How Long After Winning the Lottery Do You Get the Money?

Imagine this scenario: you played US Powerball or some other blockbuster lottery and won. Congratulations! You're probably feeling a million emotions all at once, but along with this initial tidal wave of excitement you are no doubt wondering how long does it take to get your lottery winnings. Well, you're in luck once again because you've come to exactly the right place to get your answers! The hardest part - correctly picking all the winning numbers - is over, but there's still a bit more to do and know before you can have your jackpot in hand.

How long does it take to get your lottery winnings?

Every lottery has a slightly different method and timeline when it comes to verifying tickets and claiming prizes. What goes for the UK lotteries isn’t quite the same with American lotteries such as Powerball and the Mega Millions, or individual state lotteries. What is constant, though, is that there will be a period of time in which you are responsible for your ticket. Regardless of where your ticket is purchased, it's a good idea to sign it as proof that it belongs to you.

Note: When you play the lottery online at theLotter, we safeguard your tickets, collect smaller prizes on your behalf, and make sure you will get the winning ticket promptly so that you can claim your jackpot prize yourself! See below for full information how this process works.

How long does it take to get lottery winnings from Powerball?

Powerball and Mega Millions are multi-jurisdictional lottery games with very similar rules. The win collection process for both of them depends on the state where the game is winning ticket was purchased. Each state sets its own rules for ticket validation and prize collection and in some it will take longer than others to receive your lottery winnings.

In the states where Mega Millions and Powerball are offered, it’s possible to collect any prize less than $599 at a lottery retailer as long as they have the cash on hand to pay out your prize.

For prizes $600 and above, the rules for prize collection vary in different states, however, the general procedure is more or less the same. Your winning ticket will need to be validated by the official state lottery organization and you will need to fill out a claim form. Ticket validation can often be done either by mail or in person. Jackpot winners, as you can imagine, almost never send their winning tickets through the mail and elect instead to bring their ticket to the state's lottery offices for validation.

When you win a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, there is a 15-day waiting period between the draw date and when the jackpot will be paid out, as money from ticket sales needs to be collected in order to pay out the jackpot. However, it's still possible to validate your winning ticket during this time, thereby establishing yourself as the winner and absolving you of the responsibility to hold on to your ticket. Once your ticket has been validated, all you need to do is sit back and wait to collect your prize. You can use that waiting time to consider whether you'd prefer to collect your Mega Millions payout as a lump sum or annuity.

If you’re wondering how long do you have to claim a lottery ticket when you win playing Mega Millions or Powerball, you’ll be glad to hear that most states give at least 180 days (excluding New Mexico where a winner has just 90 days) and many states give winners up to a year to collect their prizes. If you’ve won a lottery prize and you’re not sure how long you have to claim it, be sure to contact the lottery operator in the state in which the ticket was purchased so you don't miss out on claiming your prize!

• In California, the claim period is 1 year for the jackpot, and 180 days for other prizes.

• Puerto Rico does not offer Mega Millions

How long does it take to receive lottery winnings from EuroMillions?

European lotteries, while sometimes overshadowed by big names such as US Powerball or Mega Millions, are not to be underestimated! Lotteries such as EuroMillions, SuperEnalotto, and EuroJackpot may have jackpots that are slightly smaller, but their winning odds are overall much more favourable compared to their American counterparts. EuroMillions holds draws in 9 participating European countries and payout terms may differ by country for the jackpot or winnings in the secondary prize divisions. Overall, players are given between 60 days to 3 years to collect their winnings.
Matched a EuroMillions prize? See how long you have to claim your winnings:

When you win a EuroMillions lottery prize, you have a few options. The first one is claiming your prize in person at any authorized lottery retailer. This rule is the same for all countries regarding smaller lottery prize wins excluding Belgium, where smaller prizes are added to your lottery account unless the balance goes over €500, in which case the winnings are transferred to your bank account.

How much in prize winnings can you claim at your local retailer?

