News writer, Interviewer
The Minnesota Millionaire Raffle is back for its 20th year. And this time, the Minnesota Lottery is going bigger. Twenty thousand prizes. Two million-dollar jackpots. A new $20,000 prize tier with 40 winners. Tickets are on sale now, but history says they won't last long. Can you grab one before they're gone?
What makes this year different?
The Minnesota Lottery added a new prize level to celebrate two decades of the raffle. Forty winners will take home $20,000 each. That's on top of the existing prizes that range from $50 to $1 million. Your odds? One in 50 to win something. Not bad for a once-a-year game that only Minnesotans can play.
The winning numbers drop on January 1, 2026. Every prize is cash. No annuities, no gimmicks.
Your odds of winning
Let's break down your chances:
- $1,000,000: 1 in 500,000 (2 prizes)
- $100,000: 1 in 200,000 (5 prizes)
- $50,000: 1 in 200,000 (5 prizes)
- $25,000: 1 in 200,000 (5 prizes)
- $20,000: 1 in 25,000 (40 prizes)
- $10,000: 1 in 100,000 (10 prizes)
- $500: 1 in 10,000 (100 prizes)
- $200: 1 in 6,667 (150 prizes)
- $100: 1 in 161 (6,200 prizes)
- $50: 1 in 74 (13,483 prizes)
The overall odds of winning any prize sit at 1 in 50. Compare that to traditional lottery games, where your odds often stretch into the millions.
Results of the 2025 raffle
Winners didn't wait around. The Minnesota Lottery announced the winning numbers at 5 a.m. on New Year's Day. Someone claimed a prize shortly after.
By the end of the first week of January, nearly two-thirds of all 15,677 prizes were claimed. Both million-dollar winners came forward. Four of the five $100,000 winners showed up. Three of the five $50,000 winners collected their cash.
Who won big?
One woman spent years trying to buy a raffle ticket. They always sold out before she got the chance. This year, she bought one ticket. Just one, and her ticket hit for $100,000. Her plans were a new car and savings.
A first-time player from Nowthen listened to his grandmother's advice. She told him to play. He and his co-workers stopped at Bill's Superette to grab tickets before they sold out, and he was last in line. His ticket was worth $1 million. He called his grandma on New Year's Day. She thought he was joking. Now he's paying off his mortgage and investing the rest.
A recently retired player had no plans to buy a ticket. He stopped at a convenience store and watched the customer ahead of him purchase one. That changed his mind. He bought two. He checked his ticket on the Minnesota Lottery mobile app on New Year's Day. The app flashed "It's a Big One!" He won $100,000. He showed up the next day to claim it. The money's padding his retirement fund.
Why do tickets sell out so fast?
There is a limited supply, it's a once-a-year availability, and there are better odds than most lottery games. Minnesotans know the drill. When the Millionaire Raffle returns, you move fast or you miss out.
Should you buy a ticket?
That depends. Do you like the idea of 1-in-50 odds of winning cash? Do you want a shot at a million dollars for the price of a single ticket? The Minnesota Millionaire Raffle isn't your typical lottery game. It's a limited event with better odds and prizes that people actually claim.
If you're sitting on the fence, ask yourself: would you rather have a ticket or spend New Year's Day wondering what could have been?
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