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FAQS
Click the following links for more information or to get your question answered.
How soon after a drawing can I claim a winning ticket at a retailer?
Winning tickets may be claimed as soon as the drawing has taken place and winning numbers and prize data from that drawing have been verified and loaded onto the retailer terminal system. For games with drawings that take place in Louisiana (Lotto, Easy 5, Pick 3 and Pick 4), this usually occurs between 9:45 p.m. and 10 p.m. For Powerball, the Lottery must have clearance from the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which oversees the game, before enabling prize payment. This typically occurs between midnight and 1 a.m. Remember, only winning tickets worth up to $600 can be paid at retailer locations.
What happens to unclaimed prizes?
According to the Lottery's statute, unclaimed prize money is returned to players in the form of prizes and promotions, such as increased payouts on scratch-offs and additional second-chance promotions.
When do you remove a scratch-off game from sale?
As soon as all of the top prizes in a game have been claimed, the Lottery immediately begins the process of pulling the game from retailer shelves and closing the game. Games may also be closed when all of the tickets have been substantially sold or at the discretion of the Lottery's president.
How are winners taxed?
Both the federal and state government consider winnings from all forms of gaming to be income for tax purposes. By law, the Louisiana Lottery must report winnings from each single ticket with a prize value over $600 to the Internal Revenue Service and the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Taxation.
Income tax regulations require the Louisiana Lottery to withhold 25 percent federal taxes from each prize over $5,000 and 5 percent state taxes from prizes of $5,000 or more.
A gambling income statement, W2-G, is attached to all prize payment checks of $600 or more and should be retained by winners for income tax purposes.
If I think I've won the jackpot, what should I do?
Players should sign the back of their ticket for security purposes, secure their ticket and treat it as cash. We also recommend that players who believe they hold a jackpot-winning ticket contact the Lottery's headquarters immediately at 800-735-5825 to schedule a time to claim their prize and so that we can answer any questions they may have. This facilitates a smooth payment of a winning jackpot ticket. Players who believe they hold a jackpot-winning ticket must bring the ticket to the Lottery's corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge for verification and any prize payment. The Lottery recommends that before coming to claim a jackpot prize, winners get financial advice so they fully understand the tax or other legal implications involved.
How long does a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot winner have to decide whether to take the annuity or the cash option for the jackpot?
Winners have 60 days after they claim their prize to elect either the annuity or cash payment option.
If I win, can I remain anonymous?
If you win more than $600 and are therefore required to claim your prize at a Lottery office, you will be required to complete a claim form for tax purposes. Under the Lottery's statue, all prize payment records are open records, meaning that the public has a right to request the information. Depending upon the amount won and public or media interest in the win, winners may NOT be able to remain anonymous. The statute also allows the Lottery to use winners' names and city of residence for publicity purposes such as news releases. The Lottery's regular practice is not to use winner information in paid advertising or product promotion without the winner's willingness to participate.
I purchased four scratch-offs where the odds were 1 in 4. I didn't win anything. Why is that?
Published game odds apply to the entire game overall. They do not mean, in this case, that every fourth ticket is a winner. Lottery games are games of chance, so winning scratch-off tickets are randomly distributed throughout the game. Just imagine what would happen to the integrity of Lottery games if it was known which tickets were winners prior to their sale.
I've been playing Pick 3 since it started and my numbers have never come up. It seems like other numbers have come more than once. How can that be?
All of the Lottery's games are games of chance. Drawing games are conducted using random number generation. This means that every number combination has an EQUAL chance of being selected, REGARDLESS of whether or not it was drawn in the past. If number combinations that had been drawn in the past were removed from play, the game would be unfair.
Even assuming that number combinations could be eliminated, it would take 1,000 drawings, or 2.8 years, for every possible Pick 3 combination to be drawn. For Pick 4, it would take 10,000 drawings or 28 years.
Why is it that sometimes I cannot purchase a particular number for Pick 3 or Pick 4?
On rare occasions, certain popular Pick 3 and Pick 4 numbers may "sell out" and cannot be purchased. Unlike other draw-style Lottery games, Pick 3 and Pick 4 pay out an established prize regardless of how many tickets are winners. In order to adequately fund these fixed prizes, the Lottery establishes a prize liability limit on these games and restricts sales of tickets for such drawings if the liability limit would be exceeded by the drawing of any particular numbers. Liability limits usually take effect when a large number of people have chosen a certain number, such as 9-1-1 after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack or 2-0-0-0 when the millennium ended. There is no need for sales restrictions on Easy 5, Lotto and Powerball numbers, since jackpots are pari-mutuel, meaning the jackpot is divided equally among all its winners.
How many times has a winning Powerball jackpot ticket been sold in Louisiana?
Since joining the multistate game in March 1995, Louisiana has had a total of 14 winners. Here they are:
2/14/1996
$35,000,000
Mascaro, Et Al, A Louisiana Partnership
New Orleans, LA
2/28/1996
$21,000,000
JPHL, L.L.C.
