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What do you want to know?
Here are the most frequently asked questions about the Lottery, and the answers. If you have a question that we haven't answered, you can Contact Us. You can also get more familiar with some commonly used Lottery terms.
Winning/claiming your prize
Playing the games
POWERBALL®
MEGA MILLIONS®
HOT LOTTO®
Winning numbers/jackpot information
General information
Retailing
Do you have a Players VIP Club?
Yes, the Delaware Lottery offers a Players Club. Sign up today to receive special promotions, news and notices! You can also sign up to have Winning Numbers delivered to your inbox — daily or weekly — it's your choice.
How old do I have to be to play Delaware Lottery games?
You must be 18 years old to play Delaware Lottery games and 21 years old to play Video Lottery games at licensed Delaware racetracks.
Where can I find winning numbers?
You can find winning numbers in several places:
- Check out Winning Numbers on-line for the most current winning numbers. Plus, there's an archive so you can check old tickets too!
- You can also download past winning numbers by year.
- You can sign up to receive Winning Numbers via e-mail — weekly or daily, it's your choice.
- Check the News Journal or the Delaware State News the day after a drawing.
- Call the Player Information Line at 1-800-338-6200 in Delaware or 302-736-1436 outside of Delaware.
- You can also verify numbers at Lottery terminals, and many Retailers post winning numbers in their stores.
How do I know for sure if my ticket is a winner?
In addition to checking your Winning Numbers here, in the newspaper or by calling the Player Information Line, you must take your ticket to any Lottery Retailer or to the Delaware Lottery Office for verification. You must claim winning On-Line tickets within a year of the drawing date, and Instant Game tickets within a year of the announced end date of the game.
How do I find the closest Delaware Lottery Retailer location?
You can find your nearest Delaware Lottery Retailer by visiting Where to Buy.
I won! Now, how do I claim my prize?
Congratulations! When you win, it's easy to collect! First, please be sure to sign the back of your ticket to prevent anyone else from claiming your prize. Depending on the amount of your prize, you can claim it at any Delaware Lottery Retailer, at a Delaware Lottery Redemption Center or at the Delaware Lottery Office. For details, you can check out How to Claim Prizes.
If I win, am I allowed to remain anonymous?
Yes, Delaware State law allows all Delaware Lottery winners
to remain anonymous.
How do I get to the Delaware Lottery Office?
The Delaware Lottery Office is located in Suite 102, 1575 McKee
Road, in the McKee Business Park in Dover. For driving information,
we have Directions for you.
How much is taken out of my winnings for
Federal and State taxes?
For any prize of more than $5,000, the Lottery withholds 25%
of your winnings for Federal tax. Delaware Lottery prizes are
not subject to Delaware Income Tax. However, if you are not
a Delaware resident, your state may tax your winnings.
What is an "annuity"?
An annuity refers to the payment option for POWERBALL® jackpot
prize payments in which the prize money is divided up to be
paid in yearly installments. POWERBALL® jackpot prizes
are paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The annual
annuity payment will be increased each year by 4%.
What is an "annuity"?
An annuity refers to the payment option for MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot
prize payments in which the prize money is divided up to be
paid in yearly installments. MEGA MILLIONS® jackpots have a guaranteed minimum estimated annuity of $12 million per drawing, plus eight set cash prizes up to $250,000. The jackpot prize will be divided equally among multiple winners. The jackpot prize for annuity option will be paid in 26 annual payments.
What is an "annuity"?
An annuity refers to the payment option for HOT LOTTO® jackpot prize payments in which the prize money is divided up to be paid in yearly installments. HOT LOTTO® jackpots have a guaranteed minimum estimated annuity of $1 million per drawing, plus eight set cash prizes up to $10,000. The jackpot prize will be divided equally among multiple winners. The jackpot prize for annuity option will be paid in 25 payments over 24 years.
Which states participate in POWERBALL®?
Fortyone states, plus the District of Columbia & US
Virgin Islands, participate in POWERBALL®: Arizona, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia,
West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington. Click here to view the Powerball map.
Which states participate in MEGA MILLIONS®?
Thirtynine states currently participate in the MEGA MILLIONS game: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Which states participate in HOT LOTTO®?
Fifteen states, plus the District of Columbia participate in HOT LOTTO®: Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia and Vermont. Click here to view the HOT LOTTO® map.
Why did Delaware join with other states
to offer POWERBALL®?
Delaware joined with other states in the Multi-State
Lottery Association (MUSL), which oversees the POWERBALL®
game, so that larger jackpots and prizes can be offered to
Delaware players.
Why did Delaware join with other states
to offer MEGA MILLIONS®?
Delaware joined other states in the Mega Millions Consortium, which oversees the multi-state MEGA MILLIONS® game, so that more multimillion-dollar jackpots and more prizes can be offered to Delaware Lottery players.
Why did Delaware join with other states
to offer HOT LOTTO®?
Delaware joined with other states in the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which oversees the HOT LOTTO® game, to offer a game that appeals to players based on its familiar play style and its ability to produce jackpots starting at $1 million.
What is a Quick Pick ticket?