• UK and Ireland: €100

• Portugal: €150

• Switzerland: €220

• France: €300

• Luxembourg: €750

• Belgium and Austria: €1,000

• Spain: €,2500

Lottery prizes larger than the amounts stated above can be paid out in a variety of ways depending on the country in which the ticket was bought. In most cases, the winner can claim their winnings by going to a lottery claim centre or filling out a prize claim form and having the winnings paid out either by cheque or bank transfer.

Lottery winnings from the higher prize divisions (jackpot, second or third division) usually require the winner to visit their country’s national lottery headquarters in order to claim their money which will be paid by bank transfer. Some countries may request winners to book an appointment beforehand for proof of identity and to fill out prize claim forms. The exception to these rules is Spain, where winnings over €2,500 are paid out through a bank transfer without the need to go to the national lottery headquarter. If you’ve won a larger lottery prize, these processes may take up to several days depending on how fast you can get an appointment at the national lottery headquarters, how long the bank transfer will take, and how long the cheque takes to get to you.

How long do you have to claim lottery winnings in other lotteries?

Every country has laws of its own in regard to the collection of lottery prizes. If you have a winning ticket and you’re not sure how to claim your prize, you should contact your local lottery officials as soon as you can in order to make the prize claiming process as quick as possible.

How long does it take to get lottery winnings when you play online? Here's how it works at theLotter

Have you ever thought about what happens when you win the lottery online? How secure it is or how long it will take for the money to get to your account? Lucky for you, the theLotter makes claiming winnings online safe and fast! As soon as the numbers are announced, if you have a winning ticket, you will immediately be contacted by our staff via email and SMS to notify you of your win.

Small secondary prizes are transferred into your online account shortly after they are received from the official lottery operator. You can use your winnings for future online lottery play or choose to withdraw all, or part of them, which you can easily do in your theLotter account.

Once your withdrawal request is approved, the funds may take up to 24 hours for credit cards and eWallets and up to 5 bank days for bank transfers to appear in your bank account.

When you withdraw, it should be noted that you can only take out the equivalent to the amount you have deposited into your account with your designated payment method. If your winnings surpass this amount, they will be forwarded to you by bank transfer.

If you win a jackpot prize or any other large prize that requires you to personally claim your winnings from the lottery operator, our team will assist you in gathering any required documentation that the country’s national lottery might demand. This includes proof of identity (either a passport or drivers license), payment method information, address confirmation (a copy of a utility bill showing your full name and address) and bank statements. When you win a jackpot or big secondary prize, our Customer Service Team will assist you through every step of the winnings claim process!

Keep your ticket safe while waiting to receive your winnings

If you’re out to win a jackpot prize, it is actually safer to play the lottery online than in person. Here's why. If you happen to win the jackpot playing the world’s most exciting and biggest lotteries with theLotter, your ticket will be kept securely in a safe in our local office until you, or your attorney, are able to take it directly to the lottery to claim your prize. While most winners are, of course, able to safeguard their tickets until they can be redeemed, there are enough heartbreaking stories of winning tickets lost or destroyed to appreciate the peace of mind that a reputable, professional company can bring to the entire process.

So how long does it take to get your lottery winnings?

Regardless of where you win your lottery jackpot, there will be a period of time, however brief, between discovering you’ve won and actually receiving your prize. This is time that can be used wisely to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the future. Use this time to after you win the jackpot to consult with a financial planner to decide whether you wish to take a lump sum payment or annuity and how to manage your money once it’s in your possession. Speaking with a lawyer can help you settle issues regarding your estate, which will now be considerably more valuable. Discussing with a spouse, partner, or those closest to you about how, when, if, and to whom you’d like to reveal your good fortune is also not a bad idea. In short, it’s a time to prepare for the tidal wave of changes that are coming your way.

We hope this article answered your question of how long after winning the lottery do you get the money? Now that you know, you're ready to start purchasing lottery tickets online! Good luck in the next draw!