About > About the Wisconsin Lottery

About the Wisconsin Lottery

Since 1988, the Wisconsin Lottery has managed the Lottery fund with the following results*:

Over $9.1 Billion Prizes Paid

(56.8% of revenue)

At least 50% of total revenue must be dedicated to prize winnings.

Over $4.8 Billion Funding for Property Tax Credits

(30.2% of revenue)

This money has been returned to eligible Wisconsin taxpayers.

Over $1.0 Billion Retailer Compensation Paid

(6.3% of revenue)

This money goes to Wisconsin businesses.

Over $1.0 Billion Operational Expenses

(6.7% of revenue)

Includes expenses such as salaries, employee benefits, supplies and services. The Lottery has operated well below the mandated limit of 10%.

Since 1988, the Wisconsin Lottery has generated more than $16.1 Billion in total revenue. Over 93% of that revenue has gone back to winners, retailers and Wisconsin homeowners.

 

*Figures are from inception through Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. Amounts from FY2020 are preliminary as of January 2021, and subject to change until completion of the audit. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Date Event  
September 14, 1988

First Wisconsin Lottery games go on sale.
• Instant Game – "Match 3"
• Pull-tab – "Wisconsin Red"
Match 3 instant ticket
February 25, 1989 Money Game TV show first broadcast.  
August 10, 1989

Introduction of first Lotto game.
• Megabucks Lotto *America, a multi-state game
Megabucks Lotto America logo
February 4, 1991 Introduction of SuperCash!
• Daily lotto game		     
SuperCash! Logo
April 19, 1992

Introduction of new multi-state game, Powerball®. This replaces Megabucks Lotto *America game.
• Matrix is 5 of 45 for the first five balls + 1 of 45 for the Powerball number
• Jackpots start at $2 million

  
June 18, 1992

Introduction of Wisconsin's Very Own Megabucks.
• Lotto game played on Wednesdays and Saturdays

     
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September 21, 1992 Introduction of Daily Pick 3 lotto game.     
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July 7, 1993 Fond du Lac school teacher Les Robins wins the largest Powerball® jackpot to date: $111 million.
• The ticket was purchased at Sentry Foods in Fond Du Lac. The win helps give the reputation of Fond du Lac's "Miracle Mile".
 		  
September 18, 1993 Introduction of new Lotto game, Money Game 4. image-20190801122305-1
February 14, 1994 Introduction of the first Wisconsin Lottery game with a price point above $1.
• $5 - "Instant Scratch Bingo" 		 
August 3, 1996 Money Game 4 lotto game ended.  
September 16, 1996 Introduction of Daily Millions lotto game (no top prize winners).  
September 15, 1997 Introduction of Daily Pick 4 lotto game.     
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November 5, 1997

Powerball® changes
• Matrix changes to 5 of 49 for the first five balls and 1 of 42 for the Powerball number
• Jackpots start at $10 million

  
March 29, 1998 Daily Millions lotto game ends.  
March 30, 1998 Introduction of Cash 4 Life lotto game. 
• Win $1,000 a week for life.		     
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May 20, 1998 Wisconsin gets national and international spotlight for selling the winning ticket in a $195 Million Powerball® drawing. Frank and Shirley Capaci of Streamwood, Illinois purchased the ticket from Lakeside Country Store in Pell Lake.   
May 3, 1999 Introduction of Wisconsin's top selling instant scratch ticket, $2 Crossword.  
September 7, 2000 Cash 4 life game ends. There were a total of four winners during the duration of this game.  
September 8, 2000 Introduction of Money Roll lotto game.  
March 7, 2001 "Power Play" multiplier feature is added to Powerball®.
• For an extra $1 per play per drawing you can multiply your winnings		     
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March 25, 2002 Money Roll game ends. There were a total of four winners of $500,000 for the duration of this game.  
March 26, 2002 Introduction of City Picks lotto game.     
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July 19, 2002 Introduction of Super Money Game TV Show.
 
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October 9, 2002 Powerball® changes
• Matrix changes to 5 of 53 for the first five balls
• Elimination of the 1X multiplier for Power Play
• Annuity option changes to 30 payments made over 29 years
• A new Powerball® Bonus prize is added. When the jackpot reaches a "new" record amount, the jackpot will be limited to increase no more than $25 million for each drawing. The money collected in excess of the estimated jackpot amount will be placed in the bonus prize pool and will accumulate until there is a jackpot winner. It is then divided equally among all Match 5 winning plays, if there are none then the bonus prize pool will roll down to the match 4+1 prize level.		  
February 15, 2003 City Picks game ends. There were a total of sixteen winners of $50,000 for the duration of the game.   
February 17, 2003 Introduction of new lotto game Badger 5.
• Wisconsin only game
• Jackpots starts at $10,000
• Daily draws
 
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February, 2004 Wisconsin Lottery offers Player's Club, a way for players to learn new games, limited time offers, special events, winning numbers, and other Lottery news.  
August 30, 2004

The Lottery goes from using ball machines for the
drawings to using a Random Number Generator (RNG).  
August 31, 2005

Powerball® changes
• Matrix changes to 5 of 55 for the first five balls
• Jackpot starts at $15 million

  
September 26, 2005 Introduction of the first $20 scratch ticket, Extreme Cash.  
October 4, 2005 The Lottery adds support for Wisconsin Amber Alerts on retailer game terminals.
• Information is posted on Lottery terminals for Child abductions
• Amber Alerts go out through the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network 		 
October 23, 2005 SuperCash! changes.
• Matrix changes to 1 of 39
• Doubler feature added to every drawing
• Top prize increases to $350,000 		     
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February 5, 2007 Introduction of the first combo ticket "Cash Bonus Double Play" a combination of scratch and pull-tab. 
 
