Idaho Lottery has been a staple of people’s day to day lived since its launch in 1989. Idahoans love playing the classic lotto draw games, as well as the range of newer games on offer. From scratch-cards to InstaPlay to Tabs – you name it; they’ve probably got it. It’s not all just fun and games though. Idaho Lottery has seriously contributed to the Gem State’s local programs and services. Since it’s beginning the lottery has returned $869,691,109 back to the community, mostly for education purposes. Let’s find out what else the Idaho Lottery has going for it.

Legal Online Lotteries Available in Idaho

As of yet, Idaho Lottery does not offer online lottery. It has a website as well as useful apps, but lotto tickets cannot be purchased online. Idaho Lottery does seem to be embracing the future of modern technology in lottery gaming though. Their wide varieties of innovative lotto games are clear evidence of this. We can only hope that this attitude will extend to online lottery play in the future. Our team is keeping our ears to the ground for the latest legislative changes, and will update you with any good news.

Legal Online Lotteries Available in the USA

Idaho Lottery has a wide variety of draw games to choose from. Players can find something they like, whether they’re after the biggest jackpots, the best odds or an instant game. As members of the MUSL, Idaho residents get to play the world famous Powerball and Mega Millions draws. As well as the usual draw games, players can choose from InstaPlay games, Scratch-Offs, Tabs and Raffles. Here are Idaho Lottery’s most popular offerings.

Idaho Cash – The Gem State’s Local Draw

Idaho Cash is the Gem State’s very own lottery draw game. For the price of a $1 ticket, players are in with a chance of receiving a jackpot of $20,000 – or more! The jackpot rolls over until somebody wins it, so it can get way bigger. Players just have to match 5 numbers correctly to win the big one. The odds of winning something in Idaho Cash are good, at 1:5.7. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 8 pm, so keep your ticket handy!

Powerball – A US Phenomenon

Powerball is by far the most popular draw game on offer in Idaho. In the fiscal year of 2018, Powerball made $33,187,966 – that indicates just how widely played it is. It’s a multi-jurisdictional lottery, meaning that players all over the US contribute to it’s gigantic jackpots. With so many players, the odds of hitting the jackpot are slim, but when the prize is in the millions it’s worth a try. Players just have to match five numbers plus 1 number for the lucky Powerball to win a jackpot of $40 million or more.

Lotto America – Idaho’s Newest Offering

Lotto America is one of the newest additions to Idaho Lottery. In 2018 Lotto America was brought to Idaho to replace Hot Lotto. As one of the smaller multi-state lotteries, it has a large jackpot with decent odds. Players have a 1:9.63 chance of winning a prize. Each Lotto America game costs $1 and each playslip can be used for 5 games. Pick 5 numbers between 1 and 52 and then 1 number from 1 to 10 for the Star Ball. Matching all of these secures a jackpot of $2 million, or more.

Pick 3 – Two Draws Daily

Pick 3 is popular in Idaho because it has better odds than the mega jackpot draws, while still offering a great prize. The overall odds of winning in Pick 3 are 1:7.8. Tickets start at $1 for a top prize of $500. This game is a twice-daily draw that is exclusive to Idaho. Players first need to pick 3 numbers and mark them on a playslip. They can then choose wager types and how much to wager. Day drawings happen at 1:59 pm and night drawings at 7:59 pm – so pay attention to the time when you buy your ticket.

Lottery Regulator in Idaho

The Idaho State Lottery Commission is the body that regulates the Idaho Lottery. They’re responsible for the integrity, honesty, and corrupt-free aspect of the lottery. One of the regulator’s most important jobs is to manage the revenue generated responsibly – mostly to public schools and the Permanent Building Fund. In 2018 66% of the money generated was distributed in lottery prizes whilst $53,500,000 was given back to the residents of Idaho.

Other Lotto Draws You Could Pick

We’ve shown you the most popular lotto draws Idaho has to offer, but those aren’t all that are available. Mega Millions, the multi-state lotto famous around the globe, is also enjoyed by Idahoans. So is Lucky For Life, a jackpot draw that offers winners $1,000 a day for life. Idaho Lottery sells TouchTab and PullTab games in bars, restaurants and taverns. Raffles and Sweepstakes are often played on national vacation days. InstaPlay and Scratch-Off games can be purchased from most licensed lottery retailers.

History of Idaho Lottery

Idaho Lottery has been going for almost 30 years, and a lot has changed since then. In the beginning there were scratch-cards and then there were the famous lotto draws. Now there are countless different ways to play the lotto in Idaho utilizing cutting-edge modern technology. Let’s track the journey of Idaho Lottery to the present day.

