Lottery

When do Mega Millions drawings take place?

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Mega Millions drawings take place at 11 p.m. Eastern, which is 10 p.m. Central, 9 p.m. Mountain, and 8 p.m. Pacific time.

What days are Powerball drawings?

Powerball drawings take place Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m.

Can You Win the Lottery If You Are Not a US Citizen?

https://legalclarity.org/can-you-win-the-lottery-if-you-are-not-a-us-citizen/

LegalClarity Team

Published Aug 29, 2025

Learn the essential steps for non-US citizens to successfully claim lottery winnings and manage legal and financial impacts.

Winning a lottery prize in the United States can be a life-changing event, and non-US citizens are eligible to participate and win. Understanding the rules, claiming procedures, tax obligations, and potential immigration considerations is important for non-US winners. This guide provides an overview of these aspects.

Eligibility to Participate in US Lotteries

Purchasing a lottery ticket in the United States generally requires adherence to age and location requirements. Most states mandate that individuals be at least 18 years old to buy lottery tickets, including popular games like Powerball and Mega Millions. Some states, however, set a higher minimum age, such as 19 or 21 years old. Physical presence within the state where the lottery is conducted is a crucial requirement.

US citizenship or residency is not a prerequisite for buying a lottery ticket. Anyone who meets the legal age requirement in the state of purchase can buy a ticket. Lottery rules are established by individual state lottery commissions, leading to variations across jurisdictions.

How Non-US Citizens Claim Lottery Winnings

Claiming lottery winnings as a non-US citizen involves specific steps. First, gather necessary documents like a valid government-issued photo identification, such as a passport or a visa, to verify identity. Depending on the lottery’s requirements, proof of legal presence in the US, like a Green Card, may also be necessary.

Winners must complete specific forms required by the lottery commission and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including the lottery’s claim form and IRS Form W-8BEN. This form certifies foreign status for tax purposes, requiring full name, current address, country of citizenship, and a foreign tax identifying number if applicable. Form W-8BEN is submitted to the payer of the winnings, not directly to the IRS.

After preparing all documents, the procedural step involves submitting the claim. For larger prizes, this typically requires visiting the state lottery headquarters or a district office in person. Smaller prizes, often under $600, can sometimes be claimed at participating retail locations or through certified mail. During the claiming appointment, identity verification occurs, and initial tax withholding is processed. The processing time for receiving the prize can vary, ranging from a few weeks to several months, depending on the prize amount and state regulations.

Tax Implications for Non-US Citizen Lottery Winners

Lottery winnings are considered taxable income in the United States, and non-US citizens are subject to specific tax obligations. The federal tax withholding rate for non-resident aliens on gambling winnings is a flat 30% of the gross amount. This amount is typically withheld directly by the lottery commission before the prize is paid out, as mandated by 26 U.S. Code Section 1441.

A reduced withholding rate may apply if the winner’s country has an income tax treaty with the United States. To claim these treaty benefits, the non-US citizen must provide IRS Form W-8BEN to the lottery organization. This form certifies foreign status and allows for the application of treaty provisions. If the winner does not have a Social Security Number, obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is necessary for tax filing. State income taxes on lottery winnings also apply in many states, and these rates can vary, with some states having specific rates for non-residents.

Immigration Impact of Winning the Lottery

Winning a significant lottery prize can influence immigration considerations for non-US citizens, particularly concerning the “public charge” rule. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act Section 212(a)(4), an individual is inadmissible to the United States if they are likely to become a public charge. A substantial lottery win generally has a positive impact on this assessment.

The financial resources from lottery winnings demonstrate self-sufficiency, which can alleviate concerns about an individual becoming dependent on government assistance. While a large sum of money is beneficial, it does not automatically grant immigration status or a visa. The impact on different visa types, such as tourist, student, or work visas, or on ongoing green card applications, varies based on individual circumstances. Consulting with an immigration attorney is advisable for personalized guidance, as specific situations and visa categories can significantly influence the outcome.

The Rules of Playing Powerball

https://lottolibrary.com/powerball-vs-mega-millions-4-key-differences/

To play Powerball, the player begins by choosing five numbers between 1 and 69 and also chooses an additional number from 1-26. It is okay if one of the numbers chosen in the latter batch is the same as a number from the former one as long as it falls between 1 and 26.

Next, you need to buy the ticket, which can be purchased for $2 from a clerk-activated terminal. So the player selects their numbers on the play slip and submits the slip to the clerk. They can also ask the retailer of the tickets for a Quick Pick. The clerk will issue a ticket from the Quick Pick terminal and it will contain the selected set of numbers.

