The dream of a New Mexico Lottery became a reality in 1995. Governor Gary Johnson signed Senate Bill 853 to create the New Mexico Lottery Authority and the first tickets were sold on April 27, 1996.
Less than six months later, Powerball got its start in New Mexico and everything was truly off and running.
From the jump, lottery proceeds immediately went to education, with 60% to the Public School Capital Outlay Fund and 40% to the Lottery Tuition Fund. To this day, the New Mexico Lottery has contributed over $1 billion for education initiatives in the state.
Players must be 18 and older.
New Mexico Lottery Games
New Mexico has really embraced popular culture with its scratch-off tickets, including a Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Fortune ticket and tickets based off of movies and TV shows. While the NM Lottery has a big focus on scratch-offs that provide a great experience for players, that is not all they offer.
New Mexico offers six draw games, including three multi-state lottery Jackpot games. Fast Play Games are also offered.
While the NM Lottery does not sell online or mobile tickets directly, Jackpocket is an approved online seller of New Mexico Lottery tickets for draw games.
New Mexico Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
As mentioned in the intro, Powerball was added to the New Mexico Lottery less than six months after the first tickets were sold in the state. That was back in 1996 and Powerball has been played ever since.
Drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 8:59 p.m. MT, with ticket sales cut off at 8 p.m. on draw nights. Each play costs $2 and New Mexico does have the Power Play feature to multiply non-Jackpot prizes for an extra $1, as well as the Double Play option for another $1 to be entered in a secondary drawing with a $10 million top prize.
For the main Powerball draw, the Jackpot starts at $20 million and grows from there. The basic game numbers range from 1 to 69 with a Powerball from 1 to 26. Matching all six wins the grand prize.
Mega Millions
New Mexico is also part of the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday and Friday at 9 p.m. MT. Each play costs $2 and there is an optional $1 add-on for the Megaplier to multiply non-Jackpot prizes.
Numbers for this game range from 1 to 70 with a Mega Ball from 1 to 25. New Mexico did not become part of Mega Millions until 2010, but has been part of the game ever since, with a Jackpot that starts at $20 million and increases with each draw if no grand prize winner is found.
Lotto America
The New Mexico Lottery also offers Lotto America drawings on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9:15 p.m. MT. Ticket sales are cut off at 8 p.m. on draw nights.
This game is just $1 per play and features numbers from 1 to 52 and a Star Ball from 1 to 10. There is an optional $1 add-on for the All Star Bonus, which serves as a multiplier of 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.
Roadrunner Cash
Roadrunner Cash is the NM Lottery’s state-specific lotto draw game. Drawings are held on a nightly basis, with ticket sales cut off at 9:30 p.m. MT, which is about the time that the draw takes place.
Five numbers are drawn for this game with a range of 1 to 37. Each play costs $1 and there are no multipliers, but a multi-draw is available for those who want to play more than one time on a ticket.
The Jackpot starts at $25,000 and grows from there if no top prize winners are drawn.
Pick 4 Plus
The New Mexico Lottery has two daily drawings for Pick 4 Plus, with one at 1 p.m. MT and another at 9 p.m. MT. Four numbers ranging from 0 to 9 are drawn to make a four-digit number. The play types are Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Combo, Front Pair, Middle Pair, or Back Pair.
Each play type and winning combination is $1 per play, so the cost of a ticket is wholly dependent on how the player decides to attack the drawing.
Pick 3 Plus
The NM Lottery also offers Pick 3 Plus at the same 1 p.m. MT and 9 p.m. MT draw times. Three numbers ranging from 0 to 9 are drawn to make a three-digit number.
The play types here are Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Combo, Front Pair, and Back Pair and each base play costs $1.
New Mexico Lottery Fast Play Games
The New Mexico Lottery offers Fast Play games, which feature different themes and play styles. These are basically scratchless scratch-offs where you look to match up the symbols or the cash amounts to win the accompanying prize.
These are randomly selected by the lottery terminal at time of purchase. Tickets cost $1, $2, $5, or $10 to play.
New Mexico Lottery Scratchers
The New Mexico Lottery offers a vast array of scratchers. As of 2024, they had themed scratch-offs featuring Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Fortune, Jaws, Game of Thrones, and more.
Scratchers in New Mexico start at $1 and go up to $20 with several dozen types of tickets available. The NM Lottery website shows the remaining top prizes and the end dates of games so that players can redeem their tickets before time runs out.
New Mexico Lottery App
The New Mexico Lottery does not have an official app. There is a “Promo Zone” linked on the website for those that want to try their hands at second-chance promotions and other opportunities, but there is no official app or players club.
Those looking to buy New Mexico Lottery tickets online can do so through Jackpocket, an approved third-party seller.
How To Claim New Mexico Lottery Prizes
Prizes up to $600 can be claimed at any New Mexico Lottery retailer or by mail.
Prizes from $601 to $99,999 must be claimed at the New Mexico Lottery Headquarters in Albuquerque or by mail.
Prizes of $100,000 or more can only be claimed at the Lottery Headquarters.
The New Mexico state withholding is 6% on lottery winnings of $600 or more.
New Mexico Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
Can New Mexico Lottery Tickets Be Purchased Online?
Yes, but only through approved third-party sellers like Jackpocket.
The New Mexico Lottery does not directly sell online or mobile lottery tickets.
How Many New Mexico Lottery Retailers Are There?
There are more than 1,100 approved lottery retailers in the state of New Mexico.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The New Mexico Lottery?
Players must be 18 years of age or older.