The Idaho Lottery, which began on July 19, 1989, is run by the government of Idaho. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Fifty percent of all net funds is given to public schools, while the remainder is pledged to the Permanent Building Fund, which is used as a financial resource for Idaho's colleges and universities.
The Idaho Lottery offers drawing games: Mega Millions, Powerball, Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2; and two daily games, Double Play Daily and Idaho Pick 3. Drawings for Pick 3 and Double Play Daily are seven days a week, with the other games Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the exception of Mega Millions (Tuesdays and Fridays.) The minimum age to play the Idaho Lottery is 18.
The Lottery also offers approximately 50 instant Scratch GamesTM yearly. Prices range from $1 to $20. PullTabs are offered in social settings, such as restaurants, bars, and bowling centers. Ticket prices are 25 cents to $1.
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Idaho citizens approved a lottery in a constitutional amendment vote in November 1988. A mere 200 days later, a lottery industry record at the time, the Idaho Lottery began on July 19, 1989. Since its beginning, the Lottery has sold more than $1.8 billion in tickets and returned more than $437.3 million to Idaho public schools and buildings.
Idaho Pick 3 is played once a day, seven days a week. Prizes vary.
Double Play Daily is drawn twice a day, seven days a week. Games cost $2 each; tickets are good for both nightly draws. The first drawing is for a set $20,000 prize; the second draw is for a jackpot which starts at $20,000. To win, players must match at least 2 of the 5 numbers picked in either drawing. The jackpot amount for draw 2 grows, based on sales, until it is won. All prizes in both drawings are pari-mutuel.
Wild Card 2 is played in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. It is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. Players get two games for each $1 wagered. Wild Card 2 is played in a similar fashion as Powerball; in each drawing, five numbers from 1 through 31 are selected. The sixth "number" is actually one of 16 playing cards; either a Jack, Queen, King, or the Ace of any of the four suits (Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades).
Hot Lotto is available through 15 lotteries including Idaho's. It also is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. Hot Lotto draws 5 white numbers from 1 to 39 and 1 orange "hot ball" from 1 to 19. Its minimum jackpot is $1 million, increasing by at least $50,000 if there is no top prize winner. Hot Lotto also has a Sizzler option (similar to Mega Millions' Megaplier or Powerball's Power Play) which triples non-jackpot prizes.
Since 1990, the Idaho Lottery has been a member of MUSL. Powerball began in 1992. Its jackpots currently start at $20 million; it is drawn Wednesday and Saturday nights.
On October 13, 2009 the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in US lottery jurisdictions. Idaho began selling Mega Millions tickets on January 31, 2010.
In FY 2009, the Idaho Lottery set a sales record, grossing nearly $140 million. It also set a dividend record by returning a profit of $35 million to the people of Idaho – the sixth consecutive year for returning a record dividend. Players received a record $84.9 million in prizes, and retailers received a record $8.3 in commissions.[1]
FY 2009 sales by product for the Idaho Lottery are as follows:
| Game | Revenues |
|---|---|
| Powerball | $36,787,378 |
| Hot Lotto§ | $4,132,812 |
| Wild Card 2 | $3,152,691 |
| Idaho Pick 3 | $1,883,839 |
| Double Play Daily | $360,806 |
| Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle | $2,500,000 |
| Instant Scratch Tickets | $88,425,049 |
| Pulltabs | $2,406,606 |
| Total Sales | $139,649,181 |
The largest share of Idaho Lottery dollars is returned to players in the form of prizes. This amount in FY 2009 was approximately 60%. The next largest share of revenue is the annual dividend, which by statute is split equally between Idaho’s public schools and permanent buildings, including college campuses. Approximately 25% of all Idaho Lottery revenue was returned to the people of Idaho in FY 2009. The approximately 900 Idaho Lottery retailers received 6% of all revenue while game support utilizes 4%, administration costs were 3% and the smallest portion, 2%, was used for advertising.
The Idaho Lottery changed the on-line provider to INTRALOT, USA in February 2007. This required the installation of satellites and terminals across Idaho. The new terminals and software capabilities allow the Lottery to perform specialized and unique game promotions.
The Lottery also changed its instant ticket vendor to Scientific Games, Inc. in July 2007. This combination of companies has allowed the Lottery to offer unique game promotions where players have the opportunity to enter second-chance draws through either the internet or via tele-entry using a regular touch-tone telephone.
In July 2007, the Lottery debuted a North American industry first when it offered their VIP Club members the opportunity to earn rewards for making game purchases (excluding instant tickets.) For each $1 spent on Powerball, Mega Millions, Double Play Daily, Hot Lotto, Wild Card 2, Pick 3, and/or Raffle tickets, players receive one point. Points may be redeemed through the Lottery’s VIP Club website for merchandise, including I-pods, DVD players, bicycles, and watches.
In August 2008, the Lottery offered another North American first – the ability for players to donate part of their winnings from scratch tickets to an international non-profit organization. The Lottery offered a $1 ScratchTM game to help financially support the 2009 Special Olympic World Winter Games to be held in Idaho that February. Using creative game technology, winning players were asked to donate 25%, 50% or 100% of their win to support the international event.
The unofficial mascot of the Idaho Lottery is “BALL”, a large, life-sized symbol of the red Powerball. “BALL” boasts a circumference of 132 inches and made its debut in television commercials in 2006. The Powerball commercials featuring “BALL” won critical acclaim from the Northwest Addy Awards with a Best of Show Award. The commercial campaign depicted “BALL” being so huge it could not fit through revolving doors, into elevators, or up escalators. More recently, “BALL” made appearances at special events and community venues such as collegiate and professional sporting events.
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