How it all started.
The Montana Lottery was created in 1986 by a vote of the citizens of Montana, passed by over 69% of the popular vote. Our first Scratch ticket, Pot of Gold, was sold on June 24, 1987. We've been making winners ever since.
Our mission.
The Lottery mission is to maximize revenues for state programs, ensure the Lottery's integrity, and provide excellent customer service.
Montana Lottery Milestones
- 2010
- March
- Ticket sales begin for Mega Millions, which along with Powerball gives Montana Lottery players the chance to win two big jackpots.
- The Pac-Man Cash Second Chance drawing for a Pac-Man arcade machine is held at Montana Lottery headquarters. Char Egland of Baker is the winner.
- February
- The Montana Lottery launches 10 Spot, a twice-daily lotto game with mid-day and evening drawings. The top prize is $25,000.
- January
- The Montana Millionaire 2009 drawing is held at Montana Lottery headquarters. The $1 million winner is Dana DelGuerra of Great Falls.
- The Second Chance drawing for the BIG Montana Truck raffle game is held at Montana Lottery headquarters. Laurie Wisner of Bozeman is the winner.
- 2009
- January
- The Montana Millionaire 2008 drawing is held at Montana Lottery headquarters. The $1 million winners are Mike and Carole McGivern of Butte.
- 2008
- November
- Montana Millionaire 2008 tickets go on sale. This game, like the first Montana Millionaire in 2007, will award one winner with $1 million, five winners with $100,000 and five winners with $10,000. Additionally, 400 tickets will be instant $50 winners.
- September
- The first Second Chance Drawing held exclusively through www.montanalottery.com is held. Dallas Cox of Helena wins a Harley-Davidson® 105th Anniversary Fat Boy Motorcycle.
- August
- Montana Sports Action, a pari-mutuel fantasy sports wagering game, goes on sale! The first game offered is Fantasy Football. Montana Sports Action was created on behalf of The Montana Board of Horse Racing.
- June
- Record sales of $43.9 million are tallied, along with the second highest transfer of $11 million to the state's General Fund.
- April
- Harley-Davidson® 105th Anniversary Scratch tickets go on sale, offering the first merchandise prize since 1998.
- 2007
- December
- The first Montana Millionaire drawing is held. The $1 million winners are Gary and BJ Klipstein of Billings.
- October
- The 1st Montana millionaire Games goes on sale.
- June
- The Montana Lottery celebrates its 20th anniversary.
- 2006
- July
- FAMILY OF GAMES is introduced at the MontanaFair in Billings. These are games with similar play and graphics and have varied prices of $1, $2, $5, and $10. These games offer the Lottery’s first $10 price point Scratch ticket.
- June
- Record sales of $39.9 million are recorded, along with the second highest transfer of $9.1 million to the states general fund.
- 2005
- October
- First $1 million POWERALL with Power Play prize is given.
- August
- The POWERBALL matrix is changed to create faster growing, larger jackpots. The starting jackpot is increased from $10 millon to $15 million, and the second and third level prizes are doubled. Players can choose to take a lump sum jackpot that is approximately half of the advertised jackpot or choose a 30-year annuity option.
- July
- We introduce our first $5 Crossword Scratch ticket, COLOSSAL CROSSWORD.
- 2004
- June
- For the first time since 1995, transfers of fiscal year 2004 exceed $8 million dollars.
- January
- A brand-new concept in Lottery games is introduced. QWIK TIX are four "instant win" games-Lucky Numbers, Hot-Tac-Toe, Jacks or Better, and Montana Match. Each game ticket is generated by the lotto terminal, and upon playing the ticket, players know instantly if they've won a prize.
- 2003
- July
- The Montana Lottery achieved $100 Million in transfers over its 16 year history.
- February
- Six new SCRATCH games are introduced by the Montana Lottery.
- 2002
- November
- We introduce a new type of $3 scratch ticket. It's called SLINGO and is similar in design to the Slingo game played on the internet.
- April
- We launch a new Lotto game, HOT LOTTO, in conjunction with seven other state lotteries. The jackpot starts at $1 Million. This game replaces ROLLDOWN.
- 2001
- November
- We introduce our first $5 Scratch ticket, EASY STREET, with a top prize of $50,000.
- March
- POWERBALL adds a new optional feature called POWER PLAY. For an additional $1, this new feature gives players a chance to increase prizes they win (except for the jackpot) up to five times.
- 2000
- September
- A new game, ROLLDOWN, is introduced in conjunction with nine other state lotteries. If the jackpot is not won, all the money that would have been the jackpot "rolls down" and is distributed to all the other prize winners in the game, giving them greater cash prizes.
CASH 4 LIFE ends.
- January
- MONEY MAZE, the Lottery's first $3 Scratch ticket is introduced. The higher price point ticket gives players more play action and offers a higher top prize.
- 1999
- December
- We introduce this web site, www.montanalottery.com. The site offers useful information about the Lottery as well as providing winning numbers and information about new and current Scratch games.
- May
- It's the first day of sales for the revamped WILD CARD game, now called WILD CARD 2, offered with South Dakota and Idaho. The game offers improved odds, adds two plays for $1, and gives players a chance to choose their own Wild Card rather than have the computer pick it for them.