When you ask your Lottery Retailer for a Quick Pick ticket
for any On-Line game — PLAY 3, PLAY 4, Multi-Win LOTTO, POWERBALL® or HOT LOTTO®
— the Lottery terminal computer will randomly select all
or some of the numbers for you. That's the quickest and easiest
way to choose numbers when you play any On-Line Lottery game!
The Lottery terminal has no memory of numbers selected previously.
Therefore, a player could have some of the same Quick Pick
numbers for different games on a ticket.
Do I have to use a play slip?
No, you do not, if you use the Quick Pick feature. Just tell
your Lottery Retailer how many Quick Pick tickets you want
to play and how much you want to wager for each game: PLAY
3, PLAY 4, Multi-Win LOTTO, POWERBALL® or HOT LOTTO®. The Lottery
computer will generate tickets with randomly selected numbers
on them.
Do you offer Lottery subscriptions?
At this time, the Delaware Lottery does not offer this service.
Can I purchase Delaware Lottery tickets
via the Internet, by phone or by mail?
Delaware Laws prohibit the Lottery from selling any Lottery
products via the Internet, phone or by mail. Delaware Lottery
tickets are sold in a variety of Retail outlets statewide.
Can I observe a Lottery drawing?
Delaware Lottery drawings (Multi-Win LOTTO and PLAY 3/PLAY
4) are posted on-line daily.
(Only the current drawing for that day are posted, so be sure
to check each day!) And, any Delaware citizen who wishes to
observe the Lottery drawing procedure may write, e-mail or
call the Delaware Lottery Office in
Dover and request to view a drawing.
Where does Lottery money go?
You can check out Where the Money Goes for
details on Lottery fund distribution. Briefly, most of the
money is allocated to prizes (50% or more), to the General
Fund (30% or more) and to Retailer commissions and bonuses
(approximately 10%). Less than 5% of the proceeds is used to
pay for administrative and promotional expenses.
Does the Lottery use tax money?
No tax dollars are used to fund the Delaware Lottery. The Lottery
is totally self-sufficient. It was established in 1974 by legislative
decree. For more detailed information, visit Rules,
Regulations and Financials, which includes a copy of our
latest Annual Report.
How do I become a Delaware Lottery Retailer?
You can learn more about the opportunity to join the network
of Delaware Lottery Retailers and how to apply for membership
in our Retailer's Corner.
What happens to annual jackpot payments
if the winner dies before collecting all the prize installments?
The Delaware Lottery requires all jackpot prize winners to
assign a beneficiary. In the event of a winner's death, the
Lottery will continue to pay the annual payments, as scheduled,
to the winner's designated beneficiary or estate. The Lottery
does not keep the money; the state does not take it. The Internal
Revenue Service has special rules concerning estate taxes and
expected future payments. The Lottery recommends that all jackpot
winners consult a tax expert for advice.
What happens to MEGA MILLIONS® payments
if the winner dies before collecting all the prize installments?
If a winner dies before receiving all annual payments, MEGA MILLIONS will continue to pay the annual payments, as scheduled, to the winner's designated beneficiary or to the winner's estate. The Lottery does not keep the money; the state does not take it. The Internal Revenue Service has special rules concerning estate taxes and expected future payments. The Lottery recommends that all jackpot winners consult a tax expert for advice.
Winners who choose the annuity method will receive 26 annual MEGA MILLIONS® payments.
If I win
the POWERBALL® jackpot, how long will it take to get paid?
It takes about two weeks from the time the ticket is
claimed.
What is the POWERBALL Match 5 Bonus?
Information on the Match 5 Bonus is available at powerball.com: http://www.powerball.com/powerball/pb_prizes.asp
If I win
the MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot, how long will it take to get paid?
It takes about two weeks from the time the ticket is
claimed.
If I win
the HOT LOTTO® jackpot, how long will it take to get paid?
It takes about two weeks from the time the ticket is
claimed.
When are the winning numbers and jackpots updated on delottery.com?
Winning numbers and current jackpots for MULTI-WIN
LOTTO , POWERBALL®, MEGA MILLIONS®, and HOT LOTTO® and
winning numbers for PLAY
3 and PLAY 4 are published
daily on delottery.com, typically within
one hour of each game’s respective drawing time. In
addition, the number of winners are published on the site
based on the same schedule for MULTI-WIN
LOTTO and PLAY
3 and PLAY
4.
Drawings for MULTI-WIN LOTTO, PLAY 3 and PLAY 4 are
also posted daily on delottery.com, as soon after the live
drawing as possible.
(MULTI-WIN LOTTO drawings are held
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:57 p.m., POWERBALL® drawings are held Wednesdays
and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m., MEGA MILLIONS® drawins are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 p.m., HOT LOTTO® drawings are held Wednesdays and Saturdays. Play until 9:45 p.m., PLAY 3 and PLAY 4 Night drawings
are held every day at 7:57 p.m., and PLAY 3 and PLAY 4 Day
drawings are held Monday–Saturday at 1:58 p.m.)
You can also sign up to receive winning numbers via
e-mail, either daily or weekly. Daily winning numbers are
typically delivered to your in-box around 9:15 p.m.; weekly
winning numbers results are sent on Sundays and are typically
delivered to your in-box around 9:15 p.m.
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