Everything we found in Missouri
Missouri is the one state on this site whose statute says, in so many words, that a ticket may be bought by two or more people and paid out by ownership share. Every fact below is as of October 5, 2026 and comes from the Missouri Lottery’s pages, claim form and rules, or the Revised Statutes of Missouri, linked in the sources. Pools can be created in every state that runs a lottery; Missouri is open.
Is a private pool legal here?
Missouri’s statute addresses it. RSMo 313.285: “Any ticket or share may be purchased by two or more persons and any prize payable therefor shall be made in accordance with the ownership percentages of such ticket or share.”
How the lottery handles a group: The pool agreement names who claims. The Missouri Lottery says a group can claim a prize: the person who signs the ticket usually names who gets a part of the prize and how much. (Missouri Lottery FAQ, checked Oct 8, 2026) Its Group Play Tips page says: “If you win a jackpot, have everyone fill out a claim form.” The claim form asks for the “Number of people claiming prize” and whether it is “to be paid equally.” The Missouri Lottery does not say whether it also accepts the IRS statement a group files to share the tax on a prize; ask the lottery directly through its contact page.
Group size: None found in the rules we read (not yet verified). We read the lottery sections of RSMo chapter 313 and the lottery’s tickets-and-prizes rule (12 CSR 40-50).
ShareTheWinning is free, takes no cut of tickets or prizes and never holds money. Whether a particular arrangement is lawful is a question for counsel, not for us.
Minimum age
18 or older (Missouri Lottery claiming-prizes page, checked Oct 8, 2026). RSMo 313.280 sets the age for buying a ticket or share. Members confirm their age when they join a pool.
Where tickets are sold
Licensed retailers only. The lottery’s FAQ, asked “Can I purchase Lottery tickets online?”, answers: “No. The Missouri Lottery does not currently offer sales via the Internet.” It also says “The Lottery cannot mail tickets across state lines.”
Courier services: the Missouri Lottery does not publish a rule on courier services; ask the lottery directly through its contact page.
- Powerball multi-draw: Up to 15 drawings per ticket (Missouri Lottery Powerball page, checked Oct 5, 2026).
- Mega Millions multi-draw: Up to 15 drawings per ticket (Missouri Lottery Mega Millions page, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Powerball’s Double Play add-on is offered in Missouri, per powerball.com’s Double Play page.
Claim deadlines
180 days after the drawing (Missouri Lottery claiming-prizes page, checked Oct 8, 2026). On a multi-draw ticket the clock runs from the last winning play on the ticket. RSMo 313.300 sets the claim period in law.
Where to claim depends on the prize:
- $600 or less: any licensed retailer selling that game, per the claim form.
- $600.01 and up: a lottery office by appointment, or by mail with the claim form, a copy of your photo ID and an IRS Form W-9.
- Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots: Jefferson City headquarters only.
Can winners stay anonymous?
Yes. The Missouri Lottery uses a winner's name only with the winner's written consent, under RSMo 313.303. (Missouri Lottery claiming-prizes page, checked Oct 8, 2026) RSMo 313.303 has applied since August 28, 2021, at every prize amount. The claim form warns that some of its items “are subject to being disclosed pursuant to a request under Chapter 610,” the Sunshine Law. Under RSMo 313.285 a prize may be paid to the trustee of the winner’s revocable living trust. The Missouri Lottery does not publish whether an LLC may claim a prize; ask the lottery directly.
Taxes
- State withholding: 4% on prizes over $600 (State withholding table, checked Oct 1, 2026). RSMo 313.321 sets the Missouri rate.
- Federal: The lottery withholds 24% federal tax when a prize minus the wager is more than $5,000. A prize of $2,000 or more is reported to the IRS on Form W-2G. (IRS Form W-2G instructions, checked Oct 1, 2026) The final federal bill is settled on your return.
- Local: RSMo 313.321 bars local earnings tax on prizes that total less than $600 in a tax year. The City of St. Louis Collector of Revenue lists “Gambling & Lottery Winnings” as non-taxable for its earnings tax. Kansas City’s Revenue Division describes its earnings tax as a tax on “earned income such as salaries, wages, commissions, tips and other compensation” and does not publish how it treats lottery prizes; ask the Revenue Division directly.
The split calculator applies the Missouri rate. See How a pool claims a prize for the general steps.
Claim offices
All offices take claims above $600 on weekdays, by appointment only; call (573) 751-4050, option 9.
- Jefferson City (headquarters): 1823 Southridge Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65109.
- Kansas City: 3630 Arrowhead Ave., Independence, MO 64057.
- Springfield: 1506 E. Raynell Place, Springfield, MO 65804.
- St. Louis: 1831 Craig Park Ct., St. Louis, MO 63146.
- Mail: Ticket Redemption, Missouri Lottery, P.O. Box 7777, Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777.
Official site: molottery.com.
How our pool record helps in Missouri
Missouri pays by ownership percentage, so the group needs to agree on the percentages before anyone is standing at the counter. In a ShareTheWinning pool the members, shares and confirmed payments lock before the ticket is bought; the ticket is photographed and recorded before the drawing; and every change afterward is a new entry, never an edit. The export bundle lists each member with their percentage. When a prize reaches the Missouri threshold ($600 by default), the round goes on hold and the bundle is preserved for the lottery, the accountant and, if it ever comes to it, a court.
For the first 48 hours after a win, read You won. The first five things to do. The “If we win” stop on the Journey shows the deadline and the privacy rule for Missouri next to your numbers.