- 1998
- August
- A record $200 million POWERBALL jackpot generates $1.7 million in sales for the week ending August 3.
- March
- We introduce CASH 4 LIFE, a daily game offering a $1,000-a-week-for-life prize with a guaranteed 10-year payout. DAILY MILLIONS ends.
- February
- We introduce WILD CARD, which replaces TRI-WEST LOTTO. WILD CARD is a 6/38 game in which the computer "deals" a "wild card" for every $1 play. The game is also offered by Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
- 1997
- November
- POWERBALL undergoes some significant changes. The starting jackpot increases to $10 million, and players can choose to take a lump sum jackpot that is approximately half of the advertised jackpot or choose the 25-year annuity option.
- July
- By legislative action, up to $100,000 over fiscal years 1998 and 1999 is transferred to fund a study on socioeconomic impacts of gambling.
- June
- It's our 10th Anniversary!
- May
- We introduce DAILY MILLIONS, a daily lotto game featuring a chance of winning $1 million every day.
- February
- We introduce an Instant Ticket Validation and Accounting System, which allows Scratch players to cash winning tickets at any Montana Lottery retail location across the state.
- We introduce nine new Scratch games in conjunction with it.
- 1996
- July
- In addition to fairs and horse races, the Montana Lottery is visible at shopping malls across the state.
- March
- Dorothy Jungers and Myrtle Wiley of Helena won the TRI-WEST LOTTO Jackpot of over $1.4 million.
- 1995
- March
- Our first BINGO Scratch tickets go on sale, Montana's first extended-play, $2 game.
- February
- It's the first drawing for the revamped TRI-WEST LOTTO. The game was reintroduced as a 6/33 game, with improved odds of 1 in 17, an all-cash jackpot, and set prize payouts on low-tier prizes.
- 1994
- October
- We expand out multi-game Scratch concept, installing ticket dispensers designed to hold more games at retail locations and offering up to eight Scratch games at one time to players.
- July
- By legislative action, all of the profits of the Lottery now go to the state's General Fund.
- March
- We offer the Scratch games MORE PRIZES and BIGGER PRIZES simultaneously to test which of the choices most appeal to players.
- February
- Today is the first drawing for TRI-WEST LOTTO , a 6/41 game offered with Idaho and South Dakota.
- 1993
- July
- For a record $110 million POWERBALL jackpot, the Lottery's sales again exceeded $1.2 million.
- March
- The Montana Lottery introduces a multi-game scratch concept to retailers, introducing a new game every 6 weeks.
- Lotto sales exceed $1 million per draw for the first time, with $1.1 million sold. The following draw saw over $1.2 million in sales. The sales were prompted by a record $60 million POWERBALL jackpot.
- 1992
- July
- By legislative action, a larger portion-9.1%-of the Lottery's profits are now transferred to the Board of Crime Control to help fund juvenile detention centers.
- April
- POWERBALL sales begin. The multi-state game replaces LOTTO*AMERICA and offers nine ways to win, improved overall odds, and a larger jackpot.
- Today is the first POWERBALL drawing.
- Montana adds a second weekly drawing for MONTANA CA$H .
- 1991
- July
- By legislative action, 1.6% of Lottery profits are now transferred to the Board of Crime Control to fund administrative costs associated with juvenile detention centers.
- May
- It's the first day of sales for Montana's own 5/37 game, MONTANA CA$H .
- The first live weekly televised MONTANA CA$H drawing is held, with hostess Marsha Rae and citizen participant Katherine Summers, Montana's first LOTTO*AMERICA jackpot winner.
- 1990
- September
- The final BIG WIN show is held in Billings.
- July
- The legislature changes where the money goes-from the Teachers Retirement Fund
to the Office of Public Instruction School Equalization Account.
- April
- We hold the first BIG WIN event in Missoula. Ten finalists share $205,000 in prizes.
- January
- Montana's first LOTTO*AMERICA winner, Katherine Summers of Basin, wins. $1.3 million.
- 1989
- December
- It's the last BIG SPIN TV show. 460 finalists share in total winnings of $7,730,000 over the course of the show.
- November
- LOTTO*AMERICA, a 6/54 two-draw per week lotto game, goes on sale in Montana. Its first-week sales are more than double Lottery projections.
- August
- The Lottery launches its first merchandise Scratch game, PICKUP PLENTY , which features a top prize of a 4X4 pickup, along with various cash prizes.
- April
- Governor Stan Stephens signs legislation which
- allows more prizes to be paid to players
- allows bonuses to be paid to retailers and Lottery sales staff for sales increases
- allows the Lottery to participate in lottery games with other lotteries across the nation
- no longer restricts operating expenses to a percent of revenue
- 1988
- June
- We premiered the first BIG SPIN TV Show, a 30-minute special. $26,000 is awarded in cash prizes to seven lucky finalists.
- 1987
- June
- Our first Scratch game, POT OF GOLD, goes on sale.
- There are 1,047 Montana Lottery retailers.
- 1986
- November
- Legislative Referendum 100, the Montana State Lottery Act, passes by 69% of the popular vote, carrying each of the 56 counties. Montana becomes the 23rd state lottery in the nation. Lottery profits are to go the the Teachers Retirement Fund for the purpose of holding the line on or reducing property taxes.