Missouri Lotto to End on October 18
Wednesday October 8th 2025Missouri Lottery officials have announced that Lotto will be coming to an end in the middle of October, leaving lottery players with four more draws of the game that has been a staple of The Show-Me State lottery for almost three decades.
Is this the bittersweet end of a long and much-participated Lotto lottery, or the start of something new? Let’s find out.
History of Lotto
First introduced in 1997, Lotto has had over 3,000 draws since its launch and has been a big contribution to the $8.5 billion in proceeds raised for Missouri’s public education system. Reportedly, 68 cents of every dollar spent on lottery tickets goes back to lottery players, 6 cents go to the retailers who sell the tickets, and 22 cents is used to fund the state’s education fund.
Since the Missouri lottery began in 1986, it has produced ticket sales worth over $34.2 billion (Missouri’s lottery draws raised almost $2 billion dollars in 2024). As one of the four key drivers of lottery funds that include Powerball, MegaMillions, and Cash4Life, Lotto bears responsibility for much of this profit.
Lotto is a low-cost game, granting players two plays for $1. This is in addition to the later-added EZ Match add-on, which allowed players to win $500 for an extra $1 per Lotto play set.
In 2012, officials added the Doubler feature which would assign random tickets to double their prize winning, provided they won a non-jackpot prize. This feature added extra excitement and chance to the game, while affording the chosen ticket holders no additional cost.
How the Game Works
Held twice weekly, you play Lotto by picking six numbers between 1 and 44. With a consistent starting jackpot of £1 million, Lotto has historically featured rollovers that have increased the prize until someone matches all six of the winning numbers. There isn’t much time left for rollovers, but the current prize pot stands at $3 million for the next drawing on Wednesday October 8 — a life-changing win for any lucky ticket holder.
What Happens Next?
The question still remains regarding what this decision means. Since Lotto is responsible for so much profit and joy, why would Missouri Lottery officials take it away? After all, Missouri Lottery officials have made no comment on why the Lotto game is coming to an end.
Some lottery fans are speculating that a new game is going to be introduced by the The Show-Me State Lottery officials, which would be an exciting event for long-time lottery players in Missouri.
Play Lotto One Last Time!
There are only a few Lotto draws left, and they will take place on the following dates:
- Wednesday October 8
- Saturday October 11
- Wednesday October 15
- Saturday October 18
Players wanting to make the most out of the remaining draws can enter all four using the multi-draw option. However, this is only up until the final draw. Once there is only a single drawing left in the pipeline, the multi-draw option won't be present.
Sad about the end of Lotto? Don't worry, there are still plenty of Missouri games to enjoy, including Mega Millions, Show Me Cash, Pick 3, Pick 4, and of course, Powerball. So head down to your local lottery retailer to continue enjoying your chances at being lucky!
In the meantime, why not take a look at Missouri Lotto’s previous draw numbers and prize payouts, or the historical Lotto numbers which you can use to make your next selection.
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