How Long After Winning the Lottery in Texas Do You Get Your Prize?

And How Do You Claim It? Show Me the Money!

Congratulations! Your numbers came up in the Powerball draw and you just won the lottery! You beat the odds and correctly picked the numbers and now you're a millionaire! Well, maybe not a millionaire but you are a lottery winner! What next? Here is the important information you need to know.


How Long Does It Take to Get Your Money if You Win the Lottery in Texas?

Along with all the excitement of winning, you're probably wondering where you go to get your money, and how long will it take to collect your winnings. Until you claim your prize and get your money, you’re going to do all you can to safeguard your winning ticket. So, the sooner you claim your prize, the better. Listed here is everything you need to know about getting your prize after winning the lottery.

How Do You Claim Your Online Lottery Winnings?

When you purchase lottery tickets online at TheLotter Texas, there’s no need for you to compare the numbers on your ticket(s) with those that came up in the draw. If you win a prize, we will notify you automatically by email and/or SMS! You can check your personal account to confirm the win.

In addition, when you win a small prize in a lottery draw, there’s no need to go to a retailer to collect your money. We’ve made it easy for you!

how long after winning the lottery do you get the money

If you win a lottery prize up to $600, your winnings will be credited to your personal account at TheLotter Texas shortly after the prize money is received from the Texas Lottery. This process is automatic. You do not need to do anything in order to claim your prize. Once your account has been credited, you can choose whether to withdraw your winnings or use them for future participation in lottery draws.

You will need to claim lottery prizes over $600 yourself and in order to do that, you will need the physical winning ticket. The Texas Lottery tickets we purchase on your behalf are protected securely in our offices. Once we have identified you as a winner our Customer Service team will contact you and coordinate how to get your winning ticket(s) to you. You can instruct us to send you the ticket(s) or you can collect them in person at our office.

Once you have the winning ticket(s) in hand, you will need to claim your online lottery winnings at a Texas Lottery claim center, in the exact same manner as if you had purchased the tickets in person at a licensed retailer.

Texas Lottery claim centers around the state are listed here.

In the case of lottery prizes over $2,500,000, you will need to claim your prize at the headquarters of the Texas Lottery Commission in Austin. You are advised to call and make an appointment for processing your prize claim. The office address is:
Texas Lottery Commission Headquarters
611 E. 6th Street
Austin, Texas 78701

Please note: The Texas Lottery Commission withholds taxes on all lottery prizes over $600. See full information about the lottery taxation in Texas.


Can You Claim Texas Lottery Prizes by Mail?

If you can’t get to a Texas Lottery claim center, or to the Texas Lottery Commission’s headquarters, you can always claim your prize by mail. This option is available for prizes of $1 to $2,500,000. If you wish to claim a prize of $25 or more, you will need to submit a claim form for processing the prize.

The claim form is available on the Texas Lottery website. You fill in the form online and upon completion, you print it out and mail it in, along with your winning ticket(s). On the form you list the prize value of your claim, the number of tickets you’re submitting, and your personal details. You also list the store name and city where you purchased your winning ticket(s).

The completed form is to be mailed to the Texas Lottery Commission offices in Austin, to the attention of the Austin Claim Center.

While this method may be suitable for secondary prizes, it's hard to imagine a jackpot winner submitting a claim by mail for a $2,500,000 lottery prize!

It's worth noting that if you win a prize of $1 million or more in a Texas Lottery draw, you can retain your anonymity.

How Long Does It Take to Get Powerball and Mega Millions Prizes?

Powerball and Mega Millions are multi-jurisdictional lottery games that are played in most states. In Texas, prizes from these lotteries are paid out by the Texas Lottery Commission directly to local winners.

To claim Powerball and Mega Millions prizes of over $600, you will need to go with your winning ticket(s) to a Texas Lottery claims center, or in the case of very large wins, to the main offices of the Texas Lottery Commission in Austin.

Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot prizes are not paid out immediately after the draw takes place. There is a short period of time after the draw during which ticket sales are calculated and the final jackpot amount is determined. Jackpot winners usually do not show up at lottery headquarters the day after the draw to collect their winnings anyway. Wisely, they take their time and first asemble a team of financial and legal advisers so that they can plan exactly what they will do with their prize money.


Deadlines for Claiming Prizes

Winning tickets from Texas Lottery games (Lotto Texas; Mega Millions; Powerball; Cash Five; and Texas Two Step) are valid for 180 days from the date of the drawing.

If you fail to present your winning ticket before this deadline, you forfeit any claim to a lottery prize. According to the Texas Lottery, "these deadlines may be extended for a period of time for certain 'eligible' military personnel." If you think you fall into this category, you should contact the Texas Lottery for additional information.

What to Bring with You When You Go to Get Your Prize

Having won more than $600 in a lottery draw, you can go to a lottery claim center or to the Texas Lottery’s main office to collect your prize. Before you go, however, you need to know what forms of identification to bring. You wouldn’t want to show up at the lottery offices only to be turned away because you forgot to bring valid ID with you!

The following is a partial list of acceptable identification. The full list is posted on the official Texas Lottery website.

  • Valid state-issued Driver's License with picture

  • Student Identification Card (with picture)

  • Social Security Card (original, no copies)

  • Valid Passport (with picture)

  • Resident Alien Identification (with picture)

You can, in some cases, bring your Birth Certificate along with other forms of identification. Expired Driver's Licenses may be acceptable, depending on the other documentation you bring.

Tips for Claiming Your Prize as Quickly as Possible

When you win a small lottery prize playing online at TheLotter Texas, your account will be credited with the winnings shortly after the prize money is received from the Texas Lottery. We strive to credit your account with your prize as quickly as possible.

You will need to collect larger prizes in person, as outlined on this page. You will need to coordinate the prize collection process with our Customer Service team. They will arrange with you the best, and fastest, method of transferring to you the physical winning ticket which we purchased on your behalf.

Once you have your ticket and are ready to present it at a Texas Lottery claim center, there are some things you must remember:

  • Sign the ticket, but with only one signature.

  • Don't use "white out" to cover any information on the ticket.

  • Don't make extra marks, or notes, or scribble out information on the ticket.

  • If the ticket tears, don't attempt to tape or glue it back together. Just take the torn pieces of the ticket to the claim center.

  • Never purchase a "winning ticket" from a stranger. That ticket may be fake, stolen, altered, or possibly its prize may already have been paid.

How Long Does it Take to Receive Lottery Winnings in Texas?

The information we provide here about the lottery claim process should help you receive your lottery winnings as quickly as possible. We hope this article answered your question, 'How long does it take to receive lottery winnings in Texas?' Now all you have left to do is win prizes playing the lottery. Good luck in the next draw!

Additional information about how and where to claim your lottery prizes can be found on the official Texas Lottery website.

Photo credits: Texas Lottery website's Winners Gallery