Annual holiday raffles getting bigger this year

By Kate Northrop

As the holiday season approaches, state lotteries throughout the U.S. are gearing up to launch their yearly raffles, which typically provide better chances of winning a million dollars than other game available year-round. And players are undoubtedly ready to line up for their tickets — Montana's raffle tickets are selling out faster and faster, down to within mere hours after tickets go on sale.

Whether players are looking to buy tickets for themselves or as gifts for others, these special drawings have become a holiday tradition. Check out Lottery Post's raffle roundup to see if you state is running a raffle this year.

Idaho

The Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle is back for its 19th year since launching in 2007. For $10 a ticket, the Idaho Lottery is advertising the "best odds ever of winning a million," but with new prizes. As with last year, they are awarding two $1 million prizes and have increased the total number of available tickets from 450,000 in 2024 to 500,000 this year.

The Idaho Lottery added larger prizes this year: one new $100,000 prize and one new $50,000 prize, doing away with $10,000 prize from last year. There are also even more total prizes available, 21,500 up from 17,800, which range anywhere from $15 to $100.

The Raffle again features the $1,000 Daily Drawing, which will award 15 winners with $1,000 during the first 15 days of sales chosen at random from the previous day's sales. Lottery Post has been posting those daily results each day on the 2025 Idaho Lottery $1,000,000 Raffle results page.

The final drawing for the $1,000 Daily Drawing will take place on  Nov. 4, 2025. Additionally, the Lottery is awarding $1,000 prizes for players who purchase one of every 25,000th ticket sold. Tickets are on sale now. As of now, 27% of all available tickets have been sold.

The winner announcement will be on Dec. 29, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. MT or within four business days after the last ticket has sold.

Kansas

For the 17th year, the Kansas Lottery's Holiday Millionaire Raffle has returned, and it's giving Kansas players the best odds at winning (or gifting) one million dollars. It'll work the same way as last year. There will be three Early Bird drawings that will each award one player $30,000 leading up to the Grand Prize drawing. Players who buy tickets before an Early Bird drawing will also be eligible for all subsequent Early Bird drawings and the drawing for the $1 million Grand Prize. It is possible for the same ticket to win in all three Early Bird drawings and the $1 million Grand Prize drawing. One Early Bird drawing has already taken place; the next drawings take place on Nov. 16, 2025 and Dec. 7, 2025. The deadline to purchase raffle tickets for the Early Bird drawings is 6:59 p.m. CT the day of each drawing.

There is also one $100,000 prize, one $25,000 prize, two $10,000 prizes, ten $5,000 prizes, and 5,630 prizes ranging from $50 to $1,000 up for grabs.

The Lottery is keeping its total number of available tickets capped at 150,000, just as it did last year. Sales will end at 6:59 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 or upon sell-out, whichever comes first. Tickets cost $20 each.

The Grand Prize winning raffle number will be announced on TV at approximately noon on Jan. 5, 2026, and the winning numbers will be posted online the same day.

Maryland

The Maryland Lottery has launched its new Holiday Raffle, which features a $1 million top prize and three Early Bird drawings. The first three drawings, which will take place on Nov. 24, Dec. 8, and Dec. 22, will each award one $50,000 Early Bird prize. The winning tickets in the first two Early Bird drawings are not eligible to win additional Early Bird drawings, but they can win any of the prizes in the final Holiday Raffle drawing on Jan. 2, 2026.

The final drawing will award the $1 million top prize plus ten second-tier prizes of $100,000 and 10,000 additional prizes ranging between $50 and $500.

Players have from now until Jan. 1, 2026 to pick up their tickets for $20 each, or until all 325,000 raffle tickets are sold out. Winning numbers for each drawing will be available after 2:00 p.m. ET on the day of each drawing.

Michigan

The Michigan Lottery has three ongoing raffles, but one stands out in particular: the Millionaire Raffle. At $20 per ticket, Michiganders will have a shot at winning the $1 million top prize or one of 100 $1,000 prizes. There are 100,000 tickets exclusively available for purchase online, with over 63,000 tickets remaining. The drawing is set to take place immediately once tickets are sold out, and if not, then an automatic drawing will occur on April 25, 2026. Winning raffle numbers will be available online after they are announced.

There are also two other ongoing raffles in Michigan that offer smaller top prizes of $50,000 and $5,000: the 50th Anniversary 50/50 raffle and the Full of $50s raffle.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Lottery's Millionaire Raffle is back and offers "more chances to win than ever before," and with tickets consistently selling out every single year, players are encouraged to get theirs while they can. This year, the Minnesota Lottery is offering two Grand Prizes of $1 million, five second-tier prizes of $100,000, five third-tier prizes of $50,000, and nearly 20,000 other prizes ranging from $50 to $25,000. The main difference between this and last year is the addition of a new $20,000 prize level, of which there are 40 available, in celebration of the Minnesota Lottery's 20th anniversary.

