About > About the Wisconsin Lottery

About the Wisconsin Lottery

Since 1988, the Wisconsin Lottery has managed the Lottery fund with the following results*:

Over $10.8 Billion Prizes Paid

(57% of revenue)

At least 50% of total revenue must be dedicated to prize winnings.

Over $5.7 Billion Funding for Property Tax Credits

(30.3% of revenue)

This money has been returned to eligible Wisconsin taxpayers.

Over $1.2 Billion Retailer Compensation Paid

(6.4% of revenue)

This money goes to Wisconsin businesses.

Over $1.2 Billion Operational Expenses

(6.3% of revenue)

Includes expenses such as salaries, employee benefits, supplies and services. The Lottery has operated well below the mandated limit of 10%.

Since 1988, the Wisconsin Lottery has generated more than $19.1 Billion in total revenue. Over 93% of that revenue has gone back to winners, retailers, and Wisconsin homeowners.

*Figures are from inception through Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Amounts from FY2023 are preliminary as of January 2024, and subject to change until completion of the audit. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

DATE	EVENT
04/23/23	Fast Play, a new group of lotto games that combine instant wins with a growing Progressive Jackpot debuts.
03/15/23	The Wisconsin Lottery mobile app is introduced allowing players to check their tickets, create digital playslips, use the store locator and much more.
11/07/22	Powerball® reaches a world record jackpot of $2.04 Billion. A single winning ticket was sold in California.
09/01/22	Wisconsin Lottery is approved for Responsible Gaming Level 2 Certification by the World Lottery Association (WLA).
07/29/22	$1.337 Billion Mega Millions jackpot won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, IL.
01/05/22	A married couple from Oneida won a $316.3 Million Powerball® jackpot with a ticket sold by Jackson Pointe Citgo in Green Bay. The couple split the $632.6 Million jackpot with another winner who bought a ticket in California. The jackpot was the seventh largest in Powerball history.
08/23/21	Powerball® holds its first Monday drawing. With the change, Powerball® draws three days a week with drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
09/15/20	Wisconsin wins its first Mega Millions jackpot since debuting the game on January 31, 2010. The $119 Million jackpot-winning ticket was sold by Kwik Trip #134 in Mount Pleasant.
06/14/20	Twice Daily Draws debuts. A second daily draw is added to three lotto games--Pick 3, Pick 4, and All or Nothing. The two draws are called MIDDAY and EVENING.
06/10/20	Friends Thomas C. and Joseph F. split a Powerball jackpot-winning ticket of $22 Million after making a handshake promise in 1992. The winning ticket was purchased at Synergy Coop Exit 45 in Menomonie.
06/05/19	Wisconsin Lottery launches its new website with an updated look and easier navigation.
04/07/19	All or Nothing, a $2 Lotto game, launches in Wisconsin. Lotto game 5 Card Cash ends. The Wisconsin Lottery's 10 Buck Luck combo is updated to include All or Nothing. For $10, players receive a $2 Powerball + $2 Mega Millions + $2 All or Nothing + $1 SuperCash! + $1 Badger 5 + $1 Megabucks + $.50 Daily Pick 3 (Box) + $.50 Daily Pick 4 (Box) tickets.
03/27/19	A $768 Million Powerball jackpot, the nation's third-largest Lottery jackpot ever at the time, is won with a ticket purchased at Speedway in New Berlin.
03/15/19	Wisconsin Lottery launches its first $30 crossword ticket, $500,000 Crossword, with a $500,000 top prize.
10/23/18	The largest Mega Millions jackpot, $1.537 Billion, was won on by one ticket, sold in South Carolina. This prize, the largest for one set of numbers in world history, was the second-largest lottery payout at the time, behind Powerball's $1.586 Billion jackpot won on January 13, 2016, by multiple tickets.
09/14/18	Wisconsin Lottery celebrates 30 years of fun.
