lottery faqs
Does the South Dakota Lottery offer a subscription service?
The South Dakota Lottery does not offer a subscription service. However, you may purchase your lotto tickets for up to nine drawings in advance at your local Lottery retailer. Lottery tickets cannot be purchased online in South Dakota.
How can I hear about daily updates, special promotions, and jackpot winners?
1. "Like" our Facebook page. You must first have a Facebook account and be logged in. Search for "South Dakota Lottery." There are two such pages; make sure to choose the official page which features the South Dakota Lottery logo (The orange circle with a white 'L'). When you've selected and opened the page, just click on the "Like" button, then hover your cursor over the "Like" button and click "Get Notifications" from the drop down menu.
2. Follow us on Twitter. You must first have a Twitter account and be logged in. Search for @sdlottery, choose the page and click the "Follow" button.
3. Join the Players Club.
How can I subscribe to the Lottery's YouTube channel?
Just go to our YouTube Channel and click the red "Subscribe" button. Remember, you must have a YouTube account to subscribe to channels. Once you have subscribed to our channel, you'll have a front row seat to all of our TV commercials, YouTube videos and game tutorials!
I heard somewhere that even though my scratch tickets aren't winners, I can still enter the code for a drawing. Is that true? If so, where do I enter them?
Play It Again is a second chance drawing program that allows players to enter their eligible non-winning scratch tickets online for a chance to win cash and prizes. To participate in Play It Again, you must be a member of our free Players Club. Not a Players Club member? Join now!
To participate, log-in to the Players Club website and click on the "Play It Again" button on the left side menu. That takes you to the Play It Again homepage which features ticket art for all current eligible games. Select the ticket art for the non-winning tickets you want to enter. When you arrive at the ticket submission page, it should show your specific contact information along with entry boxes in which to enter ticket information from your non-winning tickets. The numbers you will be entering from the front and back of your tickets are each composed of 13 digits; be sure you enter ALL 13 digits for each number. Then just click submit and your ticket is entered. Once your non-winning ticket is in the system, you don't even have to keep it! Players may enter up to 60 tickets per day depending on the price point of the ticket. Get your non-winning scratch tickets back in the game with Play It Again!
Why can't you play video lottery until you're 21, but you can buy lotto tickets when you're 18?
Because it's the law. See SD-CL 42-7A-48.
Why aren't there more scratch tickets with prizes of $50,000 or more? Does anybody play those $1 games?
Our lottery games come in all shapes and sizes, and so do the prizes. We do our best to give each player a variety of games and new choices!
What time are the winning numbers posted on your website on the nights of the drawings?
The numbers are posted at approximately 9:50 p.m. (CT) for Dakota Cash and Lucky for Life and 10:20 p.m. (CT) for Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto.
Will taxes be taken out of my Lottery prize?
The Lottery is required by the IRS to withhold 25 percent from prizes of more than $5,000. The State of South Dakota does not tax lottery winnings. As of May 2013, the Hot Lotto jackpot is now paid in a lump sum cash payment with all initial withholding taxes paid.
When playing the Lottery's hold 'em poker scratch tickets, how will I know if my hand of cards is better than the dealer's hand?
People who may not normally play poker are sometimes uncertain if their hand is actually a winning hand. To help you identify the ranks of winning poker hands, click here for an easy reference sheet on "what hand beats what."