The Texas Lottery is one of the most popular lottery systems in the United States. It offers a wide range of lottery games, including scratch-off tickets, Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto Texas, Cash Five, Texas Two Step, Pick 3, Daily 4, and more. With so many games available, it’s common for players to wonder – does the Texas Lottery operate on Sundays?
The short answer is yes, the Texas Lottery does conduct drawings and sell lottery tickets on Sundays. The Texas Lottery operates every day of the week, including weekends and holidays. However, there are some important details and variations in Texas Lottery’s Sunday operations that players should be aware of.
Texas Lottery Sunday Operations
While the Texas Lottery runs games and sells tickets 7 days a week, Sundays do see some changes from regular operations. Here are the key points on how the Texas Lottery works on Sundays:
- Drawings for pick 3, pick 4, Cash 5, and Lotto Texas all take place on Sundays.
- The drawings are held at their normal scheduled times on Sundays.
- Lottery retailers sell tickets for all games on Sundays.
- Scratch-off tickets can be purchased at retailers on Sundays.
- Mega Millions and Powerball drawings do not take place on Sundays.
- The Texas Two Step drawing is not conducted on Sundays.
- Prizes up to $599 can be redeemed at retailers on Sundays.
- Larger prizes must wait to be redeemed at Texas Lottery claim centers on Mondays.
So in summary, the Texas Lottery holds drawings for some of its games on Sundays and continues selling lottery tickets as normal through authorized retailers. The main exceptions are no Mega Millions, Powerball, or Texas Two Step on Sundays. Players should also note that while tickets and smaller prizes can be redeemed on Sundays, the larger lottery prizes have to wait to be claimed during the normal business hours starting on Mondays.
Why Mega Millions, Powerball, and Texas Two Step Don’t Run on Sundays
One question Texas Lottery players may have is why games like Mega Millions, Powerball, and Texas Two Step do not conduct drawings on Sundays. There are a couple reasons behind this:
- Mega Millions and Powerball are national, multi-state games that coordinate drawing days and times across all participating states. The multi-state consortiums that oversee these games opted to not hold Sunday night drawings.
- Texas Two Step also does not hold Sunday drawings. As one of the Texas Lottery’s in-state games, this drawing schedule aligns with the Texas Lottery’s Sunday policies.
- Having no drawings on Sundays allows for a night off from the coordination and work involved in running and televising lottery drawings at the studios.
- The lack of Sunday drawings builds more anticipation and interest for the next available drawing on Mondays.
So in short, not having Mega Millions, Powerball, and Texas Two Step drawings on Sundays is primarily due to the multi-state coordination for bigger jackpot games and the Texas Lottery’s own policies. The Sunday off day helps keep Lottery operations running smoothly while also drumming up player interest.
Texas Lottery Sunday Ticket Sales and Prizes
Although certain drawings are off on Sundays, lottery retailers across Texas still sell lottery tickets each Sunday for games that are conducted on that day as well as future drawings. Here is a overview of Texas Lottery ticket sales and prize redemptions on Sundays:
Ticket Sales on Sundays
- Lottery retailers sell tickets on Sundays for any game drawings held that day.
- Tickets can be purchased for future draws, including those during the week.
- Scratch-off tickets are available for purchase.
- Lottery vending machines continue selling tickets.
- Gas stations, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies and other retailers sell lottery tickets from opening to closing on Sundays.
- Tickets sold on Sundays have the same odds and prizes as those sold any other day.
- Hours that retailers sell lottery tickets may vary by location.
Prize Redemption on Sundays
- Smaller prizes up to $599 can be redeemed at Texas Lottery retailers on Sundays.
- Larger cash and jackpot prizes cannot be redeemed on Sundays.
- Winning tickets worth $600 or more must be redeemed at Lottery claim centers on Mondays or later.
- Retailers have discretion on when paying prizes. Some may opt not to redeem prizes on Sundays.
- Scratch-off tickets can sometimes be scanned to verify prizes on Sundays, not always redeemed.
In summary, lottery ticket sales continue as normal each Sunday in Texas. Players have the exact same odds and access to games. The only difference is prizes over $600 cannot be claimed until Monday.
Why Large Prizes Can’t Be Claimed on Sundays
For big jackpot wins and other significant prizes, the Texas Lottery requires these to be redeemed during normal business hours on weekdays. Here’s why large lottery prizes cannot be processed on Sundays:
- Claim centers are closed Sundays and major holidays, so verification cannot be completed.
- Thorough verification and paperwork is required for large prizes, including tax forms.
- News conferences are arranged for jackpot winners, which don’t take place on Sundays.
- Some draws require Resultant Checking Process that can take days to complete.
- Retailers do not have authority or process in place to redeem prizes over $599.
- Waiting until Monday ensures all procedures can be properly followed.
So for any significant lottery wins, players must wait until Monday or later to complete the claims process at Texas Lottery headquarters. This guarantees everything is done by the book for these major prizes.
Sunday Operation Hours for Retailers Selling Lottery Tickets
While the Texas Lottery operates every day of the year to conduct drawings and process claims, individual retailers can set their own hours for selling lottery tickets on Sundays. Here are some key points on availability:
- Most major retailers sell lottery tickets from open to close 7 days a week.
- Independent stores or pharmacies may have shorter Sunday hours.
