How to Play in Texas

In Texas, you can enjoy a variety of lottery games, including Powerball and Mega Millions. While traditionally, tickets are purchased directly from licensed retailers, recent changes have introduced the option to use a lottery courier service. These services allow you to order tickets online, which are then purchased on your behalf by a licensed retailer. A scanned copy of your ticket is provided for your records.

You can learn more below about how to play popular lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions in Texas.

Powerball

Powerball offers huge jackpots that are always least $20 million. Draws are every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night. This lottery doesn't have a limit as the jackpot keeps growing each time there is no winner.

Retailers stop selling tickets between 9:00 and 10:15 p.m. CT on draw nights. If using a courier, ensure your order is placed before the retailer's cutoff time to allow the agent sufficient time to purchase and scan your ticket. Below is more info on how to play Powerball:

• Select five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26.
• Opt for a Quick Pick to have numbers randomly generated.
• Add Power Play to multiply non-jackpot winnings by 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, or 10×.
• Use Multi-Draw to play the same numbers in multiple consecutive draws, up to 15.

Lottery courier services typically notify you of any winnings and deposit smaller prizes directly into your account. For prizes over $600, you may need to claim them in person at a Texas Lottery claim center or by mail.

To win a prize, you'll at least need to match the Powerball on its own. There are nine prize levels to win from, depending on how many numbers your tickets match. To take home the jackpot, you'll need all six numbers!

Mega Millions

Mega Millions has drawings every Tuesday and Friday night. Retailers stop selling tickets at 9:45 p.m. CT and resume at 10:15 p.m. If using a courier, ensure your order is placed before the retailer's cutoff time. Lottery couriers offer a service where they will buy your ticket for you. This means that the cutoff through a courier will likely be earlier. See more about how to play here to make your choices easier.

• Select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. You can always choose the same Mega Ball number as any of the main numbers, as they're selected from a different set. You can always opt for a Quick Pick to randomly generate numbers.
• Add Megaplier to multiply non-jackpot winnings by 2×, 3×, 4×, or 5×.
• Use Multi-Draw if you want to play the same numbers in multiple consecutive draws, up to 10.
• You can always choose 'Yes' to the Megaplier to potentially boost the amount you win. A Megaplier is randomly picked in each draw from either 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x. Any non-jackpot prizes are multiplied by this value, if you have opted in. Incredibly, players can win up to $5 million this way without even matching all of the numbers!
• In Texas, you can also choose "Just the Jackpot" to play two sets of numbers for a reduced price, but only for the jackpot prize. That means that even if you match all of the five numbers out of six, you won't win anything.

The overall odds of winning a Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24. Match the Mega Ball on its own and you'll win $2, or you'll receive a larger prize for matching more numbers.

Important notice:

As of February 24, 2025, the Texas Lottery Commission has issued a policy statement prohibiting the operation of lottery courier services in the state. This decision is based on concerns regarding the integrity and fairness of the lottery system. Retailers found to be working with courier services may have their sales agent licenses revoked.

Claiming Prizes

Courier services typically notify you of any winnings and deposit smaller prizes directly into your account.

For prizes over $600, you may need to claim them in person at a Texas Lottery claim center or by mail.

The Texas Lottery

Established in 1992, the Texas Lottery has contributed over $37 billion to public education and veterans' programs. While the option to use courier services has been discontinued, players can still purchase tickets directly from licensed retailers across the state.

The state of Texas allows jackpot winners to remain anonymous. The single biggest win in Texas was with the Mega Millions, when a lucky player from Leander in Austin won $225 million in September 2019. Since then, Texas hasn't seen as much luck with Powerball, but the state did see someone win a third of a jackpot, worth an incredible $564 million, in February 2025.