GENERAL FAQ

A: Prizes up to and including $50,000 should be claimed by mail at this time and will receive a check.

We recommend keeping a copy of the front and back of your ticket for your records and that you use registered mail. For additional information, Here is a list of scratch game end dates.

Prizes over $50,000 must be claimed in person at Minnesota Lottery Headquarters and players will receive a check. If possible, we recommend waiting to claim your prize until it's safe to travel. 

A: No, the Minnesota State Legislature voted to end the Minnesota Lottery’s ability to sell eScratch tickets on the Lottery's website. The same legislation also ended Play at the Pump and Play at ATM sales. All online, pump, and ATM sales were terminated as of August 31, 2015.

A: When someone wins the jackpot and wants cash, they get all of 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.

A: 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.

A: 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. 

A: 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 and Mega Millions 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.

A: 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. 

A: 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.