Coronavirus Lottery Changes for April 1
Tuesday March 31st 2020Get the latest updates on changes lotteries are making due to coronavirus, including closing offices, extending winning ticket expirations, and how to claim a prize by mail.
All lottery drawings, including Mega Millions and Powerball, continue to be held on schedule.
If you prefer not to leave home, you can securely play online. Your ticket will be safely stored in your account and any wins will be deposited automatically.
Coronavirus state lottery updates
Below are the most recent updates on what lotteries across the country are doing to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Arizona
Gov. Doug Ducey has announced a stay-at-home order that goes into effect at 5pm on Tuesday, March 31 and will continue through April 30. Residents should stay in their homes as much as possible. Essential businesses such as food stores and pharmacies will stay open; all other businesses will close.
The lottery is not on the list of essential businesses that will remain open, so it is likely to close its offices and allow mail-in claims only. Prizes below $600 may also be claimed at a retailer. All players should sign the back of their tickets and store them in a safe location.
Drawings will continue to be held as scheduled.
Here's how to claim by mail ...
For tickets worth less than $600, complete the information on the back of your ticket and sign it.
For wins of $600 and above, you will need to send the following documents: 1) your completed original ticket, 2) a completed claim form, and 3) a copy of a government-issued ID that includes your mailing address and signature.
Mail your ticket and any required documents to:
Arizona Lottery
P.O. Box 2913
Phoenix, AZ 85062
Connecticut
The DADA Grocery LLC high-tier claims center at 757 Meriden Road, Waterbury has closed until April 14.
District of Columbia
Effective April 1, the DC Lottery has temporarily closed its prize center at 2235 Shannon Place, SE, to the public.
Winning tickets of any amount may be claimed by mail - see the link below for details. If your prize is over $5,000, please call 202-645-8000 for more information.
Maryland
The lottery's Baltimore customer resource center at 1800 Washington Boulevard closed on Monday, March 30; it is not yet known when it will reopen. Prizes of any value should be claimed by mail.
The lottery has extended the deadline to claim for tickets that would expire during the ongoing state of emergency Gov. Larry Hogan declared on March 5. Any claims made within 30 days of the state of emergency being lifted will be paid.
Drawings will continue to take place as usual.
To send your claim by mail:
Download and fill out the claim form and mail it with the signed ticket to the address below.
For amounts over $600, in addition to the original ticket and claim form, you will also need to include a copy of a photo ID (such as a driver's license) and a copy of a document showing your social security number.
Send your claim to:
Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center
1800 Washington Boulevard
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
Allow a minimum of 30 working days for processing.
Rhode Island
Gov. Gina Raimondo has announced a stay-at-home order that will stay in effect until April 13. Residents must stay in their homes as much as possible. Essential businesses including food stores and drug stores will stay open; all other businesses have closed.
The lottery is now allowing all prizes to be claimed by mail. Prizes under $600 may also be claimed at a retailer. If you have any questions, please contact the lottery at 1-401-463-6500.
To redeem your prize by mail, please send the following to the lottery:
- Original winning ticket, signed on the back
- Your full address
- Your telephone number
- A copy of a government-issued photo ID
- A copy of your social security card or a valid document that shows your SSN. If you cannot provide this, you must complete and send an IRS W-9 form. The Lottery can mail the form to you to fill in and return.
Mail your signed ticket and the required documents / information to:
Rhode Island Lottery
1425 Pontiac Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
Attention: Validations Department
The lottery will mail prize checks to the address provided.
South Carolina
Claims for $100,000 and below may be mailed in - see the link below for information.
If you've won over $100,000, please call the lottery at 803-253-4004 and leave a message. Sign the back of your ticket and keep it safe.
The lottery has extended the prize expiration period. All tickets that expired on or after March 17, 2020 will be paid out for a period of time the lottery will designate. It has not announced what the timeframe is. These claims may be made in person when the claim center reopens or by mail.
Wyoming
The lottery's office closure has been extended through April 5. For details of how to claim a prize by mail please see the link below.
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