Now Scratchers games pay out an average of 69 percent of sales in prizes, and an average of approximately 1 in every 4 tickets is a winner.