General faqs

Yes! Minnesota Lottery’s convenience app is available for free download in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. 

You may notice a new barcode on lotto tickets across the state. Using the new app, you can scan the barcode to check and see if your ticket is a winner. While you can’t cash your ticket in the app, you can use the “Find a Retailer” feature to locate the nearest retailer to you and claim your prize. 

Note: The mobile app scanning feature is not available between midnight and 5 a.m. during daily system maintenance.

Prizes up to and including $50,000 can be claimed by mail. We recommend that you completely fill out the back of your ticket(s), keep a record for yourself, and that you use registered mail. For additional information, click here.

If you need to claim a prize of over $50,000, call the Minnesota Lottery at 1-888-568-8379 or 651-635-8273 to discuss your options.

Note: In Minnesota, lotto game prizes must be claimed within one year from the date of the drawing. Scratch game prizes must be claimed within one year of the announced end date of the game. For Fast Play games, prize claims must be submitted within one year of the transaction date that appears on the ticket. The Lottery will announce end‑of‑game dates on mnlottery.com. For prizes claimed by mail, the claim date is the date the Lottery receives the ticket. For prizes of $600 or more, the claim period ends at the close of business on the last day of the claim period that Lottery offices are open. Claims of $600 or more must have a Ticket Claim Form completed in its entirety to be a valid claim. Lottery offices are closed for the holidays and events listed on mnlottery.com, and one or more Lottery offices may close unexpectedly due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

All Minnesota Lottery offices pay by check for all claims regardless of amount. Offices do not handle cash.

That depends on how much you win. Minnesota state law requires that the names and cities of lottery prize winners greater than $10,000 are automatically considered private data unless a winner chooses to opt in to publicity. The names and cities of lottery prize winners of $10,000 or less are still public data. For 2nd Chance winners, any prize that includes more than $10,000 in cash is also private data.

No. You can’t purchase tickets from the Minnesota Lottery online or from our mobile app. Tickets are only sold in person at one of our 3,000 brick-and-mortar retailers across Minnesota.  You may have seen advertisements in recent years describing a product as the “official mobile lottery partner” of your favorite local sports team. These products are likely lottery service businesses. Lottery service businesses are not affiliated with the Minnesota Lottery, and we have no regulatory authority over their operations.

The only way to win the Lottery is to buy a lottery ticket or enter a second-chance contest directly on our website. You would never be asked to provide personal information over the phone or via e-mail by the Minnesota State Lottery. A legitimate lottery would also never ask you to pay taxes or fees before you receive payment. If you have any questions about a suspicious e-mail or phone call, call the lottery at (651) 635-8273.

Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. For more information on keeping yourself safe from scams, visit Don't Be Fooled by Lottery Scams.

For more information about scams, or to file a complaint, contact the following: 

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at (877) FTC-HELP or www.ftc.gov

U.S. Postal Inspection Service at (651) 293-3200 or www.usps.com/postalinspectors 

Minnesota Attorney General at (651) 296-3353, (800) 657-3787, or www.ag.state.mn.us or your local law enforcement agency.

When someone wins the jackpot and wants cash, they get all the cash in the jackpot prize pool. If the winner wants the annuity, the cash in the prize pool is invested to fund the annuity payments. The winner gets the cash plus the interest earned. When you see an estimated jackpot annuity prize, we are estimating both sales and what the market’s prices on certain securities will be. The annuity jackpot amount and the cash jackpot amount that we announce are always estimates until sales are final and, for the annuity jackpot, until bids are issued on the purchase of securities.

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. When a winner is not a U.S. citizen or a legal resident of the U.S., 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.

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.

The state constitution and law determines the distribution of Lottery proceeds. Currently, the state General Fund receives 60 percent of proceeds. The General Fund is the money that the state Legislature appropriates for the operation of all state services. The remaining 40 percent of 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.

Each year, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources accepts proposals for environmental projects. Five Senators, five Representatives, five citizens appointed by the governor, one citizen appointed by the Senate and one citizen appointed by the House form the Commission. For more information, visit the LCCMR Web site.

Visit our Unclaimed Prizes page to see which games have prizes remaining, updated every weekday.

An analysis of winner location reflects proportionate winners to sales volume across the state. Approximately 50 percent of sales occur in the Twin Cities metro area so over time, about 50 percent of winning tickets will be purchased in the metro area. 

There is no limit; however, each person wanting to claim part of the prize will need to fill out an individual claim form and be present to claim their winnings as well.

For residents and resident aliens, 31.25 percent in federal and state withholding taxes is deducted for every Lottery prize over $5,000. 

Current federal tax law requires the Lottery to withhold 24 percent in federal income taxes, and current Minnesota state law requires the Lottery to withhold 7.25 percent in Minnesota state income taxes. 

For non-resident aliens, current tax laws require that the Lottery withhold 30 percent in federal income taxes on all Lottery prizes and 7.25 percent in Minnesota state income taxes on Lottery prizes over $5,000.

Depending on your other income and deductions, amounts withheld by the Lottery on your winnings may or may not be sufficient to meet your total tax obligation. 

It may be in your best interest to consult with a professional tax adviser to determine your tax situation to avoid any surprises at the end of the year.