The North Dakota Lottery is run by the government of

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

. The Lottery began in 2004, following voter approval of an initiative constitutional amendment in 2002, Measure 2, which amended Article XI, Section 25 of the

North Dakota Constitution The Constitution of North Dakota is the most basic legal document in the U.S. state of North Dakota. It consists of a preamble and fourteen articles. Amendments to the North Dakota Constitution have always required the approval of a majority of vo ...

to allow for the state to join a multi-state lottery "for the benefit of the State of North Dakota." In-state games were not allowed; 63 percent of voters supported the measure. As the Lottery is allowed only to offer multi-jurisdictional games, North Dakota-only games cannot be offered.http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t53c12-1.pdf?20130511023640 All North Dakota Lottery games are part of the

Multi-State Lottery Association The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is an American non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated by agreement of its 34 member lottery, lotteries. MUSL was created to facilitate the operation of multi-jurisdictional lottery ...

(MUSL). North Dakota's games are:

Lucky for Life Lucky for Life (LFL) is a lottery drawing game, which, as of June 28, 2021, is available in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Lucky for Life, which began in 2009 in Connecticut as ''Lucky-4-Life'', became a New England–wide game three ye ...

Mega Millions Mega Millions (originally known as ''The Big Game'' in 1996 and renamed, temporarily, to ''The Big Game Mega Millions'' six years later) is an American multi-jurisdictional lottery game; as of January 30, 2020, it is offered in 45 states, the Di ...

Powerball Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). From its inaugural drawing on April 19, 1992, unti ...

Lotto America Lotto America is an American multi-state lottery game that began in 2017. It is operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). It takes its name from the original Lotto America, offered from 1988 to 1992. Lotto America was re-launched b ...

, and

2by2 2by2 is a lottery game offered in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. It is drawn nightly at the Iowa headquarters of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Kansas and Nebraska started the game in 2002; North Dakota joined in 2006, ...

. North Dakota's lottery games require players to be at least 18 years old.

Current draw games

Multi-jurisdictional games

2by2

2by2 is offered in North Dakota,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, and

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

. It is drawn nightly. 2by2 draws two red numbers from 1 through 26, and two white numbers, also 1 through 26. Games cost $1 each. There are eight ways to win. The top prize usually is $22,000; however, a ticket good for seven drawings matching all four numbers in a Tuesday draw wins $44,000.

Lucky for Life

In 2009, the Connecticut Lottery began a game then known as ''Lucky-4-Life''. Eventually, it became a regional game. After several modifications, in 2015 it became a "quasi-national" game. (As of 2018, it is available in 24 states and the District of Columbia.) ''Lucky for Life'' plays are $2 each. Two number fields are used: players choose 5 of 48 "white balls", and a green "Lucky Ball" from 18 numbers. Drawings remain in Connecticut; each Monday and Thursday night, the winning numbers are selected from two "classic" drawing machines. Top prize is $1,000-per-week-for-life; second prize, $25,000-per year. Winners of a "lifetime prize" can choose cash instead. Lucky for Life replaced ''Wild Card 2'' (initially known as ''Wild Card'') in North Dakota in 2016. South Dakota, Montana, and Idaho also offered ''Wild Card 2''; the latter three states also have joined LFL.

Lotto America

Lotto America is offered in 13 states; it is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. Lotto America draws five "red ball" numbers from 1 through 52, and a "blue ball" numbered 1-10. The "All-Star Bonus" option multiplies non-jackpot prizes. Plays are $1 each, or $2 with the multiplier. Lotto America replaced

Hot Lotto Hot Lotto was a multi-state lottery game administered by the Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which is best known for operating the Mega Millions and Powerball games. Hot Lotto began sales on April 7, 2002; its first drawing ...

after the latter's final drawing on October 28, 2017. (See also

Hot Lotto fraud scandal The Hot Lotto fraud scandal was a lottery-rigging scandal in the United States. It came to light in 2017, after Eddie Raymond Tipton, the former information security director of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), confessed to rigging a ra ...

Powerball

Powerball was North Dakota's first lottery game. Its opening jackpot is $40 million; it is drawn Wednesday and Saturday nights.

Mega Millions

On October 13, 2009, the

consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in U.S. lottery jurisdictions. The Lottery Advisory Commission voted unanimously on October 22, 2009 to bring

to North Dakota, with Attorney General

Wayne Stenehjem Wayne Stenehjem ( ; February 5, 1953 – January 28, 2022) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of North Dakota. He was the Attorney General of the state, serving from December 15, 2000 until his death. He sought the Republi ...

eventually approving the game. The Lottery joined Mega Millions on January 31, 2010. The current format for Mega Millions began on October 28, 2017.

References

External links

North Dakota Lottery website
{{authority control State lotteries of the United States Gambling in North Dakota Computer-drawn lottery games State agencies of North Dakota