The North Dakota Lottery is open to players 18 and older and just celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024. By that standard, it is one of the newest lotteries in the nation, but it is also one of the most limited. The Lottery falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Attorney General and proceeds go to the state’s general fund and other public health initiatives.
The ND Lottery can only offer multi-state lottery games. On the plus side, the state does offer online and mobile play through its “Pick & Click” feature that allows players to never miss a draw.
Even though the lottery offers fewer games than virtually every other state, there are still a lot of physical retailers dotted across the state of North Dakota.
North Dakota has not approved third-party sellers like Jackpocket or Jackpot.com.
North Dakota Lottery Games
The content under this heading is rather simple. North Dakota offers five games – Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America, Lucky For Life, and 2by2.
There are no scratch-offs or other instant-win games.
North Dakota Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
North Dakota participates in the multi-state Powerball drawing on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9:59 p.m. CT for most of the state and 8:59 p.m. MT for the part of the state in Mountain Time. Ticket sales are cut off at 8:58 p.m. CT or 7:58 p.m. MT.
Six numbers are drawn, beginning with five basic numbers from 1 to 69 and then a Powerball from 1 to 26. Each play costs $2, with the option to add another $1 for the Power Play option that serves as a non-Jackpot multiplier.
Matching up all six balls wins the overall Jackpot, which starts at $20 million and grows from there. Matching all five white balls wins $1 million, unless you include Power Play, where the prize goes up to $2 million regardless of the multiplier.
The North Dakota Lottery joined Powerball during its first year in existence in 2004.
Mega Millions
North Dakota expanded its draw game offerings in 2010 by adding Mega Millions. This is another multi-state lotto draw that takes place on Tuesday and Friday at 10 p.m. CT or 9 p.m. MT. Ticket sales are cut off at 8:58 p.m. CT or 7:58 p.m. MT.
Six numbers are drawn here, with five basic numbers from 1 to 70 and the Mega Ball from 1 to 25. The Jackpot requires all six and is worth a minimum of $20 million. Each play costs $2 and a $1 Megaplier option is available for those who wish to add it on as a multiplier.
In this game, the Megaplier does apply to the $1 million prize for matching the five basic numbers.
Lotto America
The North Dakota Lottery is part of the Lotto America drawing, which is held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights at 9:15 p.m. CT or 8:15 p.m. MT. Ticket sales are cut off about 15 minutes before the drawing.
This game also features six numbers, with the first five numbers from 1 to 52 and then a Star Ball from 1 to 10. The Jackpot requires all six and each play is just $1. There is also a Star Ball Bonus that can be added on for another buck to increase all non-Jackpot prizes.
The states that participate in Lotto America are Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Lucky For Life
The ND Lottery also has the Lucky For Life drawing, where the grand prize is $1,000 a day for life. The second grand prize is $25,000 a week for life. This is a game drawn at 9:38 p.m. CT or 8:38 p.m. MT on a nightly basis. Ticket sales are cut off 68 minutes before the drawing.
This game is also a six-number draw with five numbers from 1 to 48 and a Lucky Ball from 1 to 18. There are no optional add-ons and each play costs $2.
This game is played in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
2by2
2by2 is a regional multi-state lottery draw game played in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The Jackpot for this game is $22,000 and it is drawn every night of the week at 9:30 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. MT. Ticket sales are cut off a little more than a half hour before the drawing.
In this game, players look to match the two red numbers and two white numbers, with two numbers drawn for each color out of a pool of 26 balls. Each play costs $1.
For those who purchase at least seven days worth of multi-draw action on Tuesday, the grand prize is doubled to $44,000.
The maximum prize liability per draw is $220,000, so the four states involved will not pay more than 10 grand prize winners the full amount. At that point, it becomes a pari-mutuel payout for the winners.
North Dakota Lottery App Pick & Click
The ND Lottery offers online and mobile play through its Pick & Click initiative. Players can automatically be entered in every draw at home or on the go by using the North Dakota Lottery Players Club App.
Players must have a North Dakota mailing address and be at least 18 years of age to qualify for play on the app.
All five North Dakota lottery games can be purchased on the app. Players can also check the status of their tickets, rack up loyalty points, find out about new promotions, and more.
How To Claim North Dakota Lottery Prizes
Prizes of $599 or less can be claimed at any North Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $600 or more must be paid by the lottery and can be claimed by going to the Lottery Office in Bismarck or by mail. It is recommended that players use registered mail to claim their winning tickets.
Prizes of more than $5,000 are subject to a 2.9% state tax, along with the 24% federal tax.
North Dakota Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
Can North Dakota Lottery Tickets Be Purchased Online?
Yes. The North Dakota Lottery sells tickets online through the North Dakota Lottery Players Club App.
How Many North Dakota Lottery Retailers Are There?
There are more than 400 approved lottery retailers in the state of North Dakota.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The North Dakota Lottery?
Players must be 18 years of age or older.