The Missouri Lottery has a rich history spanning over three decades. It was first approved by voters in November 1984 through a constitutional amendment, with tickets going on sale for the first time in January 1986.
The lottery started out modestly, initially only offering scratchers, pull-tab tickets, and Lotto games. Over the years, the Missouri Lottery has continued expanding its portfolio of games to provide more entertainment options for players. Some of the popular games now available include Powerball, Mega Millions, Show Me Cash, Club Keno, and various scratchers with different price points and prize levels.
Today, the Missouri Lottery generates over $1 billion in annual revenue, contributing substantially to public education in the state. By law, lottery profits go toward funding Missouri public schools, colleges, veterans homes, and other state programs. Since 1986, the lottery has provided more than $7 billion in proceeds to the state.
With continued responsible growth and innovation, the Missouri Lottery aims to keep offering fun and entertaining games for players while maximizing its contributions to vital state programs and services. The lottery has become an integral part of life for many Missouri residents looking to try their luck and make a positive impact.
Games Offered
The Missouri Lottery offers a variety of lottery games for players to choose from. The most popular games fall into two main categories – scratchers and draw games.
Scratchers
also known as scratch-off tickets, are instant win games where players scratch off a latex coating on the ticket to reveal prizes. range in price from $1 to $30 per ticket. Some of the most popular scratcher games include:
- $100,000 Taxes Paid
- $300 Million Cash Explosion
- $1,000,000 Golden Ticket
- Monopoly Jackpot
- Ultimate Crossword
New scratcher games are introduced frequently, often coinciding with major holidays or events. Limited edition games with popular brands are also launched occasionally, such as special Willy Wonka-themed scratchers.
Draw Games
Draw games require players to pick numbers that are then entered into scheduled drawings. If the numbers match, the player wins a prize.
The two biggest national draw games offered are:
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Powerball: Drawings held Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting jackpot is $40 million. To play, pick 5 numbers from 1 to 69 and 1 Powerball from 1 to 26.
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Mega Millions: Drawings held Tuesdays and Fridays, starting jackpot is $20 million. To play, pick 5 numbers from 1 to 70 and 1 Mega Ball from 1 to 25.
In addition, the Missouri Lottery offers state-specific draw games:
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Missouri Lotto: Drawings held Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting jackpot is $1 million. Pick 6 numbers from 1 to 44.
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Show Me Cash: Drawings daily, jackpots start at $50,000. Pick 5 numbers from 1 to 39.
Draw game tickets can be purchased for $1-2 per play. Players can do quick picks to have numbers randomly generated, or manually choose their own numbers.
Where Lottery Proceeds Go
The Missouri Lottery provides significant funding to education programs across the state. By law, at least 35% of Missouri Lottery proceeds must go to public education. These funds support elementary, secondary and higher education in Missouri. Some of the education programs funded by the lottery include:
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The A+ Schools Program, which provides scholarships for students to attend 2-year public community colleges or vocational/technical schools in Missouri. It has provided financial assistance to thousands of students across the state since 1993.
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Early childhood education programs like Parents as Teachers, which provides parent education and family support services for children 5 years and under. The lottery has contributed over $200 million to these programs.
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Higher education scholarship programs like Bright Flight, which rewards top-performing high school seniors with scholarships to attend college in Missouri. Over $350 million in Bright Flight scholarships have been awarded since the program began in 1996.
The Missouri Lottery is also a significant source of funding for the Missouri Veterans Commission and veterans programs. By law, at least 4% of proceeds must support Missouri veterans. The lottery has contributed over $80 million to veterans programs to date. This funding supports services like veterans nursing homes, service officer programs, and healthcare for veterans.
Other state programs and services funded by the Missouri Lottery include natural resources, state parks, emergency responders, drug treatment programs, and more. Since 1986, the Missouri Lottery has generated over $6.5 billion for vital state programs and services that benefit residents across Missouri. Though the main purpose is to provide entertainment, the lottery also serves an important role in supplementing state budgets.
Odds and Prize Payouts
The Missouri Lottery offers a variety of lottery games with different odds and prize payouts. The overall odds of winning any prize in the Missouri Lottery games ranges from around 1 in 4.5 for Scratchers tickets, to over 1 in 292 million for the multi-state Powerball game.
For Scratchers instant win tickets, the overall odds of winning a prize are around 1 in 4.5. Prizes on range from $1 up to top prizes over $1 million. The specific odds vary for each game.
The daily Draw Games in Missouri including Pick 3 and Pick 4 have odds of 1 in 1,000 of winning a $500 prize. The overall odds of winning any prize are around 1 in 8.
For the Missouri-only Lotto game, the odds of matching all 6 numbers to win the jackpot are around 1 in 3.5 million. The starting jackpot is $1 million, rolling over until won. The biggest Lotto jackpot won so far was $5.9 million in 2017.
Powerball and Mega Millions are the big multi-state lottery games. For Powerball, the odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 292 million. The biggest Powerball jackpot won in Missouri was $96.5 million in March 2017. For Mega Millions, the jackpot odds are 1 in 302 million, with the state’s biggest win at $258 million in 2016.
So while the overall odds of winning any Missouri Lottery prize are decent, the chances of hitting the huge nationwide jackpots are still incredibly slim. But someone has to win eventually!
Buying Tickets
In Missouri, you must be at least 18 years old to purchase lottery tickets. There are several convenient options for buying lottery tickets in the state:
Retail Locations
Lottery tickets can be purchased at over 4,000 licensed retailer locations across Missouri, including grocery stores, gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and more. Just look for the green and white “Missouri Lottery” signage.
Self-Service Ticket Machines
Many retail locations have self-service ticket machines where you can purchase lottery tickets. These machines accept cash and are user-friendly.
Mobile App
The Missouri Lottery mobile app allows you to scan and upload tickets for 2nd chance drawings, find retail locations, and more. While you cannot directly purchase lottery tickets within the app, it can help you find and manage your play.
Online
For draw games like Powerball and Mega Millions, you can purchase tickets online at the Missouri Lottery website. You must create an account and deposit funds to play. There are some restrictions – only Missouri residents over 18 can create accounts and players are limited to $250 in deposits per day. Online play is not available for instant “scratcher” games.
Subscriptions
Missouri Lottery offers subscription services for some draw games like Powerball and Mega Millions. You can set up automatic ticket purchases for up to 26 drawings in advance. Subscriptions must be set up online or through the mobile app.
So in summary, buying lottery tickets in Missouri is easy a…
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