Multi-State Lottery Association

The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is a "non-profit, government-benefit association owned and operated by its member lotteries."

It was formed in 1987 by six states and the D.C. Lottery. Its first game was launched the next year. Slowly, more states joined MUSL. After the original game ended in favor of Powerball (whose first drawing was held on April 22, 1992), US lotteries were more eager to join. Powerball (as of June 2007) is played in 29 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Florida announced on July 2, 2008, that it will offer Powerball beginning in January 2009.) All MUSL members offer Powerball. MUSL additionally runs several smaller games, including Hot Lotto, and Cashola, a video lottery jackpot game. MUSL also has retired several games, including Daily Millions, Rolldown, and the Powerball scratchcard game.

In September 2007, MUSL launched Midwest Millions, a scratch ticket game, in Iowa, and Kansas; it was the country's first multi-state scratch game since the "Powerball" series, which included a weekly TV game show.

Unlike Mega Millions, which is more loosely organized, the rules of MUSL games are virtually the same in all jurisdictions. The only major differences are: the minimum age to purchase tickets (which usually is 18, but is 19 in one state, and 21 in three others), and the period to claim winning tickets, which ranges from 90 days to one year.

With Florida's entry into Powerball, MUSL will shift that game's drawings there permanently in 2009.

External links

Multi-State Lottery Association home page