Everything we found in North Dakota
North Dakota publishes the paperwork a group uses to split a prize, and its privacy rule is worth reading before a pool claims. Every fact below comes from the North Dakota Lottery’s FAQ, winners and contact pages, the North Dakota Century Code, powerball.com and the IRS, linked in the sources; each one shows its source and the day we checked it. Pools can be created in every state that runs a lottery; North Dakota is open.
Is a private pool legal here?
The lottery’s FAQ answers the practical question by publishing the forms. How the lottery handles a group: The pool agreement names who claims. The North Dakota Lottery publishes a group claim process: each member completes a Prize Claim - Shared Prizes form, the group completes one Prize Sharing Agreement, and a member who cannot be there completes a Prize Sharing Agreement Addendum. (North Dakota Lottery FAQ, checked Oct 8, 2026) In plain words, North Dakota expects pools to exist and has a way to pay them as a group.
We also read the lottery chapter of the Century Code (53-12.1). It says the prize “must be paid to the individual who the director determines is the owner of the ticket,” and nothing in it forbids adults from pooling money for tickets. Group purchase limits: None found in the rules we read (not yet verified).
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 (Lottery game page, checked Oct 1, 2026). The age applies to buying and to redeeming a ticket, and the Century Code says “No ticket may be sold or given to a minor.” Members confirm their age when they join a pool.
Where tickets are sold
At retailers, and online through the lottery’s own Pick & Click. The FAQ says a player “may also choose to purchase a Pick & Click online play for Powerball,” and the same for Mega Millions. Online play requires an account and the last four digits of the player’s Social Security number, and “You must be located within the state of North Dakota at time of funding/purchase.” Mobile purchases go through the official app. Century Code 53-12.1-08 says “Only a retailer may sell a ticket.” The lottery does not publish whether a courier service may buy tickets for players; ask the lottery directly.
- Powerball multi-draw: Up to 15 drawings per ticket (North Dakota Lottery Powerball page, checked Oct 5, 2026).
- Mega Millions multi-draw: Up to 9 drawings per ticket (North Dakota Lottery Mega Millions page, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Powerball’s Double Play add-on: not offered in North Dakota; powerball.com’s Double Play page does not list it.
Claim deadlines
180 days after the drawing (North Dakota Lottery FAQ, checked Oct 8, 2026).
Where to claim depends on the prize:
- $599 or less: any lottery retailer.
- $600 and up: paid by the lottery, in person at the Bismarck office or by mail with the claim form, the signed ticket and a copy of your ID to North Dakota Lottery, PO Box 204, Bismarck, ND 58502-0204. Registered mail is recommended.
Can winners stay anonymous?
Yes. Winners may choose to release their information or to stay anonymous; state law keeps a winner's personal information confidential unless the winner authorizes its release in writing. (North Dakota Lottery winners page; N.D.C.C. 53-12.1-11, checked Oct 8, 2026)Taxes
- State withholding: 2.5% on prizes over $5,000 (State withholding table, checked Oct 1, 2026).
- 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 tax is settled on your return.
- Local: North Dakota has no local income tax on lottery prizes that we found.
When a group shares one winning ticket, the IRS instructions say “The payer is required to file Forms W-2G based on Form 5754,” so each member receives their own W-2G. See How a pool claims a prize. The split calculator applies the North Dakota rate.
Claim office
North Dakota Lottery, 1720 Burlington Drive, Suite C, Bismarck, ND 58504-7736. Hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, excluding holidays; the FAQ asks you to arrive by 4:00 p.m. Phone 701.328.1574 or toll free 1.877.635.6886. Official site: lottery.nd.gov.
How our pool record helps in North Dakota
A group that splits a prize has to say who is in and what share each person holds. That is exactly what a ShareTheWinning pool locks before the ticket is bought: the members, shares and confirmed payments. The ticket (or the Pick & Click receipt) is recorded before the drawing, and every change afterward is a new entry, never an edit. When a prize reaches the threshold for North Dakota ($600 by default), the round goes on hold and we preserve an export bundle you can carry to the lottery, to the accountant and, if it ever comes to it, a court.
The “If we win” stop on the Journey shows the deadline and the privacy rule beside your numbers. For the first 48 hours after a win, read You won. The first five things to do.
