Powerball and Mega Millions are both multi-million dollar jackpot games but that's where the similarities end. The games have different starting jackpot amounts, different prize structures, different ticket prices, and different drawing days. You can find much more information about Powerball and Mega Millions right here on this site.

No, even if we just consider the awarding of large jackpots. Every year, many people win $1 million or more playing North American lotteries than are killed by lightning.

In addition, there’s no second prize in a lightning strike. In a lottery, you win lesser amounts of money by coming close to the winning numbers. In many games, odds of 1 in 5 or 1 in 4 are not uncommon. Lotteries award over $50 million in prizes in North America every day. Lightning isn’t nearly that productive.

Tickets for lotto games (anything printed by a Lottery machine, like Powerball, Hot Lotto, Gopher 5, etc.) expire one year from the date of the drawing. If the one year deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday, you get until the end of the next business day to claim prizes. Scratch tickets expire one year after the game officially ends.

Yes, if the retailer allows it. Minnesota Rule 7856.4010, subpart 16, permits retailers to accept coin, currency, money orders and checks for the payment of lottery tickets. Also, since the use of a check card or debit card is the same as a check, the use of those cards is also permitted. While a lottery retailer may accept a check or a check card for the payment of lottery tickets, the retailer is not required to do so. The Lottery does not require a retailer to accept a check or a check card for the payment of lottery tickets. In other words, a retailer is permitted to have a policy that they will not accept checks or debit cards for the purchase of lottery tickets.

Yes. Payments continue to the winner's estate until exhausted. The Lottery also permits the estate to request that all remaining payments be paid immediately to the estate. This permits the estate to pay inheritance taxes immediately, avoiding any penalties, and to distribute the remainder to the heirs. The amount of the payment will be based on the present value of the securities being held by the Lottery. Then, of course, no more payments exist. There also may be certain lifetime prizes in the Lottery. These usually have a guaranteed minimum number of payments. If the winner dies before the minimum number of payments has been made, payments continue until the minimum is reached.

No. Minnesota State Lottery tickets may only be purchased at a retailer under contract with the Lottery, at a Lottery office or online via the subscription service at mnlottery.com (players must have a Minnesota address to purchase tickets online).

The state constitution and law determines the distribution of Lottery proceeds. Currently, the state General Fund receives 60 percent of proceeds. The remaining 40 percent of proceeds goes to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. In addition, the first 6.5 percent of Lottery sales (in-lieu-of-sales tax) is directed to the Game and Fish Fund, Natural Resources Fund and General Fund.

Each year, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources accepts proposals for environmental projects. Five Senators, five Representatives, five citizens appointed by the govenor, one citizen appointed by the Senate and one citizen appointed by the House form the Commission. More information on the LCCMR can be found on the LCCMR Web site.

The only money that is shared in Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto is the prize money paid to jackpot prize winners. The rest of the revenue from tickets purchased in Minnesota stays in Minnesota.

When the Lottery started, scratch games paid out 60 percent. Depending on the game, scratch games now pay out between 64 percent and 72 percent. Minnesota state law requires the scratch games to have a minimum payout of 60 percent of ticket sales.

Yes, more than one person can receive the same quick-pick numbers. Quick-picks are randomly generated by the terminal at the retailer and there is no central computer that is controlling their generation.

Stated odds are based on the entire game. While the Lottery requires that the program that randomly inserts winning plays into the ticket-printing process limits the strings of nonwinning tickets, it is possible to have several winning tickets, or none, in a string of 10. The Lottery does not know where winning tickets are placed. The program that determines random placement is audited.

Yes. Players can purchase lotto games online via the subscription service at mnlottery.com (players must have a Minnesota address to purchase tickets online). Tickets for scratch games and Progressive Print-N-Play are not available online.

Yes. Players can purchase lotto games online via the subscription service at mnlottery.com (players must have a Minnesota address to purchase tickets online). Tickets for scratch games and Progressive Print-N-Play are not available online.

This is one of our most frequently asked questions. You need to also consider the odds of getting at least one of the white numbers correct in looking at the odds of getting only the Powerball.

You are taxed on the dollar amount that you are paid, at the time it is paid to you. If you choose the cash option, since you are paid one lump sum all at once, you would pay taxes at that time on the total lump sum. However, if you choose the annuity option, you would pay taxes each year on the amount you receive that year.

We try to update our list of unclaimed prizes at least once every weekday. You can see which games have prizes remaining at the Unclaimed Prizes page on this site.

It makes absolutely no difference how many tickets are sold or how many states play the game. You are always playing against the numbers we draw. In Powerball, we always draw the white numbers from a field of 59 and the Powerball from a field of 35.

The only impact increased sales would have on your odds is that the more tickets that are sold the better the odds that you might have to share the jackpot with another player (assuming you won).

