MO Lottery Blog

Get your tickets!

The Powerball jackpot continues to climb.  Two winners from Missouri matched five white-ball numbers in the Wednesday drawing to win $200,000, but no one matched the Powerball number, which means the jackpot will ratchet up again.  The jackpot for March 1 is an estimated $153 million!  Get your tickets early - you might start seeing lines at your favorite Lottery retail location. 

And the winners are...

One of the common complaints we get is "winners never come from my town" or "how come all the big tickets get sold in _____ City?"  We don't know where the winners are going to be until they claim their prizes, and they come from every corner of the state.  We put out a news release each month that is essentially a list of all the big winners.  You can find it in the media section of our Web site.  Take a look at this month's list and you'll find that winners come from everywhere, and in all shapes and sizes. 

Trips are back!

2007 was a hot year for triples in Pick 3, and the streak is going again with today's Midday drawing.  Midday Pick 3 numbers for Feb. 27 were 0-0-0.  Players were ready because the pay out was three times more than total sales.  Will 2008 be as hot for Pick 3 players? 

We now do Windows!

And only Windows.  We've been streaming video at Molottery.com for several years, but until recently, it was only available in the Real Player format.  We added Windows Media streaming about a year ago, and as of today, we're making a clean break with the Real format.  From this day forward, video of the drawings and all other video we provide will only be available as a Windows Media stream.  Most computer-savvy folks prefer Windows to Real, and it should make for a cleaner presentation. 

You'll notice that our drawing page has been updated with the new format, and it now has the current show embedded in the Web page.  A visit to that page will automatically start playing the most recent show, and like before, you can watch shows from up to two months ago.  We'll archive a longer period over time and topical items like Reel Lottery and press conferences will remain on file for years.  If you have the drawings page bookmarked, you'll need to update the URL.  We hope this change is yet another improvement you'll appreciate.  Happy viewing. 

Hot Jackpot!

Mega Millions was hit by a player in Georgia last Friday night, while the Powerball jackpot rolled on Saturday.  That means Powerball moves in to first place as the hottest ticket in the nation.  The estimated Powerball jackpot for Feb. 27 is $133 million!  Do you have a ticket? 

Cowboy up!

Here's another chance to win tickets to a Pro Bull Riding event.  This promotion is limited to MyLottery members, but here's a tip - accounts are free.  In addition to tickets for four, there's a VIP tour, Pro Bull Riding merchandise and a $200 debit card.  Log on today for your chance to win.

Entry deadline is 5 p.m. on Feb. 25.  Download CowboyUp1.mp3

Jackpot Alert!

While there is a lot of talk about the multi-state game Mega Millions (not available in Missouri) and its $270 million jackpot, the Powerball jackpot is nothing to sneeze at.  The Powerball jackpot for Feb. 23 is an estimated $115 million.  If you are an occasional player, now is the time to bust out those playslips.  Would you be satisfied with $115 million? 

Unclaimed

Some of you apparently appreciate the new feature on our promotion winners list that indicates when prizes have been claimed.  We know this because we're getting a lot of questions about the Million-Dollar Raffle - people would like to know if all the prizes have been claimed so they can discard their tickets. 

There is a big difference between a second-chance promotion like "Holiday in the Driveway" and a game like the Million-Dollar Raffle, and it has to do with the ticket.  When you purchase a game, like Lotto or the Million-Dollar Raffle, the ticket is a bearer's instrument.  The ticket itself has a value associated with it and it has a specific time-frame in which it can be claimed, which is 180 days following a drawing or the game ending date. 

For a second-chance promotion such as "Holiday in the Driveway" or "Deal or No Deal," the ticket(s) are a requirement for entry into the promotion.  The "entry" itself hold the value of the prize.  If you enter promotions on-line through MyLottery, we require that winners produce the actual tickets they used to enter the promotion so that we can validate their "entry," and we give them two weeks to turn them in.  We already have tickets mailed or accepted at a Lottery drop-off location to verify they are a qualified "entry."  If an "entry" is not qualified or the required tickets not produced, we can continue drawing until all the prizes are given away. 

The key difference is game or promotion.  When you play a game, the ticket you buy holds the value.  Any prizes that go unclaimed are returned to the state.  That's why you should always check your tickets closely. 

Jackpot Alert!

The Powerball jackpot for Feb. 20 is an estimated $100 million!  Is that worth a dollar? 

Happy Valentine's Day

A couple of posts ago, I blogged about two holiday-themed Scratchers tickets we have out for this time of year.  One of them is the $1 ticket "Lucky Hearts."  I'm curious, does anyone plan on giving their lover a ticket for this holiday, or is it all flowers and candy?  Are you giving anything?  Do you have a unique idea for Valentine's Day?