How long does it take to get lottery winnings in tennessee

It was one Powerball player’s big day in Clinton, Tennessee last Saturday.

Table of Contents Show

Winning Powerball ticket sold in Clinton, Tennessee
Power plays pay off
Cashing in on a half-million-dollar ticket
When are the Powerball drawings?
How long does it take to get lottery winnings?
Mega Millions
How long do you have to claim a Powerball ticket?
How long do you have to claim a Mega Millions ticket?
If you win the lottery, how do you get the money?
How does the lottery payout work?
Mega Millions
How to Claim Lottery Winnings
How to Claim Powerball and Mega Millions Winnings
How long does it take to get the money when you win the lottery?
What happens if you win the lottery in Tennessee?
Can I stay anonymous if I win the lottery in Tennessee?
What is the first thing you should do if you win the lottery?

However, it is unclear who that lucky player is.

Nobody has claimed the $500,000 winning ticket yet.

Could the winner be you?

Winning Powerball ticket sold in Clinton, Tennessee

The winning ticket was sold at Ian’s Market, located at 2412 North Charles G Seviers Boulevard near Anderson County.

According to the Tennessee Lottery, the ticket was won during the weekend drawing through the optional $1 Power Play feature.

The winner matched four out of five white numbers on the winning ticket along with the final red Powerball number.

Power plays pay off

Normally, matching four out of the five white numbers plus the red Powerball would result in a $50,000 win.

However, since the winner purchased an additional $1 Power Play add-on, the total prize skyrocketed to $500,000.

When purchasing a Powerball ticket, players choose any five numbers from 1-69, plus a Powerball number from 1-26. Players also have the option of choosing Quick Pick, where the computer chooses the numbers for you.

You can add Power Play to your pay-slip for $1 each play.

Before the Powerball numbers are selected, a Power Play number is randomly chosen. This number is anywhere from 1-10 and becomes the prize multiplier for any non-jackpot winnings.

The lucky winner in Clinton snagged the 10x multiplier.

Cashing in on a half-million-dollar ticket

If you happen to be the fortunate winner of this generous sum, your ticket can be claimed in person by visiting the Tennessee Lottery Nashville Headquarters.

For large wins such as this, a lawyer should be consulted before signing and redeeming a ticket.

Taking the proper steps to safeguard your winnings is important. Players should maintain as much anonymity during the process as possible.

When cashing in, make sure to have four items handy:

A signed winning ticket (if you want to remain anonymous, do not sign the ticket and consult a lawyer first)
A completed claim form
Proof of ID
Proof of Social Security Number

Winners must claim Powerball tickets within 180 days of the drawing date.

When are the Powerball drawings?

Powerball drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. ET.

The jackpot for this week’s upcoming drawing surpasses $900 million.

This year’s Powerball jackpots have been some of the largest in history. Numbers in late January rose to near record highs of over $970 million.

Players can purchase tickets at a variety of locations around the state for $2 per play.

If you recently bought a ticket, check your pockets to see if your ticket was the winning one from last week.

Written by

Alec Cunningham

As a college athlete, Alec Cunningham played Division II golf at Tusculum University. She graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Professional Writing. She then returned to her love of written word in 2000 after working in the music industry as a concert promoter, tour manager and artist developer. As a journalist, she's covered a variety of topics and currently specializes in Tennessee online sports betting and Virginia casino news. She served as a panelist at this year's All American Sports Betting Summit, discussing the ever-evolving role of women in the gambling industry.

View all posts by Alec Cunningham

Last Updated: May 27, 2020

Not very long, as it turns out.

How long does it take to get lottery winnings?

Processing times as well as prize thresholds vary with each state, but generally speaking, the larger the prize, the longer it will take to collect your winnings.

No cause for alarm, however. You'll get your money within a reasonable amount of time no matter what. Once you have come forward with the winning ticket, you can expect the typical scenarios:

Small prizes up to $600: Paid out immediately.
Mid-range prizes: Paid out on the same day or the next banking day.
Jackpot prizes: Paid out in 5 to 10 banking days.

Powerball

Next Draw Closes In:

01160817

Mega Millions

Next Draw Closes In:

02153817

How long do you have to claim a Powerball ticket?

Depending on where you purchased your Powerball ticket, you have between 90 days to one year after the drawing to claim your winnings. Beyond that, your ticket expires and you forfeit your prize. You can also look at the back of your ticket for its expiration date.

