Hello and welcome to our guide to the Montana Lottery, giving you everything you need to know about The Treasure State’s bountiful lottery opportunities before you go buy your next ticket. The Montana Lottery is in its middle age, as far as lotteries go, founded in 1986 and drawing its first lotteries a year later. We’ll take you through all the different game types on offer in the state, highlighting the games with the best odds and the ones that can deliver the best prizes. Most importantly, we’ll have all the winning numbers and results, so you never need to go searching to find your looking for.

The Montana flag, with lottery balls in the background

Throughout this guide, we’ll take you through all the Montana Lottery games with the best odds and bang for your buck. From the Draw Games and the ever important drawing schedule so you’ll never miss out, to the instantly winning Scratchers. There’s also the fun Alternative Lottery Games that aren’t quite Draw Games nor are they Scratchers, as well as other tidbits of information about the history of the MT Lottery, and all the most important laws and regulations of The Treasure State so you’ll be well prepared to take your next bet.

The Various Montana Lottery Games Available

The Montana Lottery has a treasure trove of lotteries big and small for your needs, style and budget. There are those Montana Draw Games that are also available across the entire United States of America, those multi-jurisdictional lotteries that offer huge jackpots that are bound to make all your dreams come true. There are also those smaller local Montana lotteries that help whittle the hours away, and of course those Scratch Off ticket lotteries that bring instant wins and put cash in your pocket.

Draw Games: MT Lottos with Huge Jackpots

Montana has a nice array of Draw Games, providing bettors with opportunities to win around every corner. You know what a Draw Game is – you select a set of numbers from a range, and match your numbers to an official set drawn later on, matching more to win more! They can be pretty hard to win sometimes and have some pretty high odds, but they offer the biggest jackpots. Keep an eye on the drawing times, you don’t want to miss if your number is drawn. We’ve compiled the drawing times of the best Montana Lottery Draw Games into a schedule so check them out below.

Montana Lottery Number Drawing
Game Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8:59 PM 8:59 PM
9:00 PM 9:00 PM
8:59 PM 8:59 PM
8:35 PM 8:35 PM
8:00 PM 8:00 PM
7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM
*Times Based on EST

These six MT Lotto Draw Games collect a handful on fun styles and game types for you to peruse and get a feel for so you can find the right game for you. Or maybe you can try play them all. There’s the two big pseudo-national lotteries – Mega Millions and Powerball, – two more regional games, and some great games exclusive to Montana that are totally home-grown. We’ll break down all 6 MT Draw Games for you in the sections below, with their structure, odds and prizes.

Powerball: The Dream Maker

Powerball has a long history in The Treasure State, being a part of its lottery repertoire since the late 80s. It’s grown substantially in that time, dishing out decent prizes to citizens of Montana and the rest of the country alike – jackpots start at $20 million and often reach the life-changing heights of over $1 billion! This game is a straightforward large-scale Draw Game: choose 5 numbers from 69, and an additional number from 26. You can also increase you non-jackpot winnings buy purchasing a Powerplay for an additional $1 on top of the $2 ticket. The bi-weekly drawings happen in the evenings on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and are live cast from Florida.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 + Powerball Jackpot 1:292,201,338
5 $1 Million 1:11,688,054
4 + Powerball $50,000 1:913,129
4 $100 1:36,525
3 + Powerball $100 1:14,494
3 $7 1:580
2 + Powerball $7 1:701
1 + Powerball $4 1:92
Powerball only $4 1:38

Mega Millions: The Big Game

Mega Millions, like Powerball, is an almost nation-wide Draw Game Lottery that boasts some huge jackpots that can really spice up your life – these jackpots can often surpass $500 million, not quite as high as Powerball but just as life-changing. It’s a 5/70 game, with an additional number selected from 25 to round out this classic MT Draw Game format. Tickets cost $2, but you can opt in to get an additional Megaplier bonus for only $1, in order to increase your non-jackpot winnings. Check out the odds and prizes breakdown in the table below.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 + Megaball Jackpot 1:302,575,350
5 $1 Million 1:12,607,306
4 + Megaball $10,000 1:931,001
4 $500 1:38,792
3 + Megaball $200 1:14,547
3 $10 1:606
2 + Megaball $10 1:693
1 + Megaball $4 1:89
Megaball only $2 1:37

Lotto America: Montana’s Newest Lottery

A multi-jurisdictional Draw Game Lottery offered across 13 states, Lotto America is a cheaper option compared to those other multi-jurisdictional lotteries that we mentioned above. Tickets cost only $1, but you can add on an All Star Bonus to increase your overall odds of winning a prize and increase your non-jackpot winnings. It’s a 5/52 game, with a 1/10 bonus “Starball” to choose, making the odds at scoring the jackpot significantly lower than Powerball and Mega Millions, but the starting jackpot is a bit lower too, starting at $2 million. It’s a pretty safe bet for decent odds and pretty high winnings, in our book.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 + Starball Jackpot 1:25,989,600
5 $20,000 1:2,887,733
4 + Starball $1,000 1:110,594
4 $100 1:12,288
3 + Starball $20 1:2,404
3 $5 1:267
2 + Starball $5 1:160
1 + Starball $2 1:29
Starball only $2 1:17

