It all started on November 1, 2006, when the very first Minnesota Millionaire Raffle tickets hit the counter. With just 500,000 tickets and four levels of all-cash prizes, including two $1 million winners, Minnesotans lined up fast. The game sold out in 56 days, wrapping up right before the New Year. Not bad for a rookie year!
And we didn’t just launch a game, we threw a party. Those early years featured Raffle launch celebrations at the Mall of America rotunda with ticket sales, stage games, and exclusive T-shirts you could snag through fun “buy and get” promos. It was part lottery launch, part holiday bash, and totally Minnesotan.
Growing the Game
Raffle keeps getting bigger, bolder every year.
- 2008: The “slowest” sellout ever… if you call 71 days slow.
- 2009: Things got flashy with bonus prizes like a Ford Fusion, tropical getaways, and shopping sprees.
- 2011: Demand soared! We added 100,000 more tickets and juiced up the prizes - think Ford Mustang, luxury trips, and electronics galore.
- 2014: Another boost to 700,000 tickets and we added 4,000 $100 cash prizes!
- 2016: The final Raffle launch party at the MOA. End of an era. 💔
- 2017: This year featured Minnesota getaways, MN Wild prize packs, three Jeep vehicles, and over 4,000 cash prizes!
- 2018: All cash. All in. All excitement.
- 2024: 800,000 tickets — gone in just 15 days!
The Tradition Continues
Now, it’s full circle. The 2025 Minnesota Millionaire Raffle marks 20 years of holiday hype and we’re going bigger than ever with 1 million tickets and a record 20,000 cash prizes.
From the start of something brand new to a full-blown Minnesota tradition, Raffle has become the ultimate winter warm-up - where luck meets excitement and millionaires are made.
Here’s to 20 years of Raffle memories, 39 Raffle millionaires, and 20,000 chances to make new ones!