How old do you have to be to play the lottery in each state?
Each state sets its own minimum age, and it applies to everything the lottery sells: scratch-offs, daily draw games and multi-state tickets such as Powerball and Mega Millions. There is no lower age for a scratcher.
| Minimum age | Where |
|---|---|
| 21 | Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi |
| 19 | Nebraska |
| 18 | Every other lottery state, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico |
The lotteries say this on their own sites. The Iowa Lottery's site states that you must be at least 21 years old to purchase its tickets, the Louisiana Lottery prints "Must Be At Least 21 To Purchase", and the Mississippi Lottery says you must be 21 years of age or older to play. Arizona raised its minimum from 18 to 21 in 2003. Nebraska's 19 matches its age of majority.
What counts is where the ticket is sold, not where you live. A 19-year-old from Texas, where the minimum is 18, still can't buy a ticket across the border in Louisiana. Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah have no state lottery, so residents who want to play have to buy in another state and follow that state's age rule.
The age limit also applies when you claim. Claim offices check identification before paying, so an underage buyer who gets past a busy clerk can still have trouble collecting.
Can a minor win with a ticket given as a gift?
Buying is restricted everywhere, but a ticket handed to a child as a present is treated differently from state to state, and the details sit in each lottery's own rules. Where a minor's prize can be paid, an adult (usually a parent or guardian) handles the claim. If you're thinking of putting scratch-offs in a teenager's birthday card, check your state lottery's rules first.
The lotteries themselves discourage it. Their trade group, the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, runs a holiday campaign with the National Council on Problem Gambling to educate communities on the dangers of buying lottery tickets for children.
Can lottery employees play the lottery?
Generally no, at least not in the lottery they work for. Texas law is a typical example: under Texas Government Code section 466.254, lottery employees, employees of the lottery operator, contractor staff directly involved in lottery work, and a spouse, child, sibling or parent living in the same household may not buy a ticket or claim a prize. Other states write their own lists, so the exact circle of excluded relatives and vendors varies.
The reason is obvious once you've read about the worst insider case in US lottery history. Eddie Tipton, the information security director at the Multi-State Lottery Association, rigged random number generator software so he could predict certain drawings; our article on whether the lottery is rigged covers how he was caught.
Can felons, non-citizens and tourists play?
People with criminal records. Lottery eligibility rules center on age and on lottery insiders; a criminal record isn't one of the conditions. What can matter is money owed. Many states check winners against lists of unpaid child support, state debts and similar obligations before paying, and can take what's owed from the prize. See can lottery winnings be garnished.
Non-citizens. Buying a ticket doesn't involve any check of citizenship or immigration status, and non-citizens can claim prizes. Taxes work differently: a nonresident alien generally has 30% federal tax withheld instead of the 24% applied to US persons. Our guides on whether a non-citizen can win and lottery tax for non-residents have the details.
Tourists and visitors. You need to be physically in the state when you buy, and old enough under its rules. Foreign visitors who win fall under the nonresident tax treatment above. Buying from outside the country is a different matter, covered in playing the US lottery from another country.
How do online lottery sales check your age?
At a store, the clerk is responsible for checking ID, and retailers who sell to underage customers face penalties under state law. Online, the checks are built into account sign-up: official state iLottery sites confirm your identity and age when you register and use location checks to make sure you're inside the state when you buy. Courier services that buy paper tickets for customers do similar checks; see our courier app comparison. Using a parent's account doesn't get around this, because the prize is tied to the registered account holder.
Lottery age and eligibility FAQ
How old do you have to be to play the lottery in the US?
18 in most states, D.C. and Puerto Rico; 19 in Nebraska; and 21 in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana and Mississippi. The rule of the state where you buy the ticket applies.
Can you buy a lottery ticket at 18 in a state where the age is 21?
No. The minimum age is set by the state where the ticket is sold, so an 18-year-old cannot buy in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana or Mississippi even if the age at home is 18.
Can lottery employees play the lottery?
Not in the lottery they work for. State laws bar lottery employees, and usually certain contractors and household family members, from buying tickets or claiming prizes in that state's games.
Can a felon win the lottery?
Yes. A criminal record is not an eligibility condition for buying a ticket or claiming a prize, but debts such as unpaid child support or restitution can be deducted from winnings before they are paid.
Can a minor claim a lottery ticket received as a gift?
It depends on the state. Where a prize on a gifted ticket can be paid, an adult such as a parent or guardian handles the claim. Check your state lottery's rules before giving tickets to anyone under the minimum age.
Sources: Iowa Lottery; Louisiana Lottery; Mississippi Lottery; Texas Government Code §466.254; NASPL responsible gambling. Age limits change only by legislation, but your state lottery's site has the current rule. For help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-MY-RESET.
