Minnesota Players Cashed In Big With Lottery Winnings

Are you feeling lucky? Some Minnesotans definitely were, as the North Star State saw huge sales again last year-- and you won't believe just how much money was won right here in Minnesota. 

The Minnesota Lottery has been around for over 35 years, having sold its first lottery tickets back in 1990. Since then, playing the lottery, whether it's Powerball, Mega Millions, or your favorite Minnesota Lottery scratch-off game, has become a fairly popular pastime here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. 

The Minnesota Reformer says approximately half of adults in Minnesota-- over 50 percent-- reported buying lottery tickets at least once a year, with about 3 percent playing weekly, according to a 2020 report from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

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Minnesota Lottery Players Won Hundreds of Millions Last Year

On average, the Minnesota Lottery says it pays out over 76,000 prizes a day. And that adds up to a lot of money. The Lottery breaks down the latest details in its 2025 annual report, starting with the $448.1 million in prizes won by players across the state. Here are some other impressive stats:

• Total number of winners: 25,627,462
• Total amount of prizes paid: $379,818,139.76
• Total number of Gopher 5 Jackpot Winners: 9 (8 WINS)
• Total number of North 5 Jackpot Winners: 47 (44 WINS)
• Print-N-Play Jackpot Winners: 8
• Total Winners over $10,000: 506

Where Minnesota Lottery Revenue Goes Each Year

The Lottery said it also returned $161.6 million to Minnesota to support important services last year, including:

• $82.3 million for the General Fund
• $77.8 million for our environment and
  natural resources
• $1.5 million for responsible gambling programs
• $47.2 million in commissions and incentives earned by nearly 3,000 hardworking retail partners

The MN Lottery Headquarters in Roseville (Google Maps/Canva)

Minnesota's Biggest Lottery Winners in Fiscal Year 2025

All that winning has continued into this year, as well. For the 2025 fiscal year, which started in July 2024 and ran through June 2025, the Gopher State has already seen the following big winners:

+ September 27, 2024: Minnesota recorded its first $2 million Mega Millions win with a ticket purchased at a Holiday Stationstore in Edina.

+ December 31, 2024: A $1 million winning ticket was sold at Cub Foods in Blaine.

+ January 1, 2025: Two $1 million Minnesota Millionaire Raffle prizes were claimed from tickets sold at Bill’s Superette in Nowthen and Casey’s General Store in Tracy.

+ April 16, 2025: A $1 million winning ticket was sold at a Holiday Station Store in Minnetonka.

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You know who likely *doesn't* play the lottery? The following people because they're the highest-paid professional athletes in Minnesota in 2025. Keep scrolling to see who made this year's list!