Famous Winners – New Money? New Life!

Idaho has had its fair share of lottery winners over the years and here are some of the luckiest. On January 4th 2011 an Idaho ticket won half of a $380 million Mega Millions jackpot. At the time this was the second largest jackpot in US history. The other winner in Washington came forward, but Idaho’s winner was elusive. The winner was eventually revealed to be Holly Lahti, and it turned out that she’d been in hiding. Fortunately she was able to use the money to turn her life around and escape and abusive husband. In 2005 Brad Duke got his hands on the second largest single ticket Powerball win at the time – $220 million. He told reporters that he planned to turn that sum into $1 billion in 15 years. In the years following, Duke donated large portions to charity and invested the rest.

Lottery Legal Age in Idaho

It is against the law to purchase Idaho Lottery tickets, play the lottery or redeem a ticket under the age of 18. This is the legal age for playing the lottery in most states, although some have raised it to 19 or 21. There are other legal forms of gambling in Idaho, as well. Native casinos, charitable games and pari-mutuel betting are all permitted. Underage gambling is illegal, and guilty players face penalties. Gambling offences can be reprimanded with fines of $1,000 or more. Probation is also a common punishment, usually lasting for around a year. Imprisonment is the most severe option and jail time depends on the extent of the crime.

• Lottery Age
  In Idaho the legal age for playing the lottery is 18 years old.
• Alcohol Age
  In line with the rest of the US, the legal drinking age in Idaho is 21
• Weed Age
  Cannabis is not currently legal to smoke recreationally in Idaho.

Is Online Lotto Legal When You Are Out of the State?

Just because Idaho doesn’t have an online lottery yet doesn’t mean this is the case for all US Lotteries. There are currently 8 US states with online lotteries. These are Illinois, Georgia, North Dakota, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. It might be a slow start in comparison to daily fantasy and online sports betting, but other states are in the lengthy process of following suit. Online lotteries have really taken off around the globe and can be found virtually everywhere. In Canada there are three online national lotteries – Lotto 6/49, Daily Grand and Lotto Max. Millions of Europeans play Eurojackpot and Euromillions every week. Liechtentstein actually launched the world’s first online lottery in 1995! Australia offers its residents Oz Lotto, while New Zealanders enjoy playing an online twice-weekly Lotto.

The Best Lottery Mobile App

The lottery in Idaho hasn’t gone fully online yet, but they are enthusiastic about modern technology. They have developed not one, but four different apps! Each app has a slightly different purpose, so lets start with the main one. Idaho Lottery app is your go-to for checking tickets, winning numbers and jackpots and entering 2nd chance drawings. Check a Ticket app simply lets you scan your ticket to find out if you’ve won. Idaho Lottery – myPlayslip app provides a new convenient way to purchase lottery tickets. The Cashword by Idaho Lottery makes playing Idaho’s favorite word game on the go simple.

Online Lottery Promotions to Take Advantage Of

The first port of call when looking for online promotions is the Idaho Lottery website. Signing up to their VIP Club has a range of perks, plus it’s free to join. It works a bit like having a loyalty card. Players get the chance to receive special offers and draw results by text or email. Players can also collect points, which can be used to enter sweepstakes and buy items from the Reward Zone. Points can be earned by playing any Idaho Lottery draw games. There are 2nd chance draws to enter too, which offer players extra prizes.

Taxes on Lotto Winnings in Idaho

Some people are surprised when they win the lottery and receive less than they thought they would. This is because all lottery winnings are subject to tax. In Idaho if you win over $5,000 the lottery will deduct both Federal and State income taxes from your prize money before you receive it. 24% will be taken for Federal tax and 6.925% for Idaho income tax. All lottery wins over $600 are reported to the IRS too. If you’re after more information to understand how tax affects your Idaho Lottery win Idaho Taxes & Money can provide guidance.

Upcoming Regulation Changes for Online Lottery

If Idaho Lottery does have serious ambitions to take its business online, it’s being seriously secretive about it. We couldn’t turn over any real evidence that plans are afoot to this. At present Idaho doesn’t offer any forms of online gambling – no daily fantasy, online sports betting or online casino games. With that said, Idaho could decide to introduce an online lottery in the future. They don’t seem to be racing to start one any time soon, but perhaps they will follow suit after more US states have launched their own. Their positive attitude to modern technology is in their favor and shows that they understand the importance of keeping players engaged. Let’s just say that if in 5 years Idaho had an online lottery, we wouldn’t be surprised. We’ll keep you posted about any upcoming regulation changes that affect this issue.

Lottery Guides for Nearby States

• Oregon
• Washington
• Montana
• Wyoming