image-20190801115719-11    
 
March 4, 2007 Introduction of "Million Dollar Draw". 
• Lotto game that plays like a raffle
• Drawing date of May 1, 2007
• Top prize of $1 million		     
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September 14, 2008 Wisconsin Lottery celebrates its 20th Anniversary.      
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January 7, 2009

Powerball® changes
• Matrix changes to 5 of 59 for the first five balls and 1 to 39 for the Powerball number
• Jackpot starts at $20 million
• Power Play multiplier selected using a RNG 

  
January 31, 2010 The Wisconsin Lottery adds Mega Millions which is a multi-state game.  image-20190801115902-16
April 3, 2011 Wisconsin's Megabucks changes.
• EZ Match added. This is a chance to win instantly  		    
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September 2, 2011 Introduction of the world's first $20 crossword ticket "Supreme Crossword."     
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January 18, 2012 Powerball® changes.
• Price of a ticket increases to $2
• Starting jackpot increases to $40 million
• Matrix changes for the Powerball number to
1 of 35
• Prize for matching 5 of 5 without the Powerball increases from $200,000 to $1 million
• Power Play feature discontinued		     
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July 31, 2013 The Wisconsin Lottery joins Twitter: @wilottery 
 
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September 14, 2013 The Wisconsin Lottery celebrated its 25th Birthday!     
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October 19, 2013 The Mega Millions matrix changes for better overall odds and bigger jackpots.     
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December 9, 2013 The Wisconsin Lottery launches Facebook page:  
 
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January 22, 2014 Powerball® brings back the random Power Play multiplier.  
February 21, 2014 Introduction of the first $30 ticket, Instant Million, which has 4 instant prizes of $1 million!
 
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April 6, 2014 Introduction of "5 Card Cash" lotto game with two ways to win.
1. Win instantly at the time of purchase
2. Win in the daily drawing
 
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June 13, 2104 Wisconsin Lottery makes its first post on Instagram.  
August 1, 2014 The Lottery adds support for Wisconsin Silver Alerts on retailer game terminals.
• Information is posted on Lottery terminals for missing adults with Alzheimer's, dementia or other permanent cognitive impairments
• Silver Alerts go out through the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network		  
May 8, 2015 Lottery offers first $20 oversized instant scratch ticket Super 777.     
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October 7, 2015 Powerball® changes
• Matrix changes to 5 of 69 for the first five balls + 1 of 26 for the Powerball
• Match 4+1 prize increases from $10,000 to $50,000 cash
• Power Play includes a 10X multiplier when the advertised jackpot is less than or equal to the Major Jackpot Level.
• The Major Jackpot Level will never be less than $150 million.		  
January 13, 2016 Powerball® reaches a world record jackpot of $1,586,000,000!  Winning tickets sold in California, Florida and Tennessee.  
September 12, 2016 Lottoview screens placed at retail locations. These are the small electronic screens that show information about new games, jackpot amounts, and public service announcements.  
October 24, 2016 New Lottery vending machines (Gemini), featuring lotto quick picks as well as instant scratch tickets, appear at retail locations.  
May 14, 2017 The Wisconsin Lottery officially upgrades its gaming system, and with it comes new lottery terminals.  
October 28, 2017 Mega Millions increases to $2.  Starting jackpot increases to $40 million, creating bigger jackpots and better odds of winning $1 million.

The Wisconsin Lottery's "10 Buck Luck" combo also launched on this day, where for $10, players would receive a $2 Powerball + $2 Mega Millions + $2 5 Card Cash + $1 SuperCash! + $1 Badger 5 + $1 Megabucks + $.50 Daily Pick 3 (Box) + $.50 Daily Pick 4 (Box).		     
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September 14, 2018 Wisconsin Lottery celebrates 30 Years of Fun! image-20190801120451-29
October 23, 2018 The largest Mega Millions jackpot, $1.537 billion, was won on by one ticket, sold in South Carolina. This prize, the largest for one set of numbers in world history, was the second largest lottery payout at the time, behind Powerball's $1.586 billion jackpot won on January 13, 2016 by multiple tickets.   
March 15, 2019 The first $30 crossword ticket, "$500,000 Crossword," launches with a (surprise) $500,000 top prize!  image-20190801120519-30
March 27, 2019

$768 million Powerball jackpot, the nation's third-largest lottery jackpot ever at the time, is won in New Berlin, Wisconsin. 

  
April 7, 2019

The new $2 lotto game "All or Nothing" launches in Wisconsin, replacing $2 "5 Card Cash." 

The Wisconsin Lottery's "10 Buck Luck" combo was updated to include All or Nothing on this day. For $10, players receive a $2 Powerball + $2 Mega Millions + $2 All or Nothing + $1 SuperCash! + $1 Badger 5 + $1 Megabucks + $.50 Daily Pick 3 (Box) + $.50 Daily Pick 4 (Box).

     
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June 5, 2019 The Wisconsin Lottery launches its new website with an updated look and easier navigation.     
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June 14, 2020 Twice Daily Draws debuts. A second daily draw was added to three lotto games -- Pick 3, Pick 4, and All or Nothing. The two draws are called MIDDAY and EVENING.  
September 15, 2020 Wisconsin won it's first Mega Millions jackpot since debuting the game on January 31, 2010. The $119 Million jackpot winning ticket was sold by Kwik Trip #134 in Mount Pleasant. wi-lottery-mega-millions-logo

By law the Wisconsin Lottery is audited yearly by the independent Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB). The most recent financial audits are linked below:

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