The RI Lottery, a member of the Multi-State Lottery
Association started in 1974 and is run by the state of Rhode Island. Since the
lottery’s inception in 1974, they have transferred more than $8.3 billion to
the State’s General Fund, which supports many things for the state including
education, healthcare, public safety,
and the environment of the beautiful Ocean State.
Rhode Island is a
state that truly believes in giving back. In fact, when lottery players play
the Rhode Island lottery, the money from the General Fund provides sales
commissions to lottery retailers; establishments, restaurants, and small
businesses across the state where the lottery is sold and supports the local
economy.
The state of Rhode Island strives to maximize revenue from
the lottery games and instant tickets sold throughout the state., while
maintaining the trust and best interest of the great citizens of the state. The
state lottery is committed to a fun, positive way to generate additional
revenue for the State of Rhode Island.
The state of RI offers the following lottery games. Numbers game is a daily game, started in
1976, and was the first Rhode Island Lottery game where lottery players
selected their own numbers. Wild Money
is another is the Rhode Island Lottery`s progressive jackpot game! The jackpot
starts at $20,000 and increases until there is a winner! Rhode Island began selling Mega Millions
tickets on January 31, 2010. Mega Millions is a very popular game because of
the high jackpots. The largest Mega Millions jackpot to date was $1.537 billion
on October 23, 2018, and the winning ticket was sold in South Carolina.
Did you know that the state of Rhode Island was one of the
founding members of the Multi-State Lottery Association and established the
Lotto America game in 1987? Fun fact, this multi-state game became Powerball in
1992. Powerball is another very popular game because of the huge jackpots. The
biggest jackpot in history was $2.04 billion on Nov. 8, 2022 (and the winner
was in California. The state of Rhode Island also offers Lucky for Life, which
began March 11, 2012, as only a New England game. In January 2015, the Lucky for Life game went
beyond the New England and expanded to additional states. The jackpots for
Lucky for Life are prizes of $1,000 a DAY for LIFE and a second prize of
$25,000 a YEAR for LIFE!
Located at 1425 Pontiac Avenue in Cranston, Rhode Island, the
Rhode Island Lottery employs 103 people to oversee all aspects of Lottery
operations and gaming in the State.
In the state of Rhode Island, you must be at least 18 years
old to purchase and redeem lottery tickets and winnings.
Revenue from winning number and instant games, after prize
awards, commissions, operating expenses, and other costs, is turned over to the
State General Fund.
The State General Fund decides how the proceeds are used,
which go towards supporting Rhode Island residents for tax relief, education,
public safety, law enforcement, and human services among the state's 39 cities
and towns.
Drawings for the Numbers (evening draws) and Wild Money
lottery results can be seen on WPRI-TV (Channel 12). The Daily Numbers midday
drawings can be found on YouTube. Powerball can be found on WPRI-TV (Channel
12). Mega Millions can be viewed on YouTube. Lucky for Life can be seen on
Luckyforlife.us.
Prizes
for draw games must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing date.
Yes. In the state of
Rhode Island for any prize $600 and above, winners will receive a W-2G tax
form. For lottery prizes over $5,000, the state withholds 24% in Federal taxes
and 5.99% in State taxes. Non-U.S. residents' prizes are subject to Federal
back-up withholding.
If you lose a winning ticket, the state of Rhode Island is
not responsible for lost or stolen tickets.
You must present a winning ticket to claim a prize. As soon as you get your ticket, you should
protect yourself by signing the back of your tickets upon purchase. If anyone
finds a ticket that is not signed, they can sign it, and claim the winnings and
collect the prize.
Any prize below $600 can be claimed at any Lottery Retailer
or at Lottery Headquarters. Prizes $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery
Headquarters. Lottery winner must
provide a valid, government-issued photo I.D. and Social Security Number for
those prizes of $600 and above. iLottery prizes below $600 will automatically
be paid to the player's Rhode Island iLottery Account.
iLottery prizes of $600 and above must be redeemed at
Lottery Headquarters.
Rhode Island Lottery Headquarters:
1425 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
In the state of Rhode Island, you cannot remain anonymous if
you win the Rhode Island Lottery. If
requested the states do everything possible to keep a winner's information
private. If requested a winner's name
and city or town of residency must be released upon request.
The first thing you do is sign the back of the ticket and
keep it in a safe and secure location. Second, you may want to consult with an
attorney and seek professional financial
and legal advice. Lastly, call the Lottery in advance of coming in so they can
schedule and appointment to cash your winning ticket and explain the process.
No, you cannot buy tickets online in the state of Rhode
Island. To purchase lottery tickets,
please visit an authorized ticket retailer in the state.
No. You must claim a prize on a winning Powerball, Mega
Millions, or Lucky for Life ticket in the state in which you bought it in.
Yes, in fact, quite a few Rhode Island players have won.
Eight Rhode Island players have won Powerball jackpots by matching all the
numbers on the Powerball ticket. The largest to date was a $336,400,000
Powerball® prize, for the drawing held on February 11, 2012, was claimed in the
name of the Rainbow Sherbert Trust. Before Powerball, five Rhode Island players
won Lotto America jackpots. One Mega Millions jackpot winning ticket was sold
in Rhode Island. The $42,000,000 jackpot for the October 13, 2017, draw was
split between a winning ticket sold in Michigan and a winning ticket claimed by
a father and son from Providence.
The official website is www.rilot.com
The chances of winning the lottery are about the same if you
play quick pick or chose your own numbers.
Yes, it is worth the extra dollar adding the Powerplay or
Megaplier because it increases your payout if you hit any prize except for the
jackpot prize.
The $800 million dollars Mega Millions jackpot was won by some lucky person in Sugar Land Texas. The winning ticket matched all six numbers in Tu