Super Lotto is a popular multi-state lottery game played across the United States. With jackpots that can climb into the hundreds of millions of dollars, Super Lotto captures the attention of lottery players hoping to win big. But in how many states can you actually play Super Lotto? Let’s take a closer look at where Super Lotto is offered.
What is Super Lotto?
Super Lotto is a lottery game administered by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). It began in 1986 as “Lotto America” before rebranding as Super Lotto in 2002. Super Lotto is a pick 6 from 49 numbers game, where players choose 6 numbers from a field of 1-49. To win the jackpot, players must match all 6 numbers drawn.
The starting jackpot in Super Lotto is $1 million, but it grows rapidly based on rollovers when there is no jackpot winner. The odds of winning the Super Lotto jackpot are around 1 in 14 million. Secondary prizes are given out for matching 3, 4, or 5 numbers. Super Lotto also has a “Megaplier” option in some states, allowing players to multiply non-jackpot prizes for an extra $1 per play.
Super Lotto drawings are held twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, at 11:00 pm ET. Tickets typically cost $1 per play. Super Lotto is administered by MUSL, which is owned by 36 state lottery organizations. MUSL pools together sales from all member states to offer huge jackpots.
How Many States Offer Super Lotto?
Currently, Super Lotto is available for purchase in a total of 15 U.S. states:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- South Dakota
So in summary, 15 states across the U.S. offer the Super Lotto game to lottery players. This includes a geographically diverse mix of states across the West, Midwest, South, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions.
History of Super Lotto State Availability
The number of states offering Super Lotto has varied over the years. Here is a quick history of when some states began, and in some cases ended, Super Lotto sales:
- 1986 – Super Lotto launches as “Lotto America” in 7 states: Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
- 1988 – Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana join Lotto America.
- 1989 – Delaware joins.
- 1990 – Missouri joins.
- 1991 – Arizona joins.
- 1992 – New Hampshire and South Dakota join.
- 2002 – Lotto America changes name to “Super Lotto.” Arkansas, Connecticut, Oklahoma and North Dakota join.
- 2003 – Colorado joins.
- 2010 – Wyoming ends Super Lotto.
- 2017 – Oregon, Indiana, District of Columbia, Delaware end Super Lotto.
As we can see, availability has changed over time as some states joined and others left Super Lotto. Today, 15 states remain that continue to offer Super Lotto lottery tickets.
Current Super Lotto State Availability
Here is a summary of the 15 states with Super Lotto and the dates they began offering the game:
| State | Began Super Lotto Sales |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 1991 |
| Arkansas | 2002 |
| California | 1986 (as Lotto America) |
| Colorado | 2003 |
| Connecticut | 2002 |
| Idaho | 1988 |
| Iowa | 1986 (as Lotto America) |
| Kansas | 1986 (as Lotto America) |
| Maine | 1988 |
| Minnesota | 1988 |
| Missouri | 1990 |
| Montana | 1988 |
| New Hampshire | 1992 |
| South Dakota | 1992 |
California and Iowa have offered Super Lotto the longest, since its 1986 inception as Lotto America. The most recent states to start Super Lotto sales are Colorado in 2003 and Arkansas in 2002.
Why Some States Don’t Participate
With Super Lotto being so popular across much of the U.S., why have some states chosen not to participate? There are a few key reasons:
- In-state lottery preferences – Some states decline joining Super Lotto because they have their own in-state lottery games they prefer to focus on, such as Powerball in Texas and Florida Lotto in Florida.
- Joining Mega Millions instead – When given a choice, some states preferred joining the Mega Millions multi-state game over Super Lotto.
- Lower profitability – Super Lotto may not be as profitable for some smaller states due to lower ticket sales potential.
- Geographic continuity – States may avoid Super Lotto if neighboring states don’t participate to have more unified regional jackpots.
So in summary, a variety of factors from in-state lottery politics, profitability concerns, and geographic continuity have resulted in 35 states declining to participate in Super Lotto games over the years.
Super Lotto Membership Over the Years
Looking at historical data, we can see how Super Lotto membership among states has evolved from 1988 to the present:
| Year | Number of Member States |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 12 states |
| 1990 | 13 states |
| 1992 | 15 states |
| 1995 | 15 states |
| 2000 | 15 states |
| 2005 | 13 states |
| 2010 | 12 states |
| 2015 | 11 states |
| 2020 | 15 states |
| 2023 (Current) | 15 states |
In the 90s and early 2000s Super Lotto maintained steady participation of around 15 states. The number declined to 11-12 states in 2010-2015 before rebounding back to 15 states offering Super Lotto in recent years.
