The South Dakota Lottery has a very simple motto, “Good Fun”. It is fun and it is good because the SD Lottery gives back an average of more than $500,000 per day in winnings, commissions, and proceeds to state initiatives. The monies raised by the lottery go to improving schools, natural resources, lower property taxes and responsible gaming initiatives.
In total, nearly $2 billion goes into the state’s General Fund to finance these efforts. The General Fund and the Capital Construction Fund engage in a lot of public works projects, so that’s the “good” part of “Good Fun”.
The Fun comes from a lot of different options for players 18 years of age and older. South Dakota also has Video Lottery, which is only open to players 21 and older.
The South Dakota Lottery began in 1986 and the state does not tax lottery winnings. That seems to be both good and fun for players.
South Dakota Lottery Games
The South Dakota Lottery participates in four multi-state lotto drawings – Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America, and Lucky For Life. There is also a state-specific lottery called Dakota Cash.
Scratch games and slot machines, known as VLTs, or Video Lottery Terminals, also provide instant win opportunities for players.
State laws and regulations do prohibit online and mobile sales. As a result, third-party sellers like Jackpocket and Jackpot.com are not licensed in South Dakota.
South Dakota Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
South Dakota was not among the first states to have Powerball, but was an early adopter. In fact, Powerball was still known as Lotto America in 1990 when the SD Lottery came on board. Not to be confused with the current iteration of Lotto America, the game was renamed and rebranded as Powerball in 1992.
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday night at 9:59 p.m. CT. Ticket sales are cut off at 9 p.m. CT in South Dakota. Each play costs $2, but South Dakota does offer the Double Play feature, which is an additional set of numbers for a draw with a Jackpot of $10 million following the main draw.
The $1 Power Play multiplier for non-Jackpot prizes is also offered in SD. Five numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball from 1 to 26 are drawn with each drawing. The Jackpot starts at $20 million and grows with each draw unless a grand prize winner matches all the numbers.
Mega Millions
The South Dakota Lottery is also part of the Mega Millions draw on Tuesday and Friday at 10 p.m. CT. Ticket sales are cut off at 9:45 on draw nights for this game that starts with a $20 million Jackpot that grows until it is won.
Mega Millions plays cost $2 each and there is an optional $1 Megaplier to multiply non-Jackpot prizes. With this draw game, five balls from 1 to 70 are selected plus a Mega Ball from 1 to 25. Matching all six wins the Jackpot. Matching the five basic numbers wins a cool million.
South Dakota was one of several states to add Mega Millions in 2010.
Lotto America
In keeping with tradition as an adopter of the original Lotto America game, the SD Lottery plays the new version of Lotto America. Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday night at 10 p.m. CT. This game only costs $1 per play, with an optional All Star Bonus for an additional $1 to multiply non-Jackpot prizes.
This Jackpot starts at $2 million and grows until someone wins. Five numbers from 1 to 52 and a Star Ball from 1 to 10 are drawn. Matching the five basic numbers is worth $20,000.
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
Another multi-state draw game offered in South Dakota is Lucky For Life. This is a game with a grand prize amount of $1,000 a day for life. The second grand prize is $25,000 a year for life. This is a nightly draw game at 9:38 p.m. CT, with a cutoff on ticket sales at 8:38 p.m.
Numbers are drawn from 1 to 48 with a Lucky Ball from 1 to 18. The base game costs $2 per play and there are no add-ons or bonuses.
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.
Dakota Cash with EZ Match
Dakota Cash is South Dakota’s state-specific lottery draw game. It is $1 per play or $2 with the optional EZ Match add-on feature. The drawings are on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 9 p.m. CT.
The balls that are drawn number from 1 to 35 and it is a five-number draw. Adding the EZ Match feature puts instant-win cash prize amounts next to your numbers. If you match them, you win that prize amount.
South Dakota Lottery Scratch Games
The South Dakota Lottery offers dozens of scratch games of different denominations. Game prices are $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, or $30, with many seasonal or holiday-themed games to go along with the games that are available year-round.
Some games are eligible for second-chance drawings and promotions and the SD Lottery website lists the end date for each game, as well as the remaining top prizes available.
South Dakota Video Lottery
South Dakota offers Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) for players, which is a fancy way of saying slot machines. Unlike all of the draw games and scratch games, these are only for players 21 and over.
The Video Lottery games also include a wide variety of Keno games, as well as video poker. The VLTs are in bars and lounges and licenses are only approved for establishments with alcohol and sales tax licenses.
Those venues are allowed a maximum of 10 Video Lottery Terminals.
South Dakota Lottery App
The SD Lottery App and the Players Club are great ways to find out about upcoming games, see the drawing results, and scan scratch game tickets to see if you’ve won. They are also the way to enter those second-chance promotions for losing lottery tickets.
The App also serves as a great way to find the nearest South Dakota Lottery retailer, as tickets can only be purchased in person at approved vendors.
South Dakota does not allow for online or mobile sales of lottery tickets.
How To Claim South Dakota Lottery Prizes
South Dakota is different from a lot of states in this regard. Prizes of $100 or less can be redeemed at a local lottery retailer or by mail.
Prizes of $101 or more can only be claimed by mail or in-person at a validation center in Pierre, Rapid City, or Sioux Falls.
Mailed tickets go to 711 E. Wells Ave, Pierre, SD, 57501. A claim form, which can be found online or at an approved retailer, must accompany the ticket.
Any Jackpot or big prize must be claimed in-person at the Lottery Office in Pierre.
South Dakota does not tax lottery winnings. However, anything $5,000 or above is subject to a 24% federal tax.
South Dakota Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
Can South Dakota Lottery Tickets Be Purchased Online?
No. State rules and regulations prohibit the online or mobile sale of South Dakota lottery tickets.
How Many South Dakota Lottery Retailers Are There?
There are more than 600 approved lottery retailers in the state of South Dakota.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The South Dakota Lottery?
Players must be 18 years of age or older to play draw games and scratch games. Players must be 21 yards of age or older to play Video Lottery.