MO Lottery Blog

Rolling...

The jackpots are rolling this week. The Mega Millions jackpot grew to $19 million, and tonight's Show Me Cash jackpot stands at $246,000. You can win $1.2 million playing Lotto, and the Powerball jackpot is up to $90 million.

Don't forget, you can win prizes other than the jackpot in these games. There were 19 players who won $250 playing Show Me Cash last night, and the second prize in Powerball is $1 million.

You can also win playing Pick 3 and Pick 4. Players have won more than $60,000 in prizes in the last two evening Pick 3 drawings.

So, what are you playing tonight?

Presidents' Day

Happy Presidents' Day. State offices, including the Missouri Lottery, will be closed Monday in observance of the holiday. The Lottery will reopen for regular business on Tuesday.

Thanks for playing.

It's a scam!

We try to remind you from time to time about the various scams out there, sometimes perpetrated in the name of the Lottery. In fact, not long ago, we pointed out that February is National Scams Awareness Month.

We've heard of a few of these scams taking place in our state. Multiple citizens have reported calls from someone claiming to be with the Lottery or Publishers Clearinghouse. They inform you that you've won a prize; you just need to send them a pre-paid debit card from Walmart to begin processing the payment.

I know, you just got the Clearinghouse notice in the mail and bought a Lottery ticket last week. But this is not how sweepstakes and Lotteries work. You do not have to send us money to claim your prize. In the case of the Lottery, you either have a winning ticket or you don't. (BTW, the recent Powerball winners aren't giving it all away either.)

We don't call you and ask you to send us money to collect your prize. If someone asks you for cash up front, it's a scam.

Happy Valentine's Day

Flowers are nice, and chocolate is always welcome, but if you need a gift that really says "I love you" this year, consider adding a Missouri Lottery Scratchers ticket to your bouquet. Try one of our "for life" games, like "$500 A Week For Life." This ticket only costs $1, and your honey could win a prize that pays $500 a week for the rest of her life. Now, isn't THAT romantic?

We also have a $2 game that pays $1,000 a week for life, and a $5 game that pays $2,500 a week for life, available at thousands of Missouri Lottery retail locations statewide.

Happy Birthday, Abe!

State offices, including the Missouri Lottery, will be closed Tuesday in observance of Honest Abe's birthday. It also happens to be Mardi Gras, so if you're celebrating today, thousands of Missouri Lottery retail locations will be open in case you get the itch.

The Lottery will reopen for regular business on Wednesday. Good luck!

Super Sunday

The big game is finally here. By now, you have the appetizers chosen and the location set. But do you have the tickets?  If you’re going out, choose a watch location with Club Keno and double your fun. If you’re going to a party or staying in, don’t forget you can still play Keno To Go at any Missouri Lottery retail location. Just stop on the way and get a multi-draw Keno To Go ticket. You could win big while watching the game.

Around Central MO, we’re rooting for a couple of former Missouri players. Here’s hoping we end up with a lot of winners in our great state.

Groundhog Day

Happy Groundhog Day. Have you ever woke up and thought, “This seems familiar.” Maybe you’re living a real-life version of the nightmare depicted in the film, “Groundhog Day.” Well, a good variant of the movie might be winning the Lottery over and over. With growing jackpots, now would be a good time to play.

We find out today whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter (pretty good bet.) We’ll also find out if we have a winner of the $176 million Powerball jackpot. Got your ticket?

It's a scam!

February is national Scams Awareness Month. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here is the message we're promoting this month, and here it is in action. This station in South Dakota is reporting a local scam involving Powerball.

Remember, we don't contact you if you win the Lottery - you have to buy a ticket and claim your winnings with us. If someone requests personal information and/or money so that you can claim the prize for which you never entered, it's a scam!

Taxes

If you won money from the Missouri Lottery in 2012, you're expected to report winnings as income. The Lottery reports all wins of more than $600, and if you won more than $5,000, federal and state withholding was made on your behalf. In these cases, you will be getting a W2-G from the Missouri Lottery.

Documents began mailing this week, and you should soon be seeing your tax documents in the mail. All forms will be sent by Jan. 31. Congratulations on your win, and happy filing.

MLK Day

State offices, including the Missouri Lottery, will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will reopen for regular business on Tuesday.

Of course, thousands of retail locations statewide will have tickets for purchase should you get the itch. Thank you for playing it forward.