Lottery Tickets to Go on Sale in Mississippi on November 25th
Tuesday October 15th 2019The Mississippi Lottery Corporation (MLC) has announced that the first lottery tickets will go on sale on November 25th, a week earlier than the original launch date of December 1st. The launch will see Mississippi become the 45th state to offer a lottery, leaving only Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah without one.
Retailers Preparing for Launch
The statement from the Mississippi Lottery Corporation said that scratch-off games would be the first available, and it described the steps being taken to prepare retailers for the upcoming launch. That includes sending acceptance letters to the retailers that have already been successful in their application to sell lottery products. “The earlier start date reflects our rapid progress,” MLC President Tom Shaheen said.
“We are beyond excited about working with such a great group of retailers,” Shaheen added. “The acceptance letter includes next step information addressing retailer training and store preparation for lottery terminals and equipment. Retailers will also receive a lottery certificate, which is required to be visibly posted in their location.
“The pillar of the lottery is having successful retailers on board. We are working with retailers to ensure they are well-prepared for launch.”
The MLC has stated that it wants as many retailers as possible selling lottery tickets in Mississippi and that they will continue to accept applications from retailers.
What Games Will Be Available?
Tickets for scratch-off games will be the first available when the Mississippi Lottery launches in November. Documents released in June also show that several draw-type games are slated to launch in early-2020. They include an unspecified 3-digit game, 4-digit game, and 5-digit game.
The two biggest lottery games in the United States – Mega Millions and Powerball – will be launched in Mississippi in the first quarter of 2020. The MLC recently joined the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) – the entity responsible for licensing those lotteries – and plans are underway to bring the nation’s most popular games to the state as soon as possible.
This catalogue of games will put Mississippi on a par with its neighbouring states and will ensure that the money currently being spent elsewhere on lottery tickets remains in Mississippi. The Louisiana Lottery, for example, offers games such as Pick3, Pick 4, and Easy 5, in addition to the two big multi-state games, but with a similar offer in Mississippi, players in the state will no longer need to cross the border to get their tickets.
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