- Gas stations and convenience stores usually sell lottery tickets all day and night.
- Some locations may limit redemption of winnings on Sundays.
- Purchasing hours can range from 7am to 1am at various retailers.
- Players should check with their regular retailer for exact Sunday hours.
- The Texas Lottery website has a retailer locator to find open locations.
Although availability can vary, there are always plenty of options for purchasing lottery tickets and scratch-offs throughout Texas every Sunday. Players can use the retailer finder on the Lottery website or app to locate the nearest open location.
Major Retailers Selling Lottery Tickets on Sundays in Texas
Here is a look at the Sunday operating hours for some of the major retailers selling Texas Lottery tickets around the state:
| Retailer | Sunday Hours |
|---|---|
| 7-Eleven | Open 24 hours |
| HEB | 8am – 10pm |
| Kroger | 7am – 10pm |
| Randalls | 7am – 10pm |
| Albertsons | 7am – 10pm |
| Walmart | Open 24 hours or 7am – 10pm, varies by location |
| Walgreens | 8am – 10pm |
| CVS | 8am – 10pm, some 24 hours |
This covers some of the major statewide and national chains that offer broad Sunday availability of lottery tickets in Texas. Regional grocery stores like Brookshire’s and WinCo along with gas station chains like Valero, Shell, Exxon, and more also often provide lottery sales on Sundays. Players have many options for stores that will be open.
Getting Results for Sunday Texas Lottery Drawings
For lottery drawings conducted on Sundays in Texas, players have several options to get the winning numbers and see the results:
Checking Sunday Draw Results
- Results are posted at www.txlottery.org after each Sunday draw.
- The lottery website has current and past winning numbers searchable by game and date.
- Results are usually posted within an hour after a Sunday draw concludes.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android also provide draw results.
- Subscribing to the lottery’s free email/text alerts will send Sunday results.
- Visit retailers to scan ticket at terminals or view results.
- Call the Texas Lottery hotline at 1-800-375-6886 for draw results.
- Watch draw show recordings on the Texas Lottery YouTube channel.
Checking results is fast and convenient on Sundays. Players can use phones, computers, retailers or the hotline to look up winning numbers on the same day.
Watching Sunday Lottery Drawings
For those interested in watching the drawing itself, Texas Lottery drawings are not televised live on Sundays. However, there are still a couple options:
- Drawings are live-streamed on the lottery website, mobile app, YouTube and Facebook.
- The lottery website and YouTube has full draw show videos archived to replay.
- Local television stations may air delayed broadcasts of the drawing show.
- News programs highlight numbers during evening newscasts after the draw.
Even without live TV broadcasts, lottery fans can still watch real-time lottery drawing streams or recordings on Sundays. This allows players to view the actual drawing procedures and balls drawn.
Purchasing Lottery Tickets Online on Sundays
While jackpot excitement builds on Sundays, some players may wonder if they can purchase Texas lottery tickets online. Currently, the Texas Lottery does not offer online sales directly through its website or mobile apps. So players cannot use the internet to buy tickets or scratch-offs on Sundays.
However, some authorized third-party services do provide courier services that will purchase and deliver lottery tickets on behalf of customers. Using these delivery options, people can place ticket orders online and have them fulfilled same day on Sundays in eligible areas. Some examples include:
- Jackpocket – Courier service for lottery tickets in Texas. Orders through app.
- Lottery.com – Can facilitate Texas ticket orders online.
- TheLotter – Lottery ticket messenger service covering Texas.
These types of services provide an alternative for getting Texas Lottery tickets on Sundays without having to go to the store. Fees, surcharges and delivery areas vary between each courier company.
Playing Texas Lottery Games Online on Sundays
For fans of lottery-style games that want to play on Sundays, there are some legal Texas online gaming sites with instant win and keno-style games similar to lottery drawings. These regulated sites include:
- WorldWinner – Features skill-based casual games with cash prizes.
- Global Poker – Offers free jackpot sit and go poker tournaments.
These online game sites are legal options Texans can access to enjoy lottery-like games for entertainment or cash winnings all day Sunday. They provide another way to get involved in some draw game excitement on Sundays.
Finding a Texas Retailer Open on Sundays to Play Lottery
With thousands of authorized retailers across the state, finding a place to play the Texas Lottery on Sundays is convenient. Here are some tips for locating an open store on Sundays:
- Use the lottery website’s retailer locator map and search tool.
- Search major chain store locators online for open locations.
- Call local stores ahead to ask Sunday hours.
- Check gas stations, convenience stores, large grocers.
- Visit pharmacies, especially those inside major retailers.
- Look for stores with “We Sell Lottery Tickets Here” signs visible.
- Search Google Maps and call for retailer Sunday hours.
- Drive to local stores and check if they are open and selling tickets.
With some simple research and planning, Texans can easily find lottery retailers open for ticket purchases on Sundays across the state.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Texas Lottery does operate and sell tickets every day of the week, including Sundays. While large jackpot and prize claims are closed on Sundays, Texans can still enjoy lottery games by purchasing tickets for drawings held that day as well as future draws all Sunday long at retailers statewide. With many locations open and multiple ways to check results on Sundays, people can fully take part in lottery action all weekend. By knowing the ins and outs of Texas Lottery Sunday operations, players can strategize and maximize their options.