The numbers produced on Lottery quick-pick tickets are created using a random number generator within the Lottery terminal. The terminal uses several calculations based on the terminal's internal clock and mathematical algorithms to produce the sets of numbers. The formula has no regard for previously selected sets of numbers and is tested extensively for randomness.

Guaranteed government-backed securities are purchased to fund the 30-year liability after a player elects to receive the Powerball jackpot prize over 30 years.

The percentage of quick-picks varies a great deal from game to game and also with the size of the jackpot. In Powerball, the quick-pick percentage normally runs about 70 percent, and about 70 percent of the winners are from quick-pick tickets. The bottom line is that how you pick your numbers has absolutely nothing to do with being a winner. The numbers 1-2-3-4-5*6 have exactly the same chance of winning as any other set of six numbers. The only thing is, if you pick your own numbers, and you base them on something logical, artificial or limiting (like dates), you are more likely to have to split the pari-mutuel jackpot prize because others may be using the same numbers. 

Minnesota state law provides that your name, city of residence and the amount of the prize is public information and the Lottery will release that information. Your street address, phone number and social security number is private information and will not be released by the Lottery.

Yes, residents of Canada (or any other non-Minnesotan of legal age) may play our Lottery. However, all players must purchase their tickets in person from an authorized Lottery retailer physically located in Minnesota. For non-resident aliens, we are required to withhold federal taxes of 30 percent for any prize paid. We are required to withhold state taxes of 7.25 percent for any prize over $5,000. Prize money in Minnesota (and most of the United States) is treated just like wages, so the ultimate tax liability may vary based on the winner's tax status.

Minnesota and many other lotteries offer Powerball and it is played exactly the same way in each state.

It is different in each state. In Minnesota, all of the unclaimed prize money goes to the state General Fund. The answer is different for Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto jackpots. Unclaimed jackpots for these games would go back to the participating states based on the percentage of sales that they contributed to the prize fund.

It is a percentage of the sales for each individual drawing. Fifty percent of ticket sales goes to the entire prize pool. In addition, game rules specify that the minimum jackpot prize in Powerball is $40 million and the minimum increase from draw to draw is $10 million. If the jackpot is won while these minimums are in effect, we may pay the prize out of a reserve account that we have set up and funded just for that purpose.

Sixty percent of the net proceeds goes into the state General Fund. The General Fund is the money that the state Legislature appropriates for the operation of all state services. The other 40 percent of net proceeds goes to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, which finances environment and natural resources projects across the entire state. A 6.5 percent in-lieu-of-sales tax is directed to the Game and Fish Fund and Natural Resources Fund for fish and game, parks, trails, and zoos. The General Fund also receives a portion of this money.

The games are designed by the Lottery to pay a specific percentage of prizes and provide a specific occurrence of winning. Game design is a matter of balancing the amount of prize money that is going to be committed to the jackpot prize and the lower set prizes. The more you allocate to the set prizes the smaller the jackpot will be and the slower it will grow. These decisions are simply professional judgment calls based on industry information and market appeal.

Seems like a great idea, but the fact of the matter is people want to play for the big jackpots. Sales at the $200 million jackpot level are 3 times what they are at the $40 million jackpot level.

We also have no control over the number combinations players select. It is possible to have none, one or many winners on any given set of numbers.

We offer a variety of games so players can take their pick of jackpot sizes. Powerball and Mega Millions are the big jackpot games, Hot Lotto jackpots start at $1 million, Gopher 5 jackpots start at $100,000, and Northstar Cash jackpots start at $25,000. The lower the starting jackpot, the better the odds of winning.

We do not release the retailer name and city where the winning ticket was sold until the ticket is presented and validated because this information is an important part of the jackpot validation security procedures. Check our Unclaimed Prizes page for winning tickets that have not yet been claimed along with the counties where they were sold.

It certainly is not true that all major winners are from the metro area. An analysis of winner location reflects proportionate sales volumes across the state. Check the Winners By Region page for our big winners.

There is no specific limit to the number of people in a pool who can claim a prize; however, each person wanting to claim part of the prize will need to fill out an individual claim form. See claiming your prize for additional details.

Budget constraints allow four regional offices which are placed geographically to permit player access and to serve the needs of retailers and employees in those areas of the state.

For Powerball and Hot Lotto, you must purchase tickets for Wednesday's and Saturday’s drawings before 9 p.m. for that day’s drawing. Mega Millions tickets must be purchased by 9 p.m. for the drawings on Tuesday and Friday. Gopher 5 tickets must be purchased before 6:10 p.m. for Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening drawings. Northstar Cash and Daily 3 tickets must be purchased before 6:10 p.m. for each daily drawing.