The winning ticket is determined at a draw that is conducted under the supervision of the Multi-State Lottery Association. This association determines the frequency of the drawings for a Powerball game.

The winning numbers are drawn using mechanical equipment under the supervision of the drawing manager. The drawing manager is mandated to review the draws, which must be done randomly.

A winning ticket is required as proof of gameplay in order to claim a prize. The copy of a play slip or copy of the ticket is not considered proof of gameplay and therefore doesn’t allow one to receive the prize.

Only the grand prize will be determined on a pari-mutuel basis. All the other prizes, however, are awarded as set lump sums.

The Rules of Playing Mega Millions

https://lottolibrary.com/powerball-vs-mega-millions-4-key-differences/

To start playing, the players need to pick six numbers. Five numbers need to be from 1-70 and these are the white balls and a Mega Ball from the number 1-25. In this case, the number from the second pool can match a number from the first pool as long as it falls within the numbers 1 to 2. The starting jackpot is also based on the ticket sales, as is the same case with the Powerball jackpot.

With Mega Millions, there are some states that have a special offer known as “Just the Jackpot.” This play allows them to play for the jackpot, only using a ticket that costs $3. The ticket allows the player to have two plays but only for the jackpot, which means that they are not eligible for any other prizes. This is a very limited play and it is available in just a few states.

Megaplier, on the other hand, is offered in more states, and it increases the jackpot by two, three, four, and even five times the jackpot amount. The Megaplier is played twice a week from a pool of 15 balls. Five balls are marked with 2X, six balls are marked with 3X, three balls are marked with 4X, and one ball is marked with 5X.

Even with Mega Millions, you can ask the lottery retailer for a Quick Pick and the lottery terminal will pick a set of numbers for you. To increase your odds of winning and for added convenience, you should play your numbers for even up to 10 draws. This means you should mark the Multi-Draw box for this option.

When purchasing a Mega Millions ticket, you need to select the payment option you prefer, which is either an annuity or cash lump sum payment. In Mega Millions, the grand prize is pari-mutuel as well, just like in Powerball. This means that the grand prize will be divided equally by the grand prize winners holding the same tickets.

Only tickets purchased in the state where the jackpot and specifically from a licensed lottery retailer will allow you to claim the prize. You should sign the winning ticket before you claim it.

The Odds of Winning in Each Lottery

The odds of winning in Mega Millions were 1 in 3 million while in Powerball, they were 1 in 2.9 million in 2018, and they haven’t changed much. These odds have remained relatively the same even though each company has offered a maximum jackpot of $1.5 billion.

Powerball sells their winning ticket at two dollars, which is the same price as a Mega Millions ticket. However, before, Mega Millions would sell the ticket at one dollar only. At the time, the $2 gave you a chance to win a jackpot of $40 million from Powerball and the $1 earned you the chance to win $15 million from Mega Millions. Both companies competitively offer large sums of money to outdo each other.

How the draw is done

Mega Millions draws five balls from a lot of 70, while Powerball draws a similar number of five balls from its lot of 69. Also, Powerball players select one number between 0-26 as their power ball while mega million players select a ball between 1-25 to be their mega ball.

Given the slim chances of picking the winning lottery, most people playing these lotteries tend to choose the most frequently picked numbers. These are actually past winning numbers like 13, 8, 29, 54, and 14. Powerball uses their Quick Picks computer system to generate random number combinations while Mega Millions uses a Random Number Generator.

However, no system of choosing the numbers is better than the other.

Ways to win

Both Have Nine Ways to Win

The lotteries both have nine ways in which players can win, ranging from the grand prize of the jackpot to the least amount, which for Powerball is $4, while for Mega Millions is $2. Here are the nine plays for Powerball and Mega Millions:

Powerball	Mega Millions
Match five white balls + Powerball = Jackpot	Match five white balls + Mega ball = Jackpot
Match five white balls = $1,000,000	Match five white balls = $1,000,000
Match four white balls + Powerball = $50,000	Match four white balls + Mega ball = $10,000
Match four white balls = $100	Match four white balls = $500
Match three white balls + Powerball = $100	Match three white balls + Mega ball = $200
Match three white balls = $7	Match three white balls = $10
Match two white balls + Powerball = $7	Match two white balls + Mega ball = $10
Match one white ball + Powerball = $4	Match one white ball + Mega ball = $4
Match the powerball = $4	Match the Mega ball = $2

You can compare the odds for these prize levels with this tool: https://lottolibrary.com/lottery-odds-calculator/