10/28/17	Mega Millions increases its ticket price from $1 to $2. The starting jackpot increases to $40 million, creating bigger jackpots and better odds of winning $1 Million. Wisconsin Lottery's 10 Buck Luck combo also launched on this day. For $10, players receive a $2 Powerball + $2 Mega Millions + $2 5 Card Cash + $1 SuperCash! + $1 Badger 5 + $1 Megabucks + $.50 Daily Pick 3 (Box) + $.50 Daily Pick 4 (Box) tickets.
05/14/17	Wisconsin Lottery upgrades its gaming system. The upgrade comes with new Lottery terminals.
10/24/16	Wisconsin Lottery vending machines called Geminis, featuring lotto quick picks as well as instant scratch tickets, appear at retail locations.
09/12/16	Lottoview screens are placed at retail locations. Lottoviews are small electronic screens that show information about new games, jackpot amounts, and public service announcements.
01/13/16	Powerball® reaches a world record jackpot of $1.586 Billion. Winning tickets are sold in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
10/07/15	Powerball makes game changes. The matrix changes to 5 of 69 for the first 5 balls plus 1 of 26 for the Powerball. The match 4+1 prize increases from $10,000 to $50,000 cash and the Power Play includes a 10X multiplier when the advertised jackpot is less than or equal to the Major Jackpot Level. The Major Jackpot Level will never be less than $150 Million.
05/08/15	Wisconsin Lottery offers its first $20 oversized instant scratch ticket, Super 777.
08/01/14	Wisconsin Lottery adds support for Wisconsin Silver Alerts on retailer game terminals. Information is posted on Lottery terminals for missing adults with Alzheimer's, dementia, or other permanent cognitive impairments. Silver Alerts go out through the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network.
06/13/14	Wisconsin Lottery joins Instagram (@wilottery).
04/06/14	5 Card Cash Lotto game debuts with two ways to win: Instantly at the time of purchase or in the daily drawing.
02/21/14	Wisconsin Lottery's first $30 ticket, Instant Million, debuts. The ticket had four instant prizes of $1 million.
01/22/14	Powerball® brings back the random Power Play multiplier.
12/09/13	Wisconsin Lottery joins Facebook (@wilottery).
10/19/13	Mega Millions matrix changes with better overall odds and bigger jackpots.
09/14/13	Wisconsin Lottery celebrates its 25th birthday.
07/31/13	Wisconsin Lottery joins Twitter (@wilottery).
01/18/12	Powerball® makes game changes. The price of a ticket increases from $1 to $2 and the starting jackpot increases to $40 million. The matrix changes for the Powerball number to 1 of 35 and the prize for matching 5 of 5 without the Powerball increases from $200,000 to $1 Million. The Power Play feature is discontinued.
09/02/11	Wisconsin Lottery introduces the world's first $20 crossword ticket, Supreme Crossword.
04/03/11	Wisconsin's Megabucks Lotto game changes with the addition of EZ Match, a chance to win instantly.
01/31/10	Wisconsin Lottery joins the multi-state Lotto game Mega Millions.
01/07/09	Powerball® makes game changes. The matrix changes to 5 of 59 for the first five balls and 1 to 39 for the Powerball number. Jackpots start at $20 million and the Power Play multiplier is selected using a Random Number Generator (RNG).
09/14/08	Wisconsin Lottery celebrates its 20th birthday.
03/04/07	Million Dollar Draw Lotto game debuts. The Lotto game played like a raffle. The drawing date was May 1, 2007, with a top prize of $1 million.
02/05/07	Wisconsin Lottery introduces its first combo ticket, Cash Bonus Double Play, with scratch and pull-tab.
10/23/05	SuperCash! changes. • Matrix changes to 1 of 39 • Doubler feature added to every drawing • Top prize increases to $350,000
09/26/05	Wisconsin Lottery's first $20 scratch ticket, Big Money Extravaganza, launches.
08/31/05	Powerball® makes game changes. The matrix changes to 5 of 55 for the first five balls and jackpots start at $15 million.
12/08/04	The Wisconsin Lottery's first-ever vending machines begin selling scratch tickets in Appleton and Oshkosh. Lotto tickets (e.g. Powerball, Badger 5, etc.) would not be offered until the next generation of vending machines in 2014.
