Arizona Lottery
The Arizona Lottery is a state agency in Arizona. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Draw games include Powerball, Mega Millions, The Pick, Fantasy 5, Pick 3, 5 Card Cash and All or Nothing. A variety of instant scratch tickets, or Scratchers, are also offered.
The Arizona Lottery's mission statement is to support Arizona programs for the public benefit by maximizing revenue in a responsible manner. Arizona became the first state west of the Mississippi to approve a lottery when the statewide public initiative passed in November 1980. In 2002, a vote to extend the lottery for another 10 years was passed, with 73% in favor. In 2010, the Lottery was extended into 2035.
The first sale from the Arizona Lottery was on July 1, 1981. The product was an instant scratch ticket called Scratch It Rich. The Arizona Lottery sold more than 21.4 million Scratch it Rich tickets in only 25 days, raising $7 million for the state in less than 1 month. Frank Ryser of Phoenix was the first player to claim a $10,000 prize on Wednesday, July 1, 1981. Ralph Hayes of Tucson became the first player to win $1,000 per week for life, worth a guaranteed $1 million, on September 14, 1981.
Proceeds from sales of Arizona Lottery tickets, nearly $4.0 million per week, fund a variety of important state programs. In fiscal year 2016, the Arizona Lottery transferred over $205 million to these important programs. The Lottery transfers these dollars to 12 funds that serve 18 beneficiaries. There are six core Arizona Lottery pillars that these 18 beneficiaries align with, including 1) arts and education 2) community enrichment 3) economic development 4) environmental conservation 5) health and human services, and 6) public safety.
Arizona requires lottery players to be at least 21; the minimum age was 18 until June 1, 2003.
The Pick
First The Pick Drawing: October 13, 1984
The Pick, Arizona’s own jackpot game, had its first drawing on October 13, 1984. No ticket won the $1 million jackpot during the first drawing, but 35 people did win second place prizes of $984.30 each.
First The Pick Jackpot Winner: Ken Leins
Ken Leins, of Scottsdale, was the first player to win The Pick jackpot. Leins won $1.6 million on November 3, 1984.
Largest The Pick Jackpot: $13.5 Million
A lucky Arizona Lottery player won $13.5 million in the June 20, 2007 drawing for the largest The Pick jackpot in Arizona’s history.
The Pick is drawn
Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM MST. Games are $1. Jackpots begin at $1 million. Its players can add EXTRA!. The Pick draws 6 of 44 numbers.
Powerball (multi-lottery game)
First Powerball Drawing for Arizona: April 3, 1994
Arizona participated in its first Powerball drawing on April 3, 1994, when the lottery became a member of MUSL. Since then, the Arizona Lottery has produced 12 Powerball jackpot winners.
Largest Powerball Jackpot Won in Arizona: $587.5 million
The November 28, 2012 jackpot of $587.5 million was split between two winning tickets. One ticket was purchased in Arizona and the other was purchased in Missouri.
Since 1994, Arizona has been a member of MUSL. Powerball is drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays. The price for a game is $2 (with Power Play, $3.) Starting jackpot is $40 million (annuitized with cash option.) Second prize is $1 million cash ($2 million cash if Power Play selected.) The PowerPlay option is a multiplier.
Mega Millions (multi-lottery game)
First Mega Millions Drawing for Arizona: April 8, 2010
The Arizona Lottery began selling Mega Millions tickets in April 2010. The state is waiting for its first Mega Millions jackpot winner. However, 6 lucky players have won second place prizes of $1 million or more during the past six years.
In 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. Most lotteries with either game began selling tickets for both on January 31, 2010. Arizona joined Mega Millions on April 18, 2010. For an extra $1 the winnings may be multiplied by up to 5 with the Megaplier option.
Fantasy 5
Fantasy 5 is also drawn six nights a week. It draws 5 of 41 numbers. Its minimum jackpot is $50,000, increasing until there is a 5-of-5 winner. Games are $1. Fantasy 5 has an add-on game, EXTRA!.
Pick 3
Pick 3 is drawn Mondays through Saturdays. The prize for an exact match (Straight) is $250 on a 50-cent wager, or $500 on a $1 wager.
Scratchers®
First Scratchers Ticket: Scratch it Rich
The first Arizona Lottery ticket was a Scratchers ticket called Scratch it Rich. The game launched on July 1, 1981. Since then, the Arizona Lottery has sold nearly 1,000 different versions of its Scratchers tickets.
The state’s longest running, most popular Scratchers tickets include:
| Game | Original Launch | Consecutive Years Available | Price Point | Average Number of Tickets Sold Each Year |
| Crossword | Jan. 25, 1999 | 17 years | $2 | 16.6 million |
| Red Hot 7’s | June 7, 1999 | 17 years | $2 | 3.5 million |
| Bingo | Nov. 27, 1995 | 21 years | $2 | 11 million |
Unusual Scratchers Ticket Prizes
Arizona Lottery winners have received more than just cash prizes in the past 35 years. Some of the most unusual Scratchers prizes have included hot air balloon rides, a Caribbean cruise, a Las Vegas game show experience, a Phoenix Suns travel package, a trip to Caesar’s Palace®, a seat in the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event and a contestant spot on an episode of Wheel of Fortune comprised exclusively of lottery winners.
Scratchers® is a registered service mark of the California Lottery.