Or check out the table below of Powerball claim periods for all territories the game is available in:

Claim Period	Jurisdiction
90 Days	New Mexico
180 Days	Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
182 Days	Maryland
1 Year	Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
In California, the claim period is 1 year for the jackpot, and 180 days for other prizes. In Puerto Rico, the claim period is 180 days. In the US Virgin Islands, the claim period is 6 months.

Remember that you must claim your winnings in the jurisdiction where you purchased your lottery ticket.

Free Lottery Tips Video

How long do you have to claim a Mega Millions ticket?

For Mega Millions, claim periods for each state and jurisdiction are the same as Powerball's. The only difference is that Puerto Rico is not on the list, since the game is not available in that country.

Find out how long you have to claim your Mega Millions ticket based on your state in the table below:

Claim Period	Jurisdiction
90 Days	New Mexico
180 Days	Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
182 Days	Maryland
1 Year	Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
In California, the claim period is 1 year for the jackpot, and 180 days for other prizes. In the US Virgin Islands, the claim period is 6 months.

Pop Quiz

If you win the lottery, how do you get the money?

How does the lottery payout work?

For most lotteries, the grand prize or jackpot is paid out to winners in a single lump sum (cash option) or over 20+ graduated payments (annuity option).

The cash option for Powerball and Mega Millions is typically equivalent to ~61% of the advertised jackpot. This is the percentage of the prize pool that is allocated to funding the jackpot.

The annuity option is equivalent to 100% of the advertised jackpot, and is based on the funds in the prize pool, expected ticket sales, and current market interest rates. Annuity payments are usually paid out over 29 years, although different lotteries and jurisdictions may have varying rules.

In the event of multiple jackpot winners, the prize is divided equally between them.

Secondary prizes are usually fixed amounts, and are paid out in cash.

As for taxes, it depends on the lottery and its local laws. Generally speaking however, all lottery winnings you earn in a year can be taxed. If you want to get a more detailed look at all the math involved, or just want to perform your own calculations, please feel free to check out our lottery calculators page for specific numbers and formulas.

Powerball

Next Draw Closes In:

01160817

Mega Millions

Next Draw Closes In:

02153817

How to Claim Lottery Winnings

The first thing you should do is make sure you've signed the back of your ticket.

Next, bring your ticket to the relevant lottery authority to claim your winnings. For most US lotteries, winnings up to $600 can be claimed directly from any authorized retailer. Larger prizes including the jackpot can be claimed from claim centers, district offices, or the lottery headquarters, depending on the amount. This will also require the winner to complete a claim form and provide valid forms of identification.

In many states, secondary prizes can also be claimed by mail. Check with your local lottery operator to see what your options are.

If you purchased your ticket online, chances are your prize is already in your player account. If you won a significant sum, you have to contact the lottery operator to claim your winnings.

And please remember to redeem your ticket within the time period allowed. Check the table above for Powerball and Mega Millions claim periods.

How to Claim Powerball and Mega Millions Winnings

Same steps as mentioned above, but take note of the following when claiming Powerball and Mega Millions winnings:

Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot prizes can be paid out in a single lump sum, or 30 graduated payments over 29 years.
In most jurisdictions, winners have 60 days after redeeming their ticket to choose between the lump sum or annuity option. There are some exceptions, however. In Texas for example, players must choose between the cash or annuity before paying for their lottery ticket.
Federal and applicable state income taxes will automatically be deducted from your winnings.

Finally, take a look at our guide on What to Do After Winning the Lottery where we'll give you our recommendations on how to handle big lottery wins.

Also check out the following tools for calculating your winnings to help you plan ahead:

Powerball Payout and Tax Calculator
Mega Millions Payout and Tax Calculator

And if you haven't purchased your lottery ticket yet, check out our article on the best lottery software to help you pick the winning numbers.

How long does it take to get the money when you win the lottery?

If you elected the cash option or if your prize is only offered in a single payment, your check should arrive approximately six to eight weeks from your claim date. If your prize is to be paid in installments, your first payment should be available within six to eight weeks from your claim date.

What happens if you win the lottery in Tennessee?

Winners of $600 or more are required to collect the payout from one of the Tennessee State Lottery offices (Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis or Chattanooga). You may fill out and sign the back of your ticket plus a Claims Sheet, and mail them to the State Lottery office or take the ticket to one of the offices in person.