10/04/04	Wisconsin Lottery adds support for Wisconsin Amber Alerts on retailer game terminals. Information is posted on Lottery terminals for child abductions. The Amber Alerts go out through the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network.
09/25/04	Players are able to check their own tickets using the first self-service ticket checkers at Wisconsin Lottery retailers.
08/30/04	Wisconsin Lottery goes from using ball machines for the drawings to using a Random Number Generator (RNG).
02/01/04	Wisconsin Lottery offers the Player's Club email. Subscribers can learn about new games, limited-time offers, special events, winning numbers, and other Lottery news.
02/17/03	Wisconsin Lottery introduces the daily Lotto game Badger 5. The Wisconsin-only game has jackpots starting at $10,000.
02/15/03	City Picks Lotto game ends. The game had sixteen winners of $50,000.
10/09/02	Powerball makes game changes. The matrix changes to 5 of 53 for the first five balls and the 1X multiplier for Power Play is eliminated. The annuity option changes to 30 payments made over 29 years and a new Powerball® Bonus prize is added. When the jackpot reaches a new record amount, the jackpot will be limited to increase no more than $25 million for each drawing. The money collected in excess of the estimated jackpot amount will be placed in the bonus prize pool and will accumulate until there is a jackpot winner. It is then divided equally among all Match 5 winning plays, if there are none then the bonus prize pool will roll down to the match 4+1 prize level.
07/19/02	The Super Money Game TV Show is first broadcast.
03/26/02	City Picks Lotto game launches.
03/25/02	Money Roll Lotto game ends. The game had four winners of $500,000.
03/07/01	The Power Play multiplier feature is added to Powerball®. For an extra $1 per play per drawing, players can multiply their winnings.
09/08/00	Money Roll Lotto game debuts.
09/07/00	Cash 4 Life Lotto game ends. The game had four winners.
05/03/99	Wisconsin Lottery's top-selling instant scratch ticket, $2 Crossword goes on sale.
05/20/98	Wisconsin receives national and international attention for selling the winning ticket in a $195 Million Powerball® drawing. Frank and Shirley C. of Streamwood, Illinois purchased the ticket from Lakeside Country Store in Pell Lake.
03/30/98	Cash 4 Life Lotto game debuts. Players have the chance to win $1,000 a week for life.
03/29/98	Daily Millions Lotto game ends with no top prize winners.
11/05/97	Powerball® makes game changes. The matrix changes to 5 of 49 for the first five balls and 1 of 42 for the Powerball number. Jackpots start at $10 million.
09/15/97	Wisconsin Lottery introduces the Daily Pick 4 Lotto game.
09/16/96	Daily Millions Lotto game launches.
08/03/96	Money Game 4 Lotto game ends.
02/14/94	At $5, Instant Scratch Bingo goes on sale and is the first Wisconsin Lottery game with a price point above $1.
09/18/93	The Lotto game Money Game 4 debuts.
07/07/93	Fond du Lac school teacher Les R. wins the largest Powerball® jackpot to date: $111 million. The winning ticket was purchased at Sentry Foods in Fond Du Lac and begins the reputation of Fond du Lac's Miracle Mile.
09/21/92	Wisconsin Lottery introduces the Daily Pick 3 Lotto game.
06/18/92	Wisconsin's Very Own Megabucks debuts. This Lotto game is drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
04/19/92	Powerball®, a new multi-state Lotto game, comes to Wisconsin. This replaces Megabucks Lotto *America game. Jackpots start at $2 Million and the matrix is 5 of 45 for the first five balls plus 1 of 45 for the Powerball number.
02/04/91	SuperCash!, a daily Lotto game, debuts.
08/10/89	Wisconsin Lottery introduces its first Lotto game, Megabucks Lotto *America, a multi-state game.
02/25/89	The Money Game TV show is first broadcast.
09/14/88	The first Wisconsin Lottery games go on sale. The games are an instant game, Match 3, and a pull-tab, Wisconsin Red.

By law the Wisconsin Lottery is audited yearly by the independent Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB). The most recent financial audits are linked below: