How to Claim a Prize

Caring for your ticket

Here are some important tips to safe guard your ticket:

  1. Sign the back of your ticket. Lottery tickets are bearer instruments. Unless signed, anyone in possession of a ticket can file a claim.
  2. Store your ticket in a safe place until you are ready to claim it. Do not expose your ticket to extreme sunlight or heat such as from irons, dryers or windows.
  3. Do not laminate your ticket.
  4. Do not expose your ticket to prolonged time in water such as washing it in a clothes washer.

If a ticket is damaged, a lottery retail agent or the lottery office may still be able to validate your ticket if the barcode or ticket number is still legible.

How to Claim

Prizes under $600 can be claimed at any Maine State Lottery retail agent location.

To claim a prize of $600 or more, you can use any of the methods below to claim your winning ticket. You should make a copy of the front and back of the signed ticket and the completed claim form for your records.

  1. In-person – Bring your signed winning ticket to the Lottery office in Augusta, Maine to claim your prize. You will need to present a valid form of a government issued identification card such as a driver’s license; a passport issued by the United States or a foreign government; an identification card issued by any branch of the armed forces of the United States or an identification card issued by the United States Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services.
  2. By Mail or Courier – Complete this claim form as well as the back of the ticket. You should make a copy of the front and back of the signed ticket, (the claim receipt from option C below, if applicable) and the completed claim form for your records. Please staple the winning ticket to the completed form and mail to the Lottery office. We strongly urge you to send winning tickets by certified or express mail or by other means to track your winning ticket delivery to the Maine State Lottery; or
  3. In person at a Lottery Retail Agent location – Bring your winning ticket to any location where lottery tickets are sold. The Lottery Retail Agent will validate your ticket and the lottery system will indicate that you must file a claim at the “Lottery Headquarters”. The lottery retail agent representative will then present you with a “Claim Receipt” and give you back your original ticket. You must then follow either steps A or B above to complete the claim for your winnings.

For a group claiming a prize

If a group of persons is claiming a winning ticket, each person in the group must complete a claim form. When submitting a winning ticket for claiming as a group, please also indicate how the prize will be divided among the winners. Each winner will receive a check and each person will receive a W-2G tax form at the end of the year for their share of the prize.

Other information to know when you claim your prize

The Maine State Lottery will withhold Federal and State taxes at 24% and 7.15% respectively on prizes over $5000. It is important to understand that the taxes withheld, if any, may not cover your entire Federal or State tax obligations. The final tax amount owed will depend on your personal tax situation. As the Maine State Lottery or its employees cannot provide you with financial advice, you should talk with a professional tax advisor.

The Maine State Lottery is also required to withhold any portions of a claimant’s winnings if the claimant owes an outstanding debt to a state agency.

Time for processing claim – Please allow five (5) business days for processing your claim.

Claim Form

The claim form is an Abode Acrobat fillable form that you can download, complete on screen (PDF) and print from your local printer. You can get your free Adobe Reader from the Adobe website.

Address for claiming a prize in person or by courier delivery:

Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations
19 Union St
3rd Floor
Augusta, ME 04330

Address for claiming a prize by mail:

Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations
8 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0008

For questions regarding claiming a prize, please contact the Maine State Lottery at:

(800) 452-8777 (Maine only)
(207) 287-3721
MaineLottery@Maine.gov

Directions to the Maine State Lottery