Metairie, LA
7/17/1996
$24,000,000
Glawson Family Partnership
Lafayette, LA
8/30/1997
$25,000,000
Lemuel R. Boyer, Jr.
Ridgeland, MS
8/18/1999
$32,000,000
James M. Hambrick
Lufkin, TX
12/27/2000
$16,500,000
Tommy Lee Adams
Jacksonville, NC
3/27/2002
$48,100,000
Jerry Berggren and Cathy DeMuynck
Kenner, LA
2/22/2003
$21,000,000
Cello Investments, LLC
Belle Chase, LA
2/12/2005
$40,600,000
The Duchess Trust
Baton Rouge, LA
9/30/2006
$15,000,000
Jane Jabert
Cut Off, LA
9/29/2007
$15,000,000
William Heid Jr.
Chauvin, LA
1/16/2008
$97,000,000
Carl Hunter
Metairie, LA
5/31/2008
$34,100,000
Emilia M. Delgado
Kenner, LA
7/31/2010
$85,700,000
H & N Family Partnership
Baton Rouge, LA
What's the largest Powerball jackpot ever won?
The largest jackpot won in Louisiana was $97 million, claimed by Carl Hunter of Metairie in January of 2008. The largest Powerball jackpot ever won was $365 million, claimed by a group of 8 coworkers in Nebraska on February 18, 2006.
What was the largest Lotto jackpot?
The Robert H. LeBas Family Partnership of Church Point won $21.2 million, which was the largest jackpot won on a single ticket. The largest multi-winner jackpot was $31 million and was split between Kimberly D. Hall of Bon Wier, Texas, and Roland and Marion LeBeouf Family Partnership of Houma, with each receiving $15.5 million. These jackpots were paid as annuities. The largest single-payment winner was Timothy M. Smith of Marrero, who won $15.6 million.
What happens to prize money when someone dies?
When a prize is claimed it becomes the property of that individual, even if the prize is paid out as an annuity. Hence, all winnings become a part of the estate of the deceased.
When someone in the other Powerball or Mega Millions states wins the jackpot, does all the money from tickets purchased in Louisiana go to the winning state?
No. Each state participating in Powerball or Mega Millions contributes a percentage to funding the jackpot based on its sales. As in all other games, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation transfers to the state treasury 35 percent of all sales of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets at Louisiana Lottery retailer outlets no matter where the top prize is won.
How can the public protect itself from illegal lotteries?
Illegal lottery scams are on the rise, to protect yourself from becoming a victim:
- Never give your credit card numbers, bank account numbers or social security numbers over the phone or over the Internet to a business promising lottery jackpots.
- Never accept a collect phone call from someone claiming to be a lottery official. Legitimate lotteries do not call collect.
- Never believe a letter, phone call or Internet message from someone who offers you a guarantee of winning a prize or a secret system for winning a prize. Legitimate lotteries do not guarantee that you will win a prize. Legitimate lotteries also do not require people to join a prize pool in order to play or win.
- Never trust someone who says you can win the lottery by purchasing a set of "winning numbers" instead of a ticket. Legitimate lotteries require you to buy a ticket for a chance to win a prize.
- Never play a foreign lottery by phone, mail or Internet. It is against the law and increases your risk of falling victim to a scam.
- Never pay processing fees, insurance or commissions to claim a lottery prize. Legitimate lotteries do not require winners to pay anything upfront to receive their prize.
Check out this page for more tips on Avoiding Scams.
What does the Lottery do to promote playing responsibly?
The LLC is concerned about the issue of problem gambling. Toward that end, the Lottery includes the Department of Health and Hospitals' problem gambling hotline number on all tickets, advertising, news releases and sales materials, as well as periodically conducting "play responsibly" public service campaigns. In addition, $500,000 of the LLC's annual proceeds transferred to the state are earmarked for problem gambling programs, as outlined in the Lottery's statute. For more resources on problem gambling and responsible play, visit the Play Responsibly section of this Web site.
How does the Lottery discourage underage play?
Although the LLC is not engaged in law enforcement, it aggressively promotes the "21" minimum age requirement by printing it on all tickets, news releases, sales material and signage, as well as reinforcing the message in retailer training and communication. In addition, the LLC is a member of the Louisiana Responsible Vendor Program which establishes mandatory training and certifies vendors on minimum age requirements for alcohol, tobacco and lottery sales.
What businesses can become a Lottery retailer?
The vast majority of licensed retailers are convenience stores; however grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants are some other types of businesses that sell Lottery tickets. Outlets which provide one-stop shopping convenience or entertainment for adults work best for the sale of Lottery tickets.
Can a business sell only Lottery tickets?
No. Administrative law prevents retailers from being engaged exclusively in the sale of Lottery tickets.
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