In anticipation of its continued popularity, the Lottery bumped up the total number of available tickets by 200,000 — one million total tickets! Tickets cost $10 each, and fewer than 25% of tickets are remaining. Ticket sales are ongoing and will sell through midnight on Dec. 31, 2025 or when all tickets sell out, whichever occurs first. Results are announced on Jan. 1, 2026.

Montana

The Montana Lottery is expecting that its annual Montana Millionaire raffle is going to make headlines again, which sold out all 500,000 tickets within just three hours last year. This is after the Lottery had even bumped up the total number of available tickets by 120,000 from the previous year's draw. This year, they're bumping up the ticket count by 120,000 again. With 620,000 tickets up for grabs, hopefully it means Montanans who did not get a ticket last year will be able to get one now.

In addition, the Lottery is adding a fifth million-dollar grand prize, giving players a 1 in 124,000 chance at winning $1 million. Tickets are also eligible to win one prize of $250,000, one of 2,500 prizes of $500, or one of 6,100 prizes of $100.

Ticket sales begin Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at 5:30 a.m. and will cut off on Dec. 25, 2025 at midnight or until all tickets are sold out. The Quarter Million Monday Drawing for the $250,000 prize will be held on Dec. 1, 2025, and the Grand Prize drawing will take place on Dec. 26, 2025. Tickets cost $20 each.

Oregon

The Oregon Lottery's Raffle is making a return this holiday season, giving players the "best chance" to win $1 million. There's no official information published by the Lottery on when sales start yet, but we do know that there will be 250,000 tickets available for a shot at a $1 million top prize, 300 prizes of $500, and 1,500 prizes of $100 just like last year's raffle.

Last year, the game went on sale on Dec. 29, 2024, and all tickets were sold out by March 7, 2025, so Oregonians might expect a similar timeline for their upcoming annual raffle. Fun fact, the game has routinely sold out every single year since its debut in 2009 except for 2019 due to extended ice and power outages across the state.

Tickets for last year's raffle cost $10, so players might also anticipate tickets to sell at this price point.

Pennsylvania

The Millionaire Raffle is making a return in Pennsylvania, which has the distinction of being the first holiday raffle drawing in the United States, taking place on Dec. 31, 2005. The Pennsylvania Lottery has conducted holiday raffle drawings for every consecutive year since then.

Like in previous years, the Lottery is offering 500,000 tickets for sale at $20 each. Ticket sales begin Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 and run through Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. or until tickets are sold out. With four top prizes of $1 million and four second-tier prizes of $100,000, players will have 1 in 125,000 odds for winning either a $1 million prize or a $100,000 prize. There are also 100 $1,000 prizes, and over 5,800 prizes of $100.

Every ticket purchased before Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 is automatically entered into one of eight Weekly Drawings, which each award two prizes of $50,000. Tickets that are purchased within certain purchase periods are entered into that specific Weekly Drawing as well as the main, final drawing. The final drawing takes place on Jan. 3, 2026, and results will be posted after 10:00 p.m.

Virginia

Virginians can look forward to the long-awaited New Year's Millionaire Raffle, which is offering 625,000 tickets at $20 each. Just like the year before, The Virginia Lottery is kicking off 2026 by awarding five lucky winners with a $1 million top prize, giving players 1 in 125,000 odds at winning a million dollars. Seven winners will also receive a $100,000 second-tier prize and 1,000 winners will scoop a $500 prize.

Tickets are on sale now and will run through the end of Dec. 31, 2025 or when every last ticket has been sold, whichever comes first. Currently, there are about 620,000 tickets left. The drawing will be held at about 9:00 a.m. ET on Jan. 1, 2026 or on an earlier announced date after the last ticket has been sold. Winners will be announced regardless on Jan. 1, 2026. Players may purchase raffle tickets from a retailer or Lottery vending machine.

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Lottery's Holly Jolly raffle is back, and it's giving players the chance to win a $125,000 top prize at $5 a ticket, in addition to 78 prizes of $1,000 and 1,750 prizes of $100. With 150,000 tickets for sale, the odds of winning $125,000 are 1 in 150,000. Ticket sales are live now until Dec. 11, 2025 or once all 150,000 raffle tickets are sold out.

The drawing takes place on Dec. 11, 2025, and winning numbers will be available that evening.

Spain

This list of holiday raffles wouldn't be complete without a mention of Spain's famous El Gordo.

The Spanish Christmas Lottery is the most famous, largest raffle in history, measured by prize payout. The raffle is also recognized as "El Gordo," which translates to "The Fat One," and boasts some of the best odds at winning the jackpot (1 in 100,000). This year will mark the raffle's 213th edition, and the drawing will take place on the same date as it does every single year, on Dec. 22. Tickets cost €20 each. In the Related Links section of this article, you can find a link to play El Gordo from around the world.

Good luck to everyone buying raffle tickets this year!