Missouri Lottery
The Missouri Lottery is the state-run lottery in Missouri. It is a charter member of the Multi-State Lottery Association. As of 2022, the lottery offers Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Lotto, Show Me Cash, Pick 4, Pick 3, Cash Pop, Club Keno, scratchers, and pull-tabs. The minimum age to buy a ticket is 18.
The lottery was approved by voters in 1984 with 70% of the vote; the first sales beginning in 1986. Over $7 billion has been earned from the lottery for education.
History
The Lottery began selling tickets January 20, 1986. An executive director oversees the organization and reports to a five-member commission that is appointed by the governor. Retired Highway Patrol Captain Lester Elder was hired as the director of the Missouri Lottery in November 2022.In the beginning, Lottery proceeds were directed to Missouri's General Revenue fund. In 1992, voters approved Amendment 11, which earmarked proceeds for public education. All monies since July 1993 have gone to education programs. Proceeds are appropriated by the Legislature.
The Lottery offers Scratchers tickets, plus the online games Missouri Lotto, Club Keno, Pick 3, Pick 4, Show Me Cash, and Powerball. Powerball's former rival, Mega Millions, came to Missouri on January 31, 2010. The $250,000 Scratcher card generated much publicity when unemployed couple Robert Russell and Tracie Rogers won the jackpot in July 2010.
The Lottery's mission: "The Missouri Lottery generates funds to provide educational opportunities for Missouri students, support Missouri businesses and entertain millions."
The minimum age to purchase a Missouri Lottery ticket is 18.
Lottery games
Current in-house games
Club Keno/Keno To Go
Club Keno has drawings every four minutes. Traditionally sold in age-controlled environments, the game is now available at any Missouri Lottery retailer as Keno To Go. Options and prizes vary.Scratchers
Scratch cards are the Lottery's most popular games, sold in a large variety of locations from gas stations to sports venues via vending machines. Card prices range from $1 to $50, with the more expensive games having better odds of winning as well as larger prizes. Themed scratchers are common and players are occasionally encouraged to enter specific losing tickets into "second chance" drawings for additional prizes.Pick 3 and Pick 4
These two games are drawn twice daily, every day of the week. Pick 3 draws a 3 digit number and Pick 4 draws a 4 digit number. Prices, options and payouts vary depending on the game type and price of the game.Wild Ball
On April 16, 2023, the Missouri State Lottery announced that it would add this feature to its Pick 3 and Pick 4 games, replacing the play type “1off” that it offered until the day before the wild ball feature was introduced. Adding wild ball to a game would allow players to create more unique combinations for their game and win a wild ball prize. The wild ball number is used to replace the numbers drawn by the lottery. Players can also win multiple wild ball prizes on the same play depending on the unique numbers played. Adding wild ball doubles the cost of each game and can be done with any play type that a player chooses. There will be a separate wild ball number drawn for pick 3 and pick 4 with every draw.Show Me Cash
Show Me Cash is played daily, drawing five numbers from 1 through 39. Games cost $1 each. Jackpots begin at $50,000, increasing by at least $5,000 until there is a game matching all five numbers.MO Millions
MO Millions is an in-state Draw Game that costs $2 per play and includes a built-in Bulls-Eye feature. In this each game, players pick 6 numbers from 1 to 42. Each drawing, one of the 6 winning numbers will be randomly selected as the Bulls-Eye number. Matching this number will increase the prize. MO Millions jackpots start at $1,000,000, and grow until someone win it. The amount that the jackpot grows is dependent on sales, but it will roll by at least $100,000 each drawing. Players also win by matching at least 3 numbers, either without/with the Bulls-Eye number.For an additional $1 per play, the Double Play feature allows players to play their same numbers in a second drawing, and a chance to win prizes up to $50,000. The Double Play drawings are held immediately following the main drawing.
MO Millions tickets with Double Play are eligible to win any prize in the main MO Millions drawing as well as the Double Play drawing, or both.
| Match | Base prize | Double Play | Odds |
| 6 of 6 | Jackpot | $50,000 | 1 : 5,245,786 |
| 5 of 5 + Bulls-Eye | $1,500 | $2,000 | 1 : 29,143.26 |
| 5 of 5 | $750 | $1,000 | 1 : 145,716.28 |
| 4 of 5 + Bulls-Eye | $50 | $70 | 1 : 832.66 |
| 4 of 5 | $25 | $35 | 1 : 1,665.33 |
| 3 of 5 + Bulls-Eye | $6 | $10 | 1 : 73.47 |
| 3 of 5 | $3 | $5 | 1 : 73.47 |
| 2 of 5 + Bulls-Eye | $2 | $3 | 1 : 17.81 |
Overall odds of winning a prize: 1 in 11.74
Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at approximately 8:59 p.m.
Multi-jurisdictional games
Cash4Life
In 2014, New Jersey and New York launched Cash4Life. Initially drawn Mondays and Thursdays, Cash4Life has been drawn seven nights a week beginning July 1, 2019.On April 11, 2021, Cash4Life become available in Missouri, becoming the game's 10th member. Three days earlier, Missouri ended sales of the rival game Lucky for Life which remains available in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Games are $2 each.
Mega Millions
On October 13, 2009, the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball. Missouri joined Mega Millions on January 31, 2010, the cross-sell expansion date.Mega Millions is drawn Tuesdays and Fridays. Players choose five white balls numbered 1 through 70, and a gold-colored "Mega Ball" numbered 1 through 25. Games are $2 each, or $3 if the Megaplier is chosen. Jackpots begin at $20 million, payable in 30 graduated yearly installments unless the cash option is chosen.
Powerball
Powerball began in 1992. Its jackpots begin at $20 million, with drawings on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights.Former games
Missouri Lotto
Missouri Lotto was drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. Six numbers from 1 through 44 were chosen. Players got two games for each $1 wager The progressive jackpot started at $1,000,000 and rolled over in multiples of $100,000 until either game set matches all six of the winning numbers drawn; players won cash by matching at least four of the six numbers in any game. A free ticket with 2 sets of numbers qualifying for the next Lotto draw was won by matching three numbers. The game's 6 of 6, 5 of 6 and 4 of 6 prizes are paid on a pari-mutual basis.Started on November 4, 2012, the game’s “Doubler” feature was introduced. Some lotto tickets had the words “This is a Lotto Doubler Ticket” printed on them. If players saw those words printed on their lotto tickets, all non jackpot prizes are doubled, and best of all, it’s offered free of charge.
Missouri Lotto ended on October 18, 2025, replaced by the newest game, MO Millions.