New year, new millionaires: Raffle wins shine across three states

It's the most wonderful time of the year — especially for lottery enthusiasts! Across the country, dreams are coming true with million-dollar wins in some of the most anticipated raffles of the season.

From the snowy peaks of Idaho to the bustling streets of Virginia and Minnesota, this year's raffle excitement has hit record highs. But who are the lucky winners, and how did their golden tickets change their lives overnight? Grab your ticket stub, and let's see if you are one of the big winners.

Two lucky millionaires crowned in Idaho

The excitement was definitely brewing for the popular Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle, as all 450,000 tickets sold out in record time for the 18-year game. The last ticket was sold on Friday, December 6, 2024, and lottery officials drew the winners on December 30, 2024.

For this raffle, there were two $1 million winners drawn. The winning ticket numbers were 063647 and 116293, with the raffle tickets being sold from lottery retailers located in Ada and Cassia counties.

In addition to the $1 million winners, there were also two $10,000 winners. Those winning ticket numbers are 139464 and 287203, with those raffle tickets also being sold from lottery retailers in Ada and Cassia counties.

The 2024 Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle did offer more prizes than any previous raffle game. Besides the prizes mentioned above, they also handed out 150 prizes of $100, 300 prizes of $50, 2,900 prizes of $25, and 14,500 prizes of $15.

All winners have 180 days from the date of the raffle drawing to claim their prizes. The $1,000,000 and $10,000 prizes must be claimed at the Idaho Lottery headquarters in Boise. Lottery offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MT, Monday through Friday.

Two more millionaires in Minnesota

It was a record-setting year for the Minnesota Millionaire Raffle, as all 800,000 tickets sold out in just 15 days, which happened to be the fastest sellout ever in the history of the Minnesota Lottery.

On January 1, 2025, lottery officials announced the lucky raffle winners. Two players are $1 million richer, with one of the $1 million winning tickets being sold at Bill's Superette #1, located at 8077 Viking Blvd. in Nowthen. The second $1 million winning ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2622, located at 1205 Morgan St. in Tracy. Each of those retailers earned a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The Minnesota Millionaire Raffle began in 2006 and has become an annual tradition for many residents of the state. In addition to the two $1 million winners, over 15,000 additional winning numbers were announced. This includes five $100,000 prizes, five $50,000 prizes, and five $25,000 prizes. You can find a complete list of the winning raffle numbers on the Minnesota Lottery website.

The $100,000 winning tickets were purchased at:

• Holiday Stationstores LLC, located at 8101 University Ave. NE in Spring Lake Park.
• Corner Grocery, located at 137 Maine St. in St. Martin.
• Expressway, located at 261 10th St. NW in Heron Lake.
• The City Market, located at 600 4th St. So. Suite 230 in Minneapolis.
• Holiday Stationstore #480, located at 1535 Beam Ave. in Maplewood.

The $50,000 winning tickets were purchased at:

• Kwik Trip #141, located at 1100 7th Ave. in Two Harbors.
• Kwik Trip #247, located at 235 N. Rd. in Cloquet.
• Kwik Trip #1031, located at 1305 Babcock Blvd. E. in Delano.
• Cub Foods, located at 5301 36th Ave. N. in Crystal.
• Holiday Stationstore #2746560, located at 5101 Edina Industrial Blvd. in Edina.

The $25,000 winning tickets were purchased at:

• Kwik Trip #570, located at 8090 County Rd. 50 in Rockford.
• Casey's General Store #2399, located at 201 4th Ave. NW in New Prague.
• Blade's Store, located at 11142 Cty. Rd. 94 SW in Holmes City.
• PJ'S Liquor, located at 407 Belgrade Ave. in North Mankato.
• Holiday Stationstores LLC, located at 4200 Larabee Ave. NE in St. Michael.

Any winners with prizes under $600 can claim their winnings at any Minnesota Lottery retailer. Any of the $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 prizes can be claimed at any lottery office or by mail. The $100,000 and $1 million prizes must be claimed at the Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville.

Virginia adds five new millionaires with their New Year's Millionaire Raffle

The Virginia Lottery does it up even bigger, as they crowned five $1 million winners in their New Year's Millionaire Raffle. The big winners were announced on New Year's Day, with the lucky tickets being:

• Ticket #068764 – Purchased at McNair Farms Sunoco, located at 13470 Coppermine Road in Herndon.
• Ticket #074973 – Purchased at Schmitz Sunoco, located at 42800 Creek View Plaza in Ashburn.
• Ticket #081604 – Purchased at Lake Mart & Deli, located at 4795 Scruggs Road in Moneta.
• Ticket #229618 – Purchased at Food Lion, located at 30 Windward Drive in Fishersville.
• Ticket #533140 – Purchased at 7-Eleven, located at 3310 Church Road in Henrico.

Lottery officials also announced that seven additional tickets each won $100,000. Those winning tickets were:

• Ticket #079309 – Purchased at Food Lion, located at 15105 Patrick Henry in Amelia.
• Ticket #217055 – Purchased at Food Lion, located at 1029 South Main Street in Woodstock.
• Ticket #334183 – Purchased at Fifth Street Exxon, located at 1154 5th Street, SW, in Charlottesville.
• Ticket #404211 – Purchased at 7-Eleven, located at 4245 Winchester Road in Marshall.
• Ticket #415658 – Purchased at BJ's, located at 12201 Bridgewood Crossing Drive in Midlothian.
• Ticket #437563 – Purchased at York Food Mart, located at 8102 George Washington Memorial Highway in Yorktown.
• Ticket #521879 – Purchased at The Cave, located at 1397 Fincastle Turnpike in Tazewell.

There were also 1,000 tickets that won $500 each. You can see a complete list of the winning raffle numbers on the Virginia Lottery website.

Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.