Tri-State Lottery

Tri-State Lottery refers to games offered specifically by the Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont lotteries. It was the first multi-jurisdictional lottery, with its initial drawing (of the-then Megabucks) on September 14, 1985.^[1] The compact includes five games: Megabucks Plus (drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays); Pick 3 and Pick 4 (both have "day" and "night" drawings daily, including Sundays), Gimme 5 (drawn Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays), and Fast Play (terminal-generated "instant" tickets).

Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont offer individual instant (scratch) games, although the lotteries are working on a joint instant game, which would be similar to Midwest Millions, a MUSL-sponsored instant game in Iowa and Kansas. (The Fast Play games often are not simultaneously available in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.)

Prior to the Tri-State compact, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont individually operated online games, including pick-3 and pick-4 games. The most recent online games offered by any of the three lotteries, but outside the compact, were Lotto Vermont and New Hampshire Cash Lotto in the 1990s.

With Maine (a Multi-State Lottery Association member from 1990-1992) returning to MUSL in 2004, all three lotteries offer Powerball. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont also participate in the 45-jurisdiction Mega Millions, which New Hampshire and Vermont joined on January 31, 2010, as part of both major games' cross-sell expansion. (Maine joined Mega Millions on May 9, 2010.) Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont also offer MUSL's Hot Lotto (played similar to Mega Millions or Powerball), which is offered in 16 jurisdictions. These three games, just as in Megabucks Plus, have a progressive jackpot; except in Hot Lotto, whose May 2013 format change dropped its annuity option, winners can choose between annuity payments or a cash option.

Tri-State games are not directly part of MUSL, although the Iowa-based organization assists with multi-jurisdictional games. Hot Lotto and Powerball are operated by MUSL, while Mega Millions is not. Hot Lotto is drawn in Iowa, while Mega Millions′ draws are held in Georgia, and Powerball draws are in Florida.

Mega Millions will feature a dramatically different double matrix when its format changes in October 2013.

The newest Tri-State draw game, Gimme 5, began on May 12, 2013, the day of the Hot Lotto format change (see below.) Gimme 5 draws 5 of 39 numbers; the top prize is $100,000 split among games matching all five numbers.

Megabucks, whose original version began in 1985, became Megabucks Plus in July 2009, doubling the cost of a ticket to $2. Megabucks Plus is a double matrix game as in Hot Lotto, Mega Millions, and Powerball; players select five numbers out of a field of 41 and a "Megaball" from a field of 6.

The Hot Lotto game (available in 16 jurisdictions, including Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont) was changed on May 12, 2013; it features a revised double matrix (adding 8 "white balls" to the original 39, but leaving the number of "Hot Balls" at 19), and utilizes a "taxes-paid" format (the advertised jackpot amount is after withholdings, rather than the traditional American practice of "before withholdings.") Tennessee became the game's 16th member when the format change took place.

Tri-State drawings are held in New Hampshire. These drawings use "classic" numbered balls and drawing machines, except for raffles.

New Hampshire and Vermont allow subscription play for Megabucks Plus (as well as for Hot Lotto and Mega Millions); in the case of New Hampshire, it does not have a residency requirement for subscription play.

Notes

1. ↑ "New Hampshire Lottery Commission : Megabucks". Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-07-17.