Montana Lotteries

1986  

November 4  Legislative Referendum 100, the Montana State Lottery Act, passes by 69 percent of the popular vote, carrying each of the 56 counties. Montana is the 23rd Lottery state. Lottery profits to go to Teachers Retirement Fund for the purpose of holding the line on or reducing property taxes.

1987

June 24  First instant game, Pot of Gold, goes on sale. There are 1,047 licensed Montana Lottery retailers.

July 15  Premiere of the first Big Spin TV Show, 30-minute special. $26,000 is awarded in cash prizes to seven lucky finalists.

1989

April 3  Governor Stan Stephens signs legislation which

·         Allows more prizes to be paid to players;

·         Allows bonuses to be paid to retailers and Lottery sales staff for sales increases;

·         Allows the Lottery to participate in lottery games with other lotteries across the nation; and

·         No longer restricts operating expenses to a percent of revenue.

August  Montana Lottery launches its first merchandise Scratch game, PICKUP PLENTY, which features a top prize of a 4X4 pickup, along with cash prizes.

November 9  Lotto*America, 6/54 Lotto, two–draw per week game, goes on sale in Montana. First day sales $50,281. First week sales, $244,599, are more than double pre–sale projections.

December 28  The last Big Spin TV Show. 460 finalists share in total winnings of $7,730,000.

1990

January 13  Montana’s first Lotto*America jackpot winner, Katherine Summers of Basin, wins $1.3 million.

April 4   First Big Win event, Missoula. Ten finalists share $205,000 in prizes.

July 1  Legislature changes where Lottery money goes—from the Teachers Retirement Fund to the Office of Public Instruction School Equalization Account.

September 12  Final Big Win show in Billings.

1991

May 6  First day of sales for Montana’s 5/37 game, MONTANA CA$H.

May 11  First live weekly televised MONTANA CA$H drawing with hostess Marsha Rae and citizen participant Katherine Summers, Montana’s first Lotto*America jackpot winner.

July 1  By Legislative actions, 1.6 percent of Lottery profits are now transferred to the Board of Crime Control to fund administrative costs associated with juvenile detention centers in Montana.

1992

April 19  POWERBALL sales begin. The multi–state game replaces Lotto*America and offers nine ways to win, improved overall odds, and a larger jackpot, among other changes.

April 22  First POWERBALL drawing. Montana also adds a second weekly drawing for MONTANA CA$H.

July 1  A larger portion, 9.1 percent, of the Lottery’s profits are now transferred to the Board of Crime Control to help fund juvenile justice detention centers.

1993

March 3  First time Lotto sales exceed $1 million per draw, with $1.1 million sold. The next draw, sales exceeded $1.2 million. Record $60 million POWERBALL jackpot was the driver.

July 7  Record $110 million POWERBALL jackpot. Montana sales again exceed $1.2 million.

1994

February 26  First drawing for TRI-WEST Lotto, a 6/41 game offered with Idaho and South Dakota.

March  The Montana Lottery introduces the scratch game concept of multi–games to retailers, introducing a new Scratch game every month and encouraging retailers to carry more than one or two games. Offered MORE PRIZES and BIGGER PRIZES simultaneously to test the concept.

October  The Montana Lottery expands its multi–game scratch concept, installing dispensers at retail locations designed to hold more games and offering up to eight Scratch games to the playing public.

1995

February 4  First drawing for the revamped TRI-WEST LOTTO. The Game was reintroduced as a 6/33 game, with improved odds of 1 in 17, an all–cash jackpot, and set prize payouts on low–tier prizes.

March 1  First BINGO Scratch tickets go on sale, Montana’s first extended–play, $2 game. Montana is the only state to offer an extended play ticket without the benefit of on–line validation.

 July 1  By Legislative action, all of the proceeds of the Montana Lottery are now transferred to the State of Montana General Fund, which funds the general operation of the state.

1997

February 4  The Montana Lottery introduces Instant Ticket Validation and Accounting System and nine new Scratch games. It provides scratch players the ability to cash winning tickets at any Montana Lottery retail location throughout the state.

May 12  Montana Lottery introduces Daily Millions, a daily on–line game featuring a chance at winning $1 million cash every day.

June 24  MONTANA LOTTERY 10TH ANNIVERSARY

November 2  POWERBALL game changes. Starting jackpot increases to $10 million. Players can choose to take a lump sum jackpot that is approximately one half the advertised jackpot or the advertised jackpot as a 25-year annuity.

1998

February 1  Montana Lottery introduces WILD CARD, discontinues TRI–WEST LOTTO. WILD CARD is a 6/38 game in which the computer "deals" a "wild card" for every $1 play. Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska also offer the game.

March 30  The Montana Lottery introduces Cash 4 Life, a daily game offering a $1,000–a–week–for–life prize with a guaranteed 10-year payout. Daily Millions ends.

July/August Record $200 million Powerball jackpot; $1.7 million in sales for the week ending August 3.

1999

March 27 The Montana Lottery converts to a new data processing and on–line sales system, entering into a contract with Autotote Lottery Corporation. With the conversion comes new lotto and instant ticket validation terminals for Lottery retailers.

May 23  First day of sales for the revamped Wild Card game, now called Wild Card 2, offered with South Dakota and Idaho. The game offers improved odds, adds two plays for $1, and gives players a chance to choose their own Wild Card.

December  Montana Lottery introduces its World Wide Web site, www.montanalottery.com. The web site offers useful information about the Lottery as well as providing winning numbers and information about new and current scratch games.

2000

January MONEY MAZE, the Lottery’s first $3 scratch ticket is introduced. The higher price point ticket gives players more play action and offers a higher top prize.

September 8  A new game, ROLLDOWN, is introduced in conjunction with nine other state lotteries. The game gives players a chance to win a pari-mutuel jackpot. However, if the jackpot is not won, all the money that would have been the jackpot “rolls down” and is distributed to all the other prize winners in the game, giving them greater cash prizes.

2001

March 4 The POWERBALL game adds a new feature called POWER PLAY. For an additional $1, this new feature gives players a chance to increase prizes they win (except for the jackpot) up to five times.

November Montana Lottery introduces its first $5 scratch ticket, EASY STREET, with a top prize of $50,000.

2002

April 7  A new on-line game, HOT LOTTO, is introduced in conjunction with seven other state lotteries. The game jackpot starts at $1 Million. The draw dates match those of all the other on-line games, Wednesday and Saturday. This game replaced Rolldown.

Powerball

Hot Lotto

Wild Card 2

• Wednesday & Saturday

• Includes playing card as wild card.

NOT supported by EZ Winners Lotto ™

Montana Cash

• 5 numbers from a field of 37

• Wednesday & Saturday

Montana Lottery Official Web Site

We attempt to keep our information up-to-date however, changes happen often. For the most up to date lottery information click on the Montana Lottery Official Web Site link above.