Coronavirus Lottery Changes for April 2
Thursday April 2nd 2020Here are new changes made by state lotteries to combat coronavirus, including closing offices, extending prize expiration deadlines, and how to claim a prize by mail.
Most lottery drawings, including Mega Millions and Powerball, continue to be held as usual.
A few lotteries have postponed or cancelled some drawings. North Carolina has postponed Lucke-Rewards and Second Chance drawings, and Wisconsin has temporarily suspended Thursday Super 2nd Chance draws and cancelled its April Lucky Raffle. Visit the updates page above for full details on your state.
Staying at home? You can still enjoy the lottery by playing online. Added benefits: your ticket will be safely stored in your account and any wins will be deposited automatically.
Coronavirus state lottery updates
The latest news on what state lotteries nationwide are changing due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Arizona
Following Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order effective through April 30, the lottery's Phoenix and Tucson offices are now open by appointment only. To schedule a time please call 480-921-4400.
Players are encouraged to claim prizes by mail - see the link below for details.
Secure dropboxes have also been installed at the Phoenix and Tucson locations for local winners who wish to deposit their claims.
Connecticut
A lottery employee who had been self-isolating at home has tested positive for COVID-19. As of Thursday, April 2, the lottery has temporarily moved operations to a backup location.
"Out of an abundance of caution," the Rocky Hill headquarters "will be closed for deep cleaning following today's notice of an employee testing positive for COVID-19," the lottery announced on Wednesday. "The positive test results today came after the employee had been self-isolating at home and absent from the facility for more than two weeks."
The lottery was not making its backup location's address public, said spokeswoman Tara Chozet.
The lottery will conduct all drawings on Thursday, April 2 from the backup site. The drawings will not be televised, but they will be held at the same time as usual and continue to take place under the oversight of the Department of Consumer Protection.
Winners of $50,000 and above are required to claim in person at the backup site by appointment only, or wait until the state of emergency is lifted. To schedule an appointment, please call 860-713-2679.
Louisiana
The closure of lottery headquarters, all regional offices, and the distribution center has been extended until the end of April.
Players may send tickets worth less than $600 to the lottery for payment. Winners of $600 or more will need to wait to make their claim until offices reopen.
New Jersey
The closure of the lottery's front office in Lawrence Township has been extended through at least April 17.
The lottery has also extended the claim deadline by an additional 30 days for prizes that would have expired from March 19 to April 17. Expiration deadlines may be extended further if necessary.
Winners should claim prizes by mail - visit the link below for information.
North Carolina
All claim centers remain closed until further notice. Prizes up to $100,000 may be claimed by mail.
From March 30, all Lucke-Rewards and Second Chance drawings have been postponed until after the governor lifts the stay-at-home order. Players can continue to enter drawings, and new drawings will be announced. The postponement will not affect any previous or future entries or prizes won.
All other drawings continue to take place as scheduled.
Virginia
All customer service centers will now remain closed through at least April 30. Prize claims may be mailed in to the lottery following the steps in the link below. Prize claim deadlines have been extended due to the current state of emergency.
Wisconsin
The April Lucky Raffle has been cancelled, although players may still see signs at retailers. The limited-time lotto game was originally due to launch April 1. The lottery hopes to hold a similar raffle in the future.
Thursday Super 2nd Chance drawings have also been temporarily suspended following the March 26 draw.
All other lottery drawings continue to be held as usual.
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