• Sky Lotto Prizes

1. Montana

The Big Sky Country serves up some big lottery games. Get all the latest Montana Lottery information right here, including the drawing schedule, game details, and what you need to know to claim a prize.

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Montana Lottery Drawing Schedule

Find out the drawing times for each MT game, as well as how far in advance you need to buy your tickets:

MT Game Information

Montana Cash is a fast and easy draw game that offers a starting jackpot of $40,000, which rolls over and increases in value until it's won. Drawings take place on Wednesday and Saturday nights and tickets cost $1 for two plays.

Big Sky Bonus is a MT daily game with a starting jackpot of $2,000 that progressively gets bigger until someone wins it. Each play costs $2. Draws are held every evening at 7:30 PM MT.

Want a shot at $1 million? Make sure you get in on the action for Montana Millionaire, a yearly raffle that offers a cool $1 million top prize. The special drawing takes place on January 1st, but the game has proven so popular that Early Bird drawings for smaller prizes are being held in November and December just to keep the excitement going. Tickets currently cost $20 and can be purchased from any authorized Montana Lottery retailer.

Who doesn't love the idea of winning a lottery prize right away? With Montana Lottery Scratch games, you could win huge amounts of cash in just a few seconds. Prices range from $1 per game to $20 and can offer prizes of up to $250,000. You can purchase Scratch games from any authorized Montana Lottery retailer, so why not try one today?

History of the Montana Lottery

The Montana Lottery was established in November 1986 via Legislative Referendum 100, which authorized the creation of a lottery in the state. The motion passed with 69 percent of the popular vote. The fun kicked off in June 1987 when over 1,000 retailers started selling a $1 Scratch game called Pot of Gold. Profits were originally allocated for reducing property tax burdens.

In November 1989, the Montana Lottery joined Lotto*America, which was replaced by Powerball in 1992. Montana Cash tickets went on sale for the first time in May 1991. In 1994, lottery profits began to be directed to the state's General Fund, where they are still deposited today.

The Montana Lottery began selling Mega Millions tickets in 2010. Since the first Pot of Gold game went on sale in 1987, the Montana Lottery has raised more than $217 million for the state. Everyone wins when you play lottery games in Montana!

Buying Tickets

If you live outside of the United States then unfortunately you cannot take part in MT state games. However, you can join in with Lotto America, Powerball or Mega Millions by using an online service.

Claiming Prizes

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, there have been some changes in the way you claim prizes in Montana. You can find updates on our dedicated Coronavirus Lottery Updates page.

Prizes from draw games are valid for six months from the date of the drawing, and all Scratch prizes expire six months after the announced end of the game. After these deadlines have passed, unclaimed prizes are allocated to the Montana General Fund.

All Montana Lottery prizes can be claimed by mail, and prizes worth $599 or less can also be redeemed at any Montana Lottery retailer. Prizes worth $600 or more will need to be claimed by mail or at the Montana Lottery headquarters in Helena.

The Lottery headquarters' street address is:

2525 North Montana Ave.
Helena, MT

Any prize worth $5,000 or more will be subject to a federal withholding tax of 24 percent as well as a state tax of 6.9 percent.

On prizes $600 and over where the winner is a U.S. citizen who does not provide their Social Security Number or tax ID numbers, the Montana Lottery must withhold 24 percent federal tax. For winners who are not U.S. residents, the Montana Lottery is required to withhold 30 percent federal tax.

Claim a prize by mail

Here's what you need to send to the lottery to claim a prize:

1. Signed winning ticket with your name, address and phone number printed on the back
2. Completed claim form
3. For prizes of $600 and up, also send a copy of a valid form of photo ID (e.g. driver's license, passport, state-issued ID, or military ID)

Mail your documents to the address below. The Lottery suggests sending your documents by registered / certified mail.

Montana Lottery
P.O. Box 6073
Helana, MT 59604-6073

Claims will be received by a staff member on the same business day they arrive.

FAQs

What happens if my winning ticket is lost or stolen? As soon as you buy a ticket, sign the back and also write your address. Make a copy of the front and back of the ticket. Finally, put the ticket somewhere safe. A lottery ticket is a bearer instrument - that means unless you sign the ticket, anyone holding the ticket can claim the prize. The Montana Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets.

What happens if I win a Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto America, or Lucky for Life jackpot and die before I've received all annuity payments? The Montana Lottery will continue the annual payments as normal to the winner's estate, trust, or persons named in the winner's will.

Can I remain anonymous if I win the Lottery? No. Montana law states that your name, the amount you won and where you are from is public information. However, the Montana Lottery cannot use your name or image for promotional purposes without your written agreement.

Sky Lotto Prizes

How are Montana Lottery winning numbers drawn? The numbers for Montana Cash, Big Sky Bonus and Montana Millionaire are selected by a Random Number Generator (RNG). The RNG is a secured computer that generates numbers randomly without human involvement. The Montana Lottery RNGs are examined and certified by an independent outside company. The RNGs are not connected to the internet. They are kept in a locked, sealed and monitored room in the Lottery headquarters in Helena. The room has glass panels so the RNGs can be observed by the Lottery security personnel.