Louisiana Lottery Winners Claim Nearly $20 Million in Scratch-Off Prizes in January

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL News) - January was a lucky month for several lottery players in Louisiana, with nearly $30 million in total winnings. Almost two-thirds of it came from scratch-offs.

According to the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, scratch-off winners picked claimed nearly $17.6 million in January. Another $11.6 million was won during lottery drawings, and about $850,000 was picked up in Fast Play winnings.

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What Games Were the Luckiest in Louisiana?

The state lottery corporation reported winnings of "nearly $17.6 million in cash prizes paid to scratch-off game players in January, including a Power 100X prize worth $500,000."

Draw-style daily game prizes for drawings during January included Pick 3 winning tickets totaling $2,591,020, Pick 4 winning tickets worth $3,699,000 and Pick 5 prizes totaling $722,375.

There were two Powerball match-4 + PB prizes totaling $100,000, 25 Powerball with Power Play match-4 prizes amounting to $7,700 and 34 Powerball match-4 prizes totaling $3,400. There were also two Mega Millions with Megaplier match-4 + MB prizes totaling $40,000, 17 Mega Millions with Megaplier match-4 prizes amounting to $24,000 and 27 Mega Millions match-4 prizes totaling $13,500.

That's a big haul for lottery players in the state, but that wasn't all - nearly $12 million was won from regular drawings the state also participates in.

“More than 32,000 Power Play purchasers won an extra $298,549 in addition to their regular Powerball prizes for a total of $441,562 in winnings,” Lottery President Rose Hudson said. “Also, nearly 19,000 Megaplier purchasers won a bonus total of $158,758 in addition to their regular Mega Millions prizes for $243,708 in total winnings.”

The $1 Power Play option, the corporation explained, "offers Powerball players the chance to increase any nonjackpot winnings. The $1 Megaplier add-on multiplies nonjackpot Mega Millions prizes by a multiplier number selected during the drawing."

Those draw-style game winnings from January were $11,554,251. Lottery draw-style game players have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim the winnings from those tickets, the Louisiana Lottery Corporation also noted.

“We encourage players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchasing and to check them promptly after the drawing. Even if a ticket does not win the jackpot, it could have won another prize,” Hudson added.

How Much Does Louisiana Keep?

The Lottery Corporation explained just how much comes back to the state treasury.

While actual game performance and the amount of prizes claimed will vary from month to month, the Lottery allocated 57.12% of sales to fund prizes in fiscal year 2023. Approximately 32.46% of sales was transferred to the state treasury for the Minimum Foundation Program that funds K-12 public education in Louisiana. Retailers were paid 5.61% compensation, and 4.81% was used to operate the Lottery. 

That money is meant to be used by the state, as mandated by law.

Since its inception in 1991, the Louisiana Lottery has fulfilled its mission of maximizing revenue for the state of Louisiana while upholding the highest standards of integrity and public trust. To date, it has transferred nearly $4.7 billion to the state for K-12 public education. For the latest news on the fun and games the Lottery offers, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and check us out on YouTube. Please remember to keep our games fun by playing responsibly. Download our complete Media Kit or Fun Facts about the Lottery.