History

On May 15, 1973, the first player bought the first Maryland Lottery ticket.
Since then, millions more people have played and won.

The Maryland Lottery opened its doors in 1973.

James P. Slicher was the first director, with 94 employees and 3,800 licensed selling retailers.
On average, Maryland Lottery players win $4.6 million in prizes each day!
The Maryland Lottery’s first instant scratch-off game went on sale in 1976.

The game was called Instant Lottery, featured the Lottery’s wishbone logo, and had a top prize of $10,000.
The Maryland Lottery’s player loyalty program began in 2013.

My Lottery Rewards is a fun way to reward loyal players with extra chances to win prizes and participate in second-chance promotions.
The Maryland Lottery and Baltimore Ravens partnered to create the first Ravens Scratch-Off in 2009.

Players have won amazing prizes, ranging from traveling with the team to away games to Ravens season tickets for 20 years.
Paul McNabb became the Maryland Lottery’s first millionaire in 1973.

The Lottery has awarded $31.5 billion in prizes since its inception.
The Maryland Lottery Pick 3 game started in 1976 with 300 retailers.

The Lottery now offers Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 drawings twice daily.
Maryland opened the first of six casinos in September 2010.

Since 2010, Maryland's casinos have generated more than $4.6 billion for the Education Trust Fund.
In Dec. 2021, Marylanders welcomed the arrival of sports wagering with the opening of five sportsbooks.

Contributions from sports wagering go to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Fund, which supports public education in Maryland.

Historical Photos

LandingPg_Drawing Mobile PG Plaza Hyattsville 6-20-74

Thanks for Playing: A Lottery Retrospective

50th Anniversary Cash Bash Finale

50th Anniversary Perspectives

Former Maryland Lottery Executives gather to commemorate the 50th Anniversary and share stories about how the organization has grown to support the good causes of the State of Maryland.

Montgomery Business Park
1800 Washington Blvd.
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230

Phone: 410.230.8800
Winning Numbers: 410.230.8830

For information about casinos, sports wagering, licensing, procurement and other legal and regulatory matters, please visit mdgaming.com.

Veterans Services Specialist Program
Do you have questions about the Maryland Lottery?
Find a veterans liaison here.

Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gambling

A 24-hour resource for those struggling with a gambling problem. For confidential help or information at any time about gambling problems, please visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Click here to report fraud and/or abuse of State resources.

Human Trafficking: GET HELP
National Human Trafficking Hotline
24/7 Confidential
Call: 1-888-373-7888 — Text: 233733
For more information on human trafficking in Maryland, click here.

$20 billion
in contribution to the State of Maryland since our inception in 1973.

Players must be at least 18 years old to play all Maryland Lottery games. The Maryland Lottery encourages responsible play.

The only official winning numbers are the numbers actually drawn. Information should always be verified before it is used in any way.

Click here for legal information, and click here to view Maryland Lottery drawing videos.

Your use of this website or Site constitutes your agreement to abide by these provisions.

Customer Service Promise
The State of Maryland pledges to provide constituents, businesses, customers, and stakeholders with friendly and courteous, timely and responsive, accurate and consistent, accessible and convenient, and truthful and transparent services. Take our survey.