The Florida Lottery - Frequently Asked Questions

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Florida Lottery - Frequently Asked Questions

FAQS

	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

	Q. Can I buy Florida Lottery tickets over the Internet?
	Q. Where do I go to claim my Lottery prize?
	Q. How can I claim my Lottery prize from out of state?
	Q. What percentage in taxes will the Lottery withhold from my prize?
	Q. What times are the drawings held for CASH 3™, PLAY 4™, FANTASY 5®, MEGA MONEY™ and FLORIDA LOTTO™ and POWERBALL®?
	Q. When is your website updated?
	Q. Who can play and win Florida Lottery games?
	Q.Who is prohibited from playing and winning Florida Lottery games?
	Q. How does the Lottery determine the size of the advertised jackpot in the FLORIDA LOTTO game?
	Q. How long do I have to claim my Florida Lottery Prize?
	Q. What is the Cash Option available for POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO and MEGA MONEY?
	Q. What if someone wins the POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO or MEGA MONEY jackpot and dies before the annual installments are paid?
	Q. What does the Florida Lottery do with the money from ticket sales?
	Q. How can I find more information about the Bright Futures Scholarships?
	Q. What happens to prizes that are not claimed?
	Q. Can Lottery winners remain anonymous?


	Q. Can I buy Florida Lottery tickets over the Internet?
	A. No. Florida Lottery tickets must be purchased from any of the more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers in the state of Florida. Click here for a list of authorized Lottery retailers.


	Q. Where do I go to claim my Lottery prize?
	A. Prizes of $599.99 or less may be redeemed at any Florida Lottery retailer. Prizes from $600 to $250,000, and POWERBALL prizes of up to $1 million, may be redeemed at a Lottery district office. Prizes of $250,000 or more, with the exception of POWERBALL prizes ranging up to $1 million, must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. Lottery tickets may also be mailed to Lottery headquarters for redemption; however, the risk of mailing tickets remains with the player. A Winner Claim Form will need to be completed for prizes of $600 or more. These may be obtained from any Florida Lottery retailer, district office or on this Web site. For more information on how to claim a prize, click here. To find a Lottery retailer near you, click here. For the phone number, address and hours of operation of Lottery offices throughout the state, click here.