Lucky for Life: Set Up for a Lifetime

Lucky for Life offers a tantalizing top prize that makes it hard to ignore – $1,000 a day for the rest of your life, making this bi-weekly MT Lottery Draw Game one of our favorites. Select five numbers from a range of 48, choose a bonus number from 18, and match them to the drawn numbers to win! Drawings are again bi-weekly, on Monday and Thursday evenings, and it’s got some decent overall odds of returning a cash prize, with 1 in every 7.8 games to put some cash in your pocket.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 + Lucky Ball $1,000 a day for life 1:30,821,472
5 $25,000 a year for life 1:1,813,028
4 + Lucky Ball $5,000 1:143,356
4 $200 1:8,433
3 + Lucky Ball $150 1:3,413
3 $20 1:201
2 + Lucky Ball $25 1:250
2 $3 1:15
1 + Lucky Ball $6 1:50
Lucky Ball Only $4 1:32

Montana Cash: Double the Jackpot

Montana born and raised, Montana Cash is The Treasure State’s favorite Draw Game Lottery – and for good reason too. The game has two progressive jackpots on offer that increase with each non-win! In order to play, you select 5 numbers from a range of 45 for a ticket price of $1, in order to go in the running for the first jackpot. Purchase an additional Max Cash bonus for $1, and if you match all five numbers then you’ll then get a second payout along with the first jackpot! Double the fun, double the jackpot.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
5 ($2 ticket) Max Cash 1:610,880
5 Jackpot 1:610,880
4 $200 1:3,054
3 $5 1:78
2 $1 1:6

Big Sky Bonus: Montana’s Daily Game

Big Sky Bonus is a bright star on the Montana Lottery calendar, featuring a progressive jackpot that builds after each non-jackpot winning daily draw, meaning that it’s always growing bigger and getting riper for the picking. It’s a smaller game than the other MT Draw Games, with a lower prize pool and smaller jackpots, but that means that you’ll have better odds at snagging that jackpot! You simply select 4 numbers from 28, and select 1 number from 18 to go for the bonus number. Tickets are $2 though, which is a little high for a small game like this, but the low odds of getting the bonus number even it out in our rankings.

Matching Numbers Prize Amount Odds
4 Jackpot 1:20,475
3 $20 1:213
2 $2 1:12
Bonus number $10 1:17

The Montana Lottery Scratchers With The Best Odds

Montana, like most of the other Lottery states of America, offers their own unique Scratcher tickets with their own fun mechanics and prizes. Scratchers – or Scratch Off tickets – are great for a bit of fun while waiting for your Draw Game numbers to be drawn, you pick up a ticket from any retailer for a range of prices, depending on the ticket, and scratch away at the symbols to reveal prizes, and win instantly! We’ve gone through and selected the best Montana Scratchers from the wide range available, after ranking them by their overall odds of returning any kind of cash prize upon purchase. Check them out.

  1. $250,000 Cash (Odds: 1 out of 3.03)
  2. Winnebago (Odds: 1 out of 3.13)
  3. 4X4 Payout (Odds: 1 out of 3.25)
  4. $500,000 Payout (Odds: 1 out of 3.31)
  5. My Big $500k! (Odds: 1 out of 3.37)

As you can see, all of these Scratchers have some pretty great overall odds – anything under 1 out of 4 scores a win in our book. A good rule of thumb to have when determining what Scratchers to buy is that generally, the better the odds, the more expensive the ticket will be. Fortunately in Montana, that isn’t quite the case, with the second and third top Scratch Off tickets costing a measly $5, while the rest of the top tickets cost $20! Go out there and see what winnings you can scratch up, and most importantly have a bit of fun!

Alternative Montana Lottery Games

Across the Lottery playing states of America, the games fall usually into two major categories, Draw Games and Scratchers. There are some quirky alternative lotteries that the states have enabled as a feature on their lottery rosters. They’re sometimes instant win games like Scratchers, or mostly due to legislation allowing sports betting or online games. In Montana’s case, there are two groups of alternative lottos – Fantasy Games, and Treasure Play, as well as state-endorsed sports betting.

Fantasy Games are broken up into Fantasy Racing and Fantasy Football. In both, you construct a fantasy team using allocated points from an official roster, and after the results from the actual car races or football games, you add up your winnings based on your team’s performance and win cash!

