USA Lotteries 

Hot Lotto

Kamal Kaur

Hot- Lotto
It is hot and sizzling…and you can find it in 15 states of USA. Can you guess what! It is not the hot patty or burger or taco that we are talking about. But is the Lottery game! Yes lottery game called Hot Lotto which comes along with Sizzlers too. Hot Lotto is a multi-state lottery game brought to you by the Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which is best known for operating the Mega Millions and Powerball games. Hot Lotto is available in 15 jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia.

The origin of Hot Lotto began in the year 2002 to celebrate Powerball’s 10th anniversary and this friendly lotto gives smaller lotteries the opportunity to create the “middle-sized” jackpots that are commonplace in single-state games which serve a sizable population base, such as Florida Lotto and California Super Lotto Plus. Unlike Powerball, which is widely available across the United States, Hot Lotto is only available in the following states and jurisdictions:

States- Hot Lotto

  • Washington D.C
  • Delaware
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire
  • New Mexico
  • North Dakota
  • Oklahoma
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • West Virginia

In the year 2013 Hot Lotto brought a change to its rules and began to offer its now-famous taxes-paid jackpot prize. This brought a sigh of relief to the players as now more money will stay in the hands of winners which otherwise would have received less than the estimated jackpot amount. Hot Lotto might not offer the mind-blowing top prizes that made Powerball and Mega Millions famous, but giving away what was advertised makes the game tempting popular for many players.

How to Play Hot Lotto

Hot- Lotto- ticket

  • Hot Lotto costs $1 per play; $2 with the Sizzler option.
  • Choose 5 out of 47 numbers for the white balls; then choose 1 out of 19 numbers for the Hot Ball.
  • Use a play slip to choose your own numbers or request an “easy pick” from the clerk agent and the lotto terminal will choose the numbers for you.  Play more than one drawing by marking the “multi-draw” box on the play slip for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 consecutive drawings.
  • Drawings are held at 9:40 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. Tickets may be purchased until 8:18 pm on the evening of the drawing
  • The jackpot begins at $1 million and grows until it’s won.
  • Win the jackpot by matching all 5 white numbers and the Hot Ball. There are nine ways to win, so be sure to check your ticket after each drawing.
  • Hot Lotto’s jackpot is a cash-only prize with withholding taxes paid. That means that if the advertised jackpot is $2 million, the winner will receive a one-time, lump-sum payment for that full amount.
  • The “withholding taxes paid” feature only applies to the jackpot in the game.  State and federal withholding will continue to be deducted from the other prize levels in Hot Lotto, meaning that the net amount received by the player will be reduced.
  • Hot Lotto prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Buying the Tickets

You can buy Hot Lotto tickets online from the state lottery where you wish to play. And if you are not from USA then these online ticket providers work as your agent; which means they buy the ticket for you on your behalf.

The online lottery sites that sell tickets for Hot Lotto are The Win Trillions, MultiLotto, BuyLottoOnline.  Also the tickets can be bought in person from the retailers in 15 states, where this game is operational.

Sizzler Option

Sizzlers in Hot Lotto began in 2008. If you wish to multiply your non-jackpot winnings, choose the Sizzler option. Pay $1 extra per play and your prize, except for the jackpot, will be multiplied by three. A $3,000 prize would be worth $9,000 and a $30,000 prize would be worth $90,000! Mark YES or NO for the SIZZLER option on the bet slip or ask your agent to play Sizzler
Hot Lotto has a guaranteed minimum $1 million jackpot, which increases by $50,000 every time the jackpot isn’t won. Here’s a breakdown of the Hot Lotto prizes and the odds of winning based on a $1 play, as well as what you could win with the Sizzler option:

Hot Lotto Odds

Hot Lotto Chart

Hot Lotto Prizes

  • Once the draw is out check your ticket and look up the latest Hot Lotto results. Perhaps all or some of your numbers match the ones drawn and makes you a winner of Hot Lotto.
  • Remember different states have different rules about claiming Hot Lotto prizes. For example, if you win a Hot Lotto prize in Tennessee, you’ll have 180 days after the drawing in which to make your claim. If you live in Iowa, you’ll have 365 days to make a claim. Contact lottery officials in your state if you are not sure about prize deadlines.
  • As a general rule, you will either have to present yourself at the local lottery headquarters or inform yourself about the location of the nearest Lottery Cheque Writing Centre, where you will be able to take your winning directly, whether you want it as a lump sum or if you want your first instalment payment.
  • While Hot Lotto might offer a tax break on jackpots, you’ll still be responsible for reporting your winnings to the federal government.
  • If you want to play Hot Lotto, then you must be at least 18 years old. The only exception to this rule is Iowa, where players must be at least 21 years old.

So going for the hot cake of Hot Lotto!