Frequently Asked Questions

Secondary winnings up to $600 will be transferred to your account shortly after receipt of the prize from the Minnesota State Lottery. You will need to collect prizes over that amount, including jackpot prizes, in person at offices of the Minnesota Lottery. In that case, our Customer Service Team will coordinate with you how you will receive your winning tickets.

When you order online at TheLotter Minnesota, you don’t have to check lottery draw results yourself to see if you won prizes. We will notify you whenever you win with an automatic email. At the same time, your private account on TheLotter Minnesota will be updated and you will be able to view the draw details and your win in the Wins section in the personal area.

You may use your winnings for future participation in lottery draws or you can choose to withdraw all, or part of them. Your purchases on the site are debited first from your account's balance, and when your account's balance is not sufficient the remaining cost is charged against your default payment method.

According to Minnesota state law, if you win a lottery prize above $10,000 you do not have to expose your private data. The prize amount, game name, and retailer name and city (where the winning ticket was purchased) are considered public information.

If you win a lottery prize on tickets purchased at TheLotter Minnesota, non-identifying information (your first name, the first letter of your last name, and the location of your residence) may be published on our website. If you wish to remove any such display of your personal details, please contact the Customer Service team.

All winnings on lottery tickets ordered on TheLotter Minnesota are paid out commission-free, regardless of the amount. If you choose to withdraw your lottery wins via a bank transfer, a bank transfer fee from your bank may apply.

When you win the jackpot, we will immediately notify you and a member of our Customer Service team will contact you directly to coordinate how you will get your winning ticket so that you can collect your prize in person. We will advise you, where possible, in the win collection process.

We highly recommend that you consult with financial and legal experts to discuss ways of collecting your jackpot prize money while continuing to maintain your privacy.

According to Minnesota state law, if you win a jackpot or any lottery prize above $10,000, you are allowed to retain your anonymity. The prize amount, game name, and retailer name and city (where the winning ticket was purchased) are considered public information.

TheLotter Minnesota will never disclose a winner's identity without their consent.

We highly recommend that jackpot winners consult with financial and legal experts to discuss ways of collecting their prize money while continuing to maintain their privacy.

Jackpot and top prize winners are offered a choice between receiving their prize in annual payments over time or as a lump-sum cash payment. If you choose the annual payment option, your prize will be paid out in installments over a fixed number of years. If you choose the lump sum cash option, you will receive the current cash value of the advertised prize amount. In both cases, relevant state and federal taxes are withheld before prizes are paid out.

Our payout system is fully automated and regularly audited. Winnings up to $600 are transferred to players' accounts shortly after they have been received from the official lottery operator. Winners of prizes of $600 and up will need to collect their prizes personally. In this case, we will coordinate with the player how they will receive their winning ticket(s).

As specified in our Terms of Service, lottery tickets are owned by the player, not by TheLotter Minnesota. TheLotter Minnesota provides a lottery ticket courier service fulfilling official lottery tickets orders on our customers’ behalf, but has no legal claim to their tickets. In the unlikely event of a dispute, aside from the Terms of Service (which are a legal and binding document), we will also provide our customers with ample proof of ownership.

First, when you order a lottery ticket on our site, you will immediately receive a confirmation email. Second, each transaction is permanently stored in your account, where it can be viewed and printed at any time. And finally, a scanned copy of your ticket is available in the My Account section, proving that the actual ticket was indeed purchased on your behalf. The scan displays the number selection and relevant draw information, as well as a serial code unique to each ticket. These items (legal agreement, order confirmation, and the scan of the actual ticket) firmly establish that the ticket legally belongs to you.

Our entire operation is geared to ensure that we maintain our reputation as the industry-leading online lottery ticket purchasing service. Our track record shows that winning players get their money.

Prizes in a lottery draw other than the jackpot are considered secondary prizes. Each lottery has its own prize division setup, defining the prizes and odds for partial matches. Secondary winnings can be small amounts of money or prizes in the millions, depending on the game, prize divisions, and inclusion of a multiplier feature.

Secondary prizes are always paid out in a lump sum cash payment after relevant taxes have been deducted.

Yes. The Minnesota State Lottery withholds taxes before prize money is paid out. Federal and state withholding taxes are deducted for every lottery prize over $5,000.

The Lottery is required by law to withhold 24 percent in federal income taxes and current Minnesota state law requires the Lottery to withhold 7.25 percent in Minnesota state income taxes. In total, 31.25 percent in taxes is deducted for every lottery prize over $5,000.

For non-resident aliens, current tax laws require that the Minnesota State Lottery withhold 30 percent in federal income taxes on all Lottery prizes and 7.25 percent in Minnesota state income taxes on Lottery prizes over $5,000.

Depending on other income and deductions, amounts withheld by the Lottery on your winnings may or may not be sufficient to meet one’s total tax obligation.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, winnings from lotteries and raffles are considered gambling winnings. After the end of the year, the Minnesota State Lottery will send each winner a Form W2-G report showing the amount of lottery prize payments to be reported as income and the amounts of federal and state taxes withheld to be reported as credits on the winner’s federal and state tax returns.

To win a lottery jackpot, all of the numbers on your lottery ticket must match those selected in the draw. If your numbers constitute a partial match with those drawn, you could be entitled to a secondary prize, but this is dependent on the specific lottery’s rules and prize divisions.

If you think that your ticket entitles you to a prize, check to make sure that your matching numbers are all in the same line. Please keep in mind that each line you select is actually an independent unit. Also, make sure that you are comparing your ticket with the results of the correct lottery draw and date you played.

If you are still unsure whether your ticket is eligible for a lottery prize, please contact us.