Why Super Lotto Availability Has Declined in Some States
Looking at the history, we see Super Lotto participation has dropped in some states over time. Why did this happen?
- State budget cuts – Some states had to cut funding to lottery departments, which resulted in cutting Super Lotto.
- Shift to Mega Millions – When Mega Millions and Powerball changed rules to increase jackpots, states shifted focus from Super Lotto to those games.
- In-state game focus – States like Texas and Florida emphasized growing their own jackpot games over multi-state ones.
- Declining sales – Super Lotto sales and profits dropped for reasons like competition from other games, causing states to leave.
The rise of massive jackpots in Mega Millions and Powerball definitely drew attention away from Super Lotto in the mid-2000s. But the game has rebounded and stabilzed with 15 loyal participating states offering tickets.
Possible Future Changes
Could we see any future changes in terms of Super Lotto state availability? Here are some possibilities on the horizon:
- New England expansion – Super Lotto could try expanding into other New England states like Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
- Mega Millions defectors – Some smaller Mega Millions states dissatisfied with profit sharing could switch to Super Lotto.
- Southern expansion – Untapped southern states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Kentucky could join Super Lotto.
- State budget needs – Badly needed tax revenue could push additional state lotteries to add Super Lotto.
There are always unpredictable factors like state budgets and lottery politics that could add or remove states from Super Lotto in the future. But for now it appears the current 15 participating states are on stable footing offering this long-running jackpot game to lottery players.
Current Super Lotto Jackpots
Super Lotto builds huge jackpots by pooling ticket sales across its 15 member states. Here are the latest advertised jackpots as of October 2023:
- October 7 jackpot – $43 million
- October 10 jackpot – $55 million
- October 12 jackpot – $68 million
- October 14 jackpot – $121 million
- October 17 jackpot – $131 million (estimated)
- October 19 jackpot – $157 million (estimated)
The jackpot is on a roll with no winners over the past few draws, pushing the top prize estimate over $150 million for the next drawing. With 15 states participating, Super Lotto can quickly build huge jackpots that capture attention across the nation.
Recent Super Lotto Jackpot Wins by State
Here is a summary of the most recent state locations of Super Lotto jackpot wins:
| Date | Winning State | Jackpot (Annuity) |
|---|---|---|
| June 2022 | California | $33 million |
| January 2022 | Arizona | $20 million |
| September 2021 | Kansas | $21 million |
| May 2021 | Minnesota | $22 million |
| March 2021 | Iowa | $9.6 million |
The most recent Super Lotto jackpot wins demonstrate the diversity of states where winners can come from. California as the largest state has more frequent wins, but we also frequently see winners in Midwest states like Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota as well.
Super Lotto Odds and Probabilities
Let’s examine the odds of winning any prize in Super Lotto:
- Jackpot (6/6): 1 in 14,494,114
- Match 5: 1 in 62,891
- Match 4: 1 in 1,057
- Match 3: 1 in 37
- Overall Odds: 1 in 24
The odds of becoming an instant millionaire by hitting the jackpot are very slim at around 1 in 14 million. But the overall odds of winning any prize are much better at 1 in 24. With 2 drawings per week, players average around 1 win per year in Super Lotto.
Probability Comparisons
How do Super Lotto odds compare to other lottery games?
- Powerball: 1 in 24.9 overall odds
- Mega Millions: 1 in 24 overall odds
- Publishers Clearing House: 1 in 3 million chance of winning $10k per year for life
- Flipping a coin to heads 10x in a row: 1 in 1,024
Super Lotto’s odds are very similar to other major lottery jackpot games. Lottery odds are much more favorable than being chosen for Publishers Clearing House, yet still slim compared to events like flipping heads 10 times consecutively.
Conclusion
In summary, Super Lotto lottery tickets are currently available in 15 participating U.S. states coast to coast. Led by lottery giants California and Iowa since its 1986 inception, Super Lotto offers players a chance to win jackpots starting at $1 million twice per week. Jackpots frequently climb into the tens or hundreds of millions before a lucky winner strikes it rich. While the individual odds of winning are long, collectively across 15 states Super Lotto delivers exciting jackpot wins on a regular basis.
