The beginnings of the Idaho Lottery were really something. Idaho voters passed a ballot initiative in 1986 to end the ban on the lottery in the state constitution, but the Idaho Supreme Court said that couldn’t happen. So, it took until 1988 when the Idaho Legislature produced ballot language for a constitutional amendment and that one passed.
Within 200 days, the state had a lottery up and running and it has been humming along ever since. Money for the Idaho Lottery goes to Idaho’s Public School Building Account and the Permanent Building Fund, so it is used for education and public works to upkeep the state’s history. With over $1 billion in proceeds to those two funds and a whole lot more than that awarded in prizes, the Idaho Lottery is booming.
It is also worth noting that Idaho is one of the states that allowed online lottery ticket sales via Jackpocket, along with the purchase of physical tickets at approved retailers in the state.
Idaho Lottery Games
Idaho is part of the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lottery drawings, as well as the multi-state Lucky For Life game. They are also part of Lotto America and have four state-specific draw games.
Scratch-offs, InstaPlay Games, and Tab Games are also available in the state of Idaho. Idaho is also a rarity in that they have raffles and sweepstakes running at certain times as well. For being one of the smaller states in population, the Idaho Lottery is quite an extensive operation.
Idaho Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
Idaho is one of 45 states to participate in the Powerball drawing. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 8:59 p.m. MT or 7:59 p.m. PT. Idaho is split into two time zones, so the drawing times vary depending on the location in the state.
Each play costs $3 in Idaho, which is different from most states because the Power Play option is automatically included in every ticket purchase. In most states, the Power Play option is an additional add-on, but Idaho just tacks it on.
There is an optional Double Play feature for $1 that puts the player’s numbers into a second drawing to win up to $10 million.
With Powerball, five white numbers ranging from 1 to 69 are drawn and a Mega Ball from 1 to 26. Players can pick their own numbers or allow the computer to do it.
Mega Millions
Idaho is also one of 42 states to participate in the Mega Millions drawing. Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday night at 9 p.m. MT or 8 p.m. PT, depending on one’s physical location.
Unlike Powerball, the $1 add-on is optional here, so players can choose to play the Megaplier or leave it alone. Base tickets cost $2 and numbers ranging from 1 to 70 plus a Mega Ball from 1 to 25 are selected.
Lotto America
Lotto America is another multi-state lottery drawing, with games played on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9 p.m. MT or 8 p.m. PT. Lotto America is drawn in 15 states, including neighboring Montana.
Each play costs $1 and five numbers ranging from 1 to 52 are selected, plus a Star Ball from 1 to 10. There is an optional $1 add-on for the All-Star Bonus to increase the prize amounts.
The Jackpot starts at $2 million and grows until it is won.
Lucky For Life
Idaho also participates in the multi-state Lucky For Life drawing, where players can win up to $365,000 per year for life. Drawings are held daily for this one at 8:35 p.m. MT or 7:35 p.m. PT.
Players spend $2 for each pick with numbers ranging from 1 to 48 and a Lucky Ball from 1 to 18. Matching all six numbers wins $1,000 a day for life. Matching the five basic numbers wins $25,000 a year for life.
There are 23 states that participate in Lucky For Life.
5 Star Draw
5 Star Draw functions as Idaho’s state-specific classic lottery draw. Numbers are drawn Tuesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. MT or 7 p.m. PT. Each play costs $5 for this game, but if you buy five plays on one ticket, the fifth play is free, so five plays for $20.
The rolling Jackpot starts at $250,000 and grows until a grand prize winner is selected. Numbers range from 1 to 45 and two lines of numbers are given for each play.
Idaho Ca$h
Idaho Cash is another five-number lottery variant, but with a daily drawing at 8 p.m. MT or 7 p.m. PT. Numbers in this game also range from 1 to 45, but the rolling Jackpot starts at $20,000.
Pick 4
The Idaho Pick 4 is like the Pick 4 in other states. Four numbers are selected with numbers ranging from 0 to 9. Each play costs $1 and there are two drawings per day, with a 1:59 p.m. MT daytime draw and a 7:59 p.m. MT evening draw. Subtract an hour for PT jurisdictions.
Players can play all sorts of different variations, including Exact Order, Any Order, Front Pair, Mid Pair, or Back Pair, with each play at $1. There is an additional $1 add-on to “Sum It Up”, where if the sum or your numbers matches the sum of the draw numbers, you win.
The top prize for Pick 4 is $5,000.
Pick 3
The Idaho Pick 3 is the Pick 4, but with one fewer number. Players select three numbers ranging from 0 through 9 and can play it in Exact Order, Any Order, Combo, Front Pair, or Back Pair.
Like the Pick 4, the optional $1 add-on for the “Sum It Up” extra chance is available. Each Pick 3 play costs $1 and drawings are held twice a day at 1:59 p.m. MT and 7:59 p.m. MT.
The top prize for Pick 3 is $500.
Idaho Lottery Instant-Win Games
InstaPlay Games
There are 15 InstaPlay games available in Idaho, ranging from $1 per play to $20 per play. Idaho added the Jackpot USA multi-state lottery InstaPlay game in October 2024 as one of the $20 games.
That game has a rolling Jackpot that starts at $1 million. Many of the games have rolling Jackpots that will vary based on the denomination.
Because these are InstaPlay games, they can only be purchased at approved Idaho Lottery retailers.
Idaho Lottery Scratch-Offs
The Idaho Lottery has dozens of scratch-off instant win games, ranging from $1 to as high as $50. The Idaho Lottery website will show the remaining prizes and the percentage of tickets sold for each game.
Idaho Lottery scratchers cost $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, $30, or $50 and can be purchased at any approved retailer.
Tab Games
Idaho has over 50 Tab Games, ranging from 25 cents to as high as $3, depending on which games are being offered. These are instant win games that must be redeemed the day of purchase at the retailer that they were purchased from.
Idaho Lottery Raffles and Sweepstakes
The Idaho Lottery will also sponsor raffles and sweepstakes. Charitable organizations can also petition the ID Lottery for licensing to run fundraisers. During 2024, The Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle featured tickets that cost $10 each and ran a couple of instant-win promotions, including $1,000 for every 25,000th ticket sold.
How To Claim Idaho Lottery Prizes
Any prize of $599 or lower can be claimed at any Idaho Lottery retailer.
Any prize of $600 or more requires a Winning Ticket Claim Form. Claim forms must be sent into the Idaho Lottery at P.O. Box 8687 in Boise, 83707 or to 1199 Shoreline Lane Suite 100 in Boise, 83702.
The Idaho state tax on lottery is 5.695% and any prize over $5000 is subject to the federal tax of 24%.
Prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date or from the end of a scratch-off game.
Idaho Lottery VIP Club
The Idaho Lottery Players Club is known as the VIP Club and features special promotions like second-chance drawings and the ability to win tickets and other prizes. Points are earned by playing Idaho Lottery games and can be redeemed directly on the VIP Club website.
Idaho Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but only through Jackpocket. The Idaho Lottery does not directly sell tickets online.
The Idaho Lottery has around 1,000 authorized retailers in the state.