	Q. How can I claim my Lottery prize from out of state?
	A. To claim Florida Lottery prizes from out of state, you may fill out the back of your ticket and mail it, along with the required documentation, to the following address: Claims Processing Florida Lottery 250 Marriott Drive Tallahassee, FL 32399-9939 Claims Processing will process your ticket and mail you a check for any applicable prize. Federal law prohibits the mailing of Lottery tickets across state lines. Winners redeeming free Scratch-Off tickets, free FANTASY 5 tickets or free MEGA MONEY tickets will receive a check for the retail value of their free-ticket prize. Please note: The risk of mailing tickets remains with the player and will not be assumed by the Florida Lottery. A completed Winner Claim Form and a photocopy of the required identification are necessary to claim prizes of $600 or more. For more information, click here.
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	Q. What percentage in taxes will the Lottery withhold from my prize?
	A. The Internal Revenue Service requires that the Florida Lottery withhold 25 percent federal withholding tax from prizes greater than $5,000 if the winner is a citizen or resident alien of the U.S. with a Social Security number. The Florida Lottery is not required to withhold federal withholding taxes from prizes for $5,000 or less. If the prizewinner is a U.S. citizen or resident alien who does not have a Social Security number, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 28 percent backup federal withholding tax from any prize of more than $600. For nonresident aliens, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 30 percent federal withholding tax from all prize amounts. The Internal Revenue Service requires the Florida Lottery to report all winnings for $600 and above for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
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	Q. What times are the drawings held for CASH 3, PLAY 4, FANTASY 5, MEGA MONEY, FLORIDA LOTTO and POWERBALL?
	A: The Florida Lottery On-line game drawings are held according to the following schedule: · CASH 3 and PLAY 4 drawings are held twice daily at 1:30 p.m. and 7:57 p.m. Eastern Time. FANTASY 5 drawings are held nightly at 11:15 p.m. Eastern Time. MEGA MONEY drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday nights at 11:15 p.m. Eastern Time. FLORIDA LOTTO drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 11:15 p.m. Eastern Time. POWERBALL drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Drawings may be viewed on the Lottery's TV carrier stations* and on this Web site. For more information, click here. Winning numbers are available on this site, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY. *Viewing times and formats may vary by station.
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	Q. When is the Florida Lottery Web site updated?
	A. The Florida Lottery Web site is updated continuously throughout the day, Monday through Friday. Winning numbers, jackpot information and prize payouts are updated as soon as they are declared official following each drawing. News releases regarding the previous night's drawings are posted by 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday thru Friday. On Saturday and Sunday winning numbers, jackpot information and prize payouts are updated by 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. In the rare event when the Florida Lottery Web site cannot be updated as scheduled, every effort is made to post information as soon as possible.
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	Q. Who can play and win Florida Lottery games?
	A. Florida Lottery games can be played by adults 18 years of age or older.
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	Q. Who is prohibited from playing and winning Florida Lottery games?
	A. Anyone under the age of 18, Florida Lottery employees, relatives of Florida Lottery employees living in the same household as the employee and certain employees of vendors who provide goods and services to the Florida Lottery cannot play Florida Lottery games.
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	Q. How does the Lottery determine the size of the jackpot in the FLORIDA LOTTO game?
	A. The estimated FLORIDA LOTTO jackpot is based on projected sales for that drawing, added to any funds rolled over from previous drawings when there was no jackpot winner and the anticipated interest rate for long-term investments.
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	Q. How long do I have to claim my Florida Lottery prize?
	A. All Florida Lottery On-line games (CASH 3, PLAY 4, FANTASY 5, MEGA MONEY, FLORIDA LOTTO and POWERBALL) prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the applicable draw date. Florida Lottery Scratch-Off game prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO and MEGA MONEY jackpot winners who want to receive a one-time lump-sum payment must claim their prizes within 60 days after the applicable draw date. Prize coupons for promotional games (e.g., raffle-style games) expire 60 days after the final drawing for that game.
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	Q. What is the Cash Option available for POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO and MEGA MONEY?
	A. The Cash Option is a one-time cash payment that jackpot winners may choose to receive instead of receiving their winnings in 30 annual payments for POWERBALL or FLORIDA LOTTO and 20 annual payments for MEGA MONEY. POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO and MEGA MONEY jackpot winners who want to receive a single Cash Option payment must claim their prizes within the first 60 days after the draw date.
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	Q. What if someone wins the POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO or MEGA MONEY jackpot and dies before all the installments are paid?
	A. If a POWERBALL, FLORIDA LOTTO or MEGA MONEY winner dies before receiving all annual installments, the balance of the prize will be paid to the winner's estate.
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	Q. What does the Florida Lottery do with the money from ticket sales?
	A. Proceeds from every dollar spent on Florida Lottery tickets help provide educational funding for Florida’s school children. Whether it’s Bright Futures scholarships, better books, technology for schools, or bonds for school construction, the proceeds from Florida Lottery ticket sales are transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) and appropriated by the Florida Legislature.
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	Q. How can I find more information about the Bright Futures scholarships?
	A. For more information on Bright Futures scholarships, please visit the Department of Education's Web site at www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf, or call the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance toll-free at 1-888-827-2004.
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	Q. What happens to prizes that are not claimed?
	A. Florida law requires that 80 percent of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred directly to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20 percent is returned to the prize pool from which future prizes are awarded or used for special prize promotions.
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	Q. Can Lottery winners remain anonymous?
	A. No. Florida Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide the winner’s name, city of residence, game won, date won and amount won to any third party who requests the information; however Florida Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential.
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