Treasure Play is a collection of digital games such as slots, dice and poker, that you can play at terminals in taverns and casinos around the state of Montana. There is a heap of different games to check out, with their own odds, prizes and structure. A lot feature progressive jackpots, and others some tax-free incentives. That’s pretty tempting! Go check them out at your nearest venue.

Important MT Lottery Laws

Montana, like all other Lottery states of America, hosts and plays its lottery games under its own specific regulation and legislation. Each state in the US differs slightly in how they administer their lotteries, and in fact, if they host any at all. Historical, cultural and religious reasons and other intriguing precedents have shaped the state of lotteries today and given us the wide variety of state-specific quirks that make it more desirable to play in certain states. Check the most important laws below.

Legal Age for Lottery Games: 18+
Tax on Winnings: 6.9%
Anonymity for Winners: No
Limit to Claim Win: 6 Months
Online Lottery: No

Montana sits at about the standard when it comes these specific lottery laws. A tax of 6.9% on lottery winnings over $5,000 is about the average across all the states, but don’t forget to take into account the federal income tax on top of the state taxes. Unfortunately, it is impossible to win the lottery in Montana and not have your name, town or city, and winning amount be registered on public record, which we think is a bit of a shame, as you can attract a lot of unwanted attention if you happen to win big.

History of the Montana Lottery

Montana has operated a lottery in the state since a referendum legalizing a state lottery was passed in 1986, with the first tickets going on sale a year later. In that long time, there have been no big jackpot winners in Montana taking out the top Powerball, Mega Millions or other multi-jurisdictional prize. The local jackpots have been won many times, with wins in the realm of $500,000 regularly going off. We think The Treasure State is due for a big winner, and who knows, it could be you.

Overview of the Montana Lottery
Company: The Montana Lottery Founded: 1986
Headquarters: 2525 N Montana Ave, Helena, MT 59601 Social Media: Twitter
Website: www.montanalottery.com Biggest Win: N/A

The Montana Lottery has also generated a huge amount of money through its ticket sales. To date, it has raised $590 million in prizes and winnings, going directly to Montana residents and fueling their dreams. The Lottery has also raised $259 million in taxes for the state, which are then directed to the state’s General Fund, financing important state projects and programs.

Conclusion

There you have it; the Montana Lottery is rife with opportunity to take up for the keen bettor. There are Draw Games big and small, wide-reaching and local, that have huge jackpots that are just waiting to be won. There are plenty of Scratchers to choose from, as well as a deep and fantastic array of alternative and unique games covering instant slots as well as Fantasy sports leagues. Whenever you need to check for Montana Lottery winning numbers and results, don’t forget to check back here, and of course head over to our American Lotto page for great guides to all the other states.

Common Questions that People Also Ask

As we like to say here, a winning bettor is an informed bettor, so we’ve compiled the most common and frequently asked questions regarding the Montana Lottery and answered them for you, so you don’t have to look too far to find out the answers to your lingering questions.

Which Montana Lottery has the best odds?

We like to judge our lotteries by their overall odds – that is, the odds that you’ll receive any kind of cash prize upon purchase of a ticket. By those standards, we’ve determined our favorite MT lotto with the best odds to be Montana Cash. With overall odds of 1 in 5.57, Montana Cash gives bettors heaps of opportunities of winning, and the double progressive jackpot is a tantalizing feature that is rare to see in Lottos of America.

Which Montana Scratcher has the best odds?

We’ve determined our favorite Scratcher, and the Scratcher with the highest overall odds, to be $250,000 Cash. It’s a little pricey, with tickets going for $20, but the odds are so good that we think it’s definitely worth it. If you don’t want to fork out that kind of cash, check out the cheaper next best two Scratchers, as they go for only $5, and have almost as good odds.

Can Montana Lottery winners remain anonymous?

Sadly, that’s a no, according to the lottery laws that underpin the use and playing of lotteries across Montana. Anonymity can be so useful, but corruption has been a big problem in the past with lotteries recording wins but not actually paying out to anyone, so as to uphold a good reputation and maintain transparency, many states wish to show that their winnings are going to real people.

Is sports betting legal in Montana?

Montana is one of the few states that have legalized sports betting, so you can now head to your nearest retailer and construct bets for your favorite sports teams and matches. It’s only a recent development, with a supportive legislation coming through the states of America, as popular opinion is in support of sports betting. We think that it’s only a matter of time before more states legalize sports betting, but for now Montanans – count yourselves lucky!

Is there a Montana Lottery app?

Yes, there is a Montana Lottery app, just head to your preferred app store and punch in ‘Montana Lottery App’ in order to find it. On the app you can find results for all the Draw Games, check the current jackpot figures, and gain access to a lot of Player’s Club features, such as Second Chances and Bonus Draws. You can also scan in your ticket to instantly see if you’ve won!

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