Authorized by the Wisconsin state legislature and
overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the Wisconsin State Lottery
became an official organization in 1988. It offers lottery jackpot draw games,
instant scratcher games and pull-tab games, along with Second Chance Lotto and
annual lottery raffles.
Since its official authorization, the Wisconsin State
Lottery has paid out over $9.7 billion in prizes. With an overall revenue of
over $17 billion as of 2022, the Lottery has returned over $5.1 billion in
revenue as property tax credits to Wisconsin taxpayers and over $1.0 billion in
revenue to Wisconsin businesses.
The
Wisconsin Lottery is part of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). At
present, the Association has 38 state and federal district members, including
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and it allows for
cross-selling of multi-jurisdictional lottery jackpot games that include
Powerball and Mega Millions. In addition to Powerball and Mega Millions,
the Wisconsin State Lottery's lottery jackpot or 'Lotto' draw games include
Megabucks, Badger 5, Supercash!, All or Nothing, Pick 3, Pick 4, and 10 Buck
Luck.
Prior
to The Wisconsin State Lottery's official authorization, Wisconsin
residents had the option of purchasing modern lottery tickets sold on the
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin's reservation. The reservation's most popular
lottery game was 'Big Green,' a Pick-6/36 game in which players choose 6
numbers from a total of 36 numbers. The 36 numbers were drawn randomly, and the
grand prize went to players who matched all 6 of their numbers in the
drawing.
In
1992, two friends split a $22 million Mega Millions jackpot from a ticket sold
in Menomonie, Wisconsin. When they purchased the ticket, they sealed their
agreement to split the winnings with a handshake. In 2019, a customer purchased
a Powerball ticket from a gas station/convenience store in New Berlin. They
matched all the numbers and won the $768 million jackpot, which was the
third-largest jackpot in the US at that time.
The
Wisconsin State Lottery currently offers 9 separate 'Lotto' jackpot games, with
jackpots that vary depending on the starting jackpots and number of players who
purchase tickets. With all Lotto jackpot games, players can choose their own
numbers or opt for Quick Pick, where the numbers are randomly generated via the
lottery retailer's computer ticketing system.
Winners
can redeem prizes up to $599 at any participating Wisconsin State Lottery
retailer, while winnings over $600 must be claimed in person at the Milwaukee
or Madison state lottery offices. For prizes that exceed $199,999, recipients
must first make an appointment with the state lottery office to ensure that
office staff has ample time to process the claims.
Powerball jackpot drawings take place every
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Each ticket costs $2, and players can play up
to 12 draws (or 4 weeks) in advance. To play the game, prospective players must
choose a total of 6 numbers — 5 numbers plus the Powerball number.
Powerball prizes range from $4 to the full Lotto
jackpot, depending on how many numbers match the drawn numbers. Since Powerball
is part of the Multi-State Lottery, winnings are sometimes divided among
multiple winners in different states. Players who match 5 numbers plus the
Powerball are entitled to the full jackpot (minus taxes and possible division
among other winners).
Prizes are awarded to all players who match
between 4 and 6 numbers, as well as those who match between 1 and 5 numbers
plus the Powerball number. Winners can claim their prizes at any participating
Wisconsin State Lottery Retailer.
Mega Millions numbers are drawn every
Tuesday and Friday. To play the game, players choose a total of 6 numbers — 5
numbers plus the Mega Ball number. Prizes start at $2 for players who correctly
choose the Mega Ball number and increase in value with the more numbers a
player chooses correctly. Similar to Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots can grow
higher and higher as more people purchase tickets, and prizes are awarded to
every player who matches between 4 and 6 numbers or between 1 and 5 numbers
plus the Mega Millions number. Mega Millions is also part of the Multi-State
Lottery, so jackpots may be divided among winners in different states.
Megabucks numbers are drawn every Wednesday and
Saturday, and the grand prize jackpot always starts at $1 million. Prize
amounts start at $2 for players who correctly choose between 3 and 6 numbers
out of 6 total numbers, and the total jackpot increases as more people purchase
tickets. Megabucks is Wisconsin's biggest state lottery game.
Badger 5 is a daily draw game with prizes
starting at $1 for players who correctly choose between 2 and 5 out of 5
jackpot numbers. The odds of winning a prize in Badger 5 are
approximately 1 in 169,911, and the jackpot consists of approximately
50-percent of all daily ticket sales.
Supercash! is a daily jackpot drawing game with
a top maximum prize of $350,000. Supercash! numbers are drawn each day, and the
minimum prize is $1. Players choose 6 numbers per play, and prizes are awarded
for all plays that match 3 to 6 numbers.
All or Nothing offers a prize of $100,000
with drawings twice a day. The game is simple — players choose 11 numbers out
of 22 total numbers. If ALL or NONE of the player's chosen numbers match (or
don't match) the drawn numbers, they win $100,000. There are no prizes awarded
for partial matches.
Pick 3 and Pick 4 Lotto games draw twice
daily. Pick 3 offers a top prize of $500, while Pick 4's top prize is $5,000.
To play Pick 3, players choose a single number per row, with 3 rows total.
Players have the option of choosing Straight Play or Box Play. Pick 4 follows
the same guidelines as Pick 3, but there are 4 numbers instead of 3.
Straight Play generally pays out more,
while Box Play typically pays out more often. To win a prize using Straight
Play, all numbers must match the drawn numbers exact order in which they were
drawn. For Box Play, all numbers must also match the drawn numbers, but the
numbers can be in any order in the box.
10 Buck Luck is a special draw game offered by
the Wisconsin State Lottery that allows players to purchase single-play
Powerball, Mega Millions, All or Nothing, Megabucks, Supercash!, Badger 5, and
Pick 3 and 4 Box Play tickets for $10.
The
Wisconsin State Lottery offers a wide selection of instant scratcher games,
with cash prizes ranging from $1 to $2 million and up. Games include basic
number matching, crossword puzzles, BINGO and blackjack, and specific themes
can vary depending on the seasons. Holiday games are generally available
throughout the fall and winter months, and new games are added on a regular
basis.
To purchase Lotto draw game tickets or scratch-off
games through the Wisconsin State Lottery, players must be 18 years of age or
older.
As of 2022, Wisconsin follows an 'open records law'.
This means that the Wisconsin State Lottery is required to release information
such as winner names and the cities in which they reside upon request, if the
information is considered public interest. However, winners are not required to
provide additional identifiable information such as their home addresses,
and they do not have to speak to the media unless they choose to do so.
Currently, the Wisconsin State Lottery does not
offer an app or web-based feature to check winning numbers or scan tickets.
Players can scan their tickets at Wisconsin State Lottery self-checker kiosks
located in participating lottery retailers or you can use the APP at Lottery Current to scan tickets and track your expenses.
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