Louisiana - Lotto

Lotto

Lotto is one of many state lotteries played in Louisiana, being the flagship game of the Louisiana Lottery Corporation.

Entry costs $1.00 per ticket, with draws taking place twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 22:00 local time.

To enter Lotto, choose six numbers between 1 and 40, or go for a Quick Pick to enter with randomly generated numbers.

A multi-draw feature allows players to enter up to 20 draws in advance.

Unlike many other lotteries, Lotto does not have any additional games or opportunities to win extra prizes.

Jackpot

Lotto has a guaranteed minimum jackpot of $250,000.

There is no rollover or jackpot cap, with jackpots regularly exceeding $1 million as a result.

The biggest ever Lotto jackpot was $31 million shared by two ticket holders, with the biggest single-ticket win being $21.2 million.

Odds and Prizes

The odds of winning the Lotto jackpot are 1 in 3,838,380. Although these are long odds for a relatively modest jackpot, frequent rollovers make the prize more attractive.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 30, with a chance to win at four different tiers. Prizes at the second and third tiers are dependent on ticket sales, whereas the prize at the lowest tier is fixed.

Payout and Taxes

Players have up to 180 days to claim Lotto prizes, which are paid out as lump sums only.

In Louisiana, lottery prizes of over $5,000 are normally subject to 5% state tax and 25% federal tax, with winning non-US citizens also paying the full 30%. Tax is paid at source by everyone, including overseas players.

Players from abroad should check local tax laws to find out if winnings also need to be declared at home.

Who Can Play Lotto?

Players in Louisiana must be at least 21 years of age to participate in Lotto.

Tickets are available from authorized lottery retailers across Louisiana.

Players wishing to play online in Louisiana or from around the world can only do so via authorized Lottery Agent websites as tickets are not sold on the official Louisiana Lottery website.

History of Lotto

The first Lotto draw took place in January 1992, with the midweek draw added in December 1996. At this time, the minimum guaranteed jackpot was halved from $500,000 to $250,000.

In 1995, Louisiana Lottery changed the jackpot prize payment from a 20-year annual payout to a lump sum only.