Montana Millionaire tickets went on sale at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, November 1, and more than an hour before that, people were lining up outside Schulte’s grocery store in Great Falls and other lottery stores around the state.

Early birds get Montana Millionaire tickets

Wendy Haas of Great Falls was first in line at Schulte’s and was excited to get one of the $20 tickets.

“The tickets used to sell out so quickly, and I think Schulte’s are great. I always get my lottery tickets here, so I told Rory I’d be here early tomorrow morning. I didn’t know I was going to come that early, but I did,” Haas said.

With four top prizes worth $250,000, a drawing worth $250,000 on December 2, and 2,300 tickets with instant winnings of $500, and 4,500 tickets with instant winnings of $100, people were eager to get tickets.

Schulte’s owner Rory Schulte said: “I got here this morning at about 3:15pm, got things going, and then people started showing up around 3:45am and shortly after there was a line around the building.”

Schulte’s opened early at 5:25 a.m., just before tickets went on sale at 5:30 a.m., and it wasn’t the only packed place.

Photos on social media show lines of people snaking through the aisles of convenience stores across the state, and in some cases, long lines stretching to the doors of stores.

John Riley – MTN NEWS

The Montana Lottery said at 8:24 a.m. that all 500,000 available tickets had been sold this year: “Hold on to your hats (and your tickets), now! Montana Millionaire has officially SOLD OUT in less than 3 hours. We hope you managed to share to participate in this year’s lottery.”

This year’s pace exceeded last year’s sales, when all 380,000 available tickets were sold within five hours.

Last year there were three $1 million prizes, and one of them was sold at the Heidelberg Lounge on Division Road in Great Falls.

Blair Michel of Heidelberg said Thursday, “I feel like someone winning locally, and especially here, makes it a little more exciting and makes it feel like it’s within people’s reach.”

Excitement over Montana Millionaire ticket sales

The Heidelberg opened at 5:30 a.m. Friday to serve coffee and donuts for people who didn’t want to risk missing the chance to buy a ticket — and the parking lot was full even before that.

Later on Friday, Montana Lottery officials noted that the very first ticket sold this year was for the Wild Hare in downtown Great Falls:

Montana Lottery

Back at Schulte, Rory is grateful for his loyal customers and doesn’t mind going to work for them at 3 a.m.

“For us, being in the community for so long is very rewarding, and with that comes a kind of responsibility to our customers to take care of them. and that’s why we opened early today, just like a lot of people did,” Schulte explained.

A “Quarter Million Monday” drawing of $250,000 will take place on Monday, December 2, 2024; this replaces the earlier “Early Bird” drawings.

The drawing for the four $1 million top prizes will take place on Thursday, December 26, 2024. Click here to visit the Montana Lottery website.

There are several changes for this year’s Montana Millionaire.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES

• Four top prizes of $1 million
• 500,000 tickets available
• ‘Quarter Million Monday’
• More direct victories

The agency is adding another $1 million grand prize this year, bringing the total to four. This comes after last year’s increase from two to three $1 million prizes.

The number of tickets sold this year increased to 500,000, compared to 380,000 tickets sold in 2023. Tickets still cost $20. Last year all tickets were sold within five hours.

The Montana Lottery is also adding a “Quarter Million Monday” drawing for $250,000 on Monday, December 2, 2024; this replaces the earlier “Early Bird” drawings.

There will also be more instant win prizes: 2,300 tickets with an instant win of $500 and 4,500 tickets with an instant win of $100.

The draw for the main prizes will take place on Thursday, December 26, 2024.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
Last year’s $1 million winning tickets and where they were sold:

• 299951 – Kalispell City Pump (2910 US 93 South)
• 315800 – Urban and Rural Supplies (Hilltop Road in Billings)
• 346589 – Heidelberg Lounge (Division Road in Great Falls)

Previous million dollar winners over the years include three from Butte, two from Great Falls, four from Billings, two from Columbia Falls and one each from Winnett, East Helena and Laurel.
In 2022, no one claimed either of the two Montana Millionaire prizes, so the money went to the State General Fund.

Due to a change in law, the Montana Lottery can no longer release the names of Montana Millionaire winners without their express permission.

WHO CAN BUY TICKETS – AND HOW MUCH?
The Montana Lottery has provided answers to several frequently asked questions:

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the Montana Lottery, please find contact information here:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 406-444-5825
Address: Montana Lottery, 2525 North Montana Avenue, Helena, Montana, 59601-0598

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
The money generated from the lottery is used in various ways.

“The lottery exists to generate revenue for the state of Montana. Most sales go to paying prices, operations, and whatever is left in the end goes back to the state. That is determined by state legislative action and the beneficiary, as we call it, has changed a number of times,” Dan Iverson, content manager for the Montana Lottery, told MTN News several months ago.

Currently, the first $2.25 million will go to the Montana Stem/Healthcare Scholarship Program, administered by the Office Of The Commissioner Of Higher Education and the Montana University System. What’s left goes into the state’s general fund, which is dictated by the Legislature.