Lottery Office Pensacola (2025)

FAQs

Do I need an appointment for Florida Lottery Office? ›

To redeem a prize of $600 or more, the prizewinner must complete a winner claim form. Prizes from $600 up to $1,000,000 can be claimed in-person or by appointment at any Lottery District Office.

May be claimed at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery District Office. May be claimed in-person via walk-in or by appointment at any Florida Lottery District Office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.

If you are unsure or have additional questions, please contact the Lottery's Customer Service Department at (850) 487-7787.

That's right, folks. Florida law allows the state to withhold your lottery winnings to pay off certain debts. Think of it like a financial raincloud momentarily sprinkling on your parade of riches.

Can you use a debit card to buy lottery tickets in Florida? Yes, although it's up to each retailer to decide if they want to accept them. Some retailers allow customers to use debit cards, which draw directly on your existing funds, to pay for lottery tickets or scratch-offs with no additional purchase necessary.

To claim any prize in a second chance drawing, the prizewinner must submit to the Florida Lottery the original valid non-winning X Multiplier family Scratch-Off ticket bearing the ticket number selected in the drawing. Without such ticket, the prizewinner will forfeit his or her right to claim a prize.

Florida is another state that does not tax lottery winnings. Individuals who win the lottery in Florida are not required to pay state taxes on their winnings. However, federal income taxes may still apply to lottery prizes.

If the prize is less than $250,000, the player may receive the prize payment, less taxes when applicable, the same business day. If the prize amount is over $250,000, the prize payout, less taxes, will be ACH transferred to the winner's bank account within two business days in most instances.

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.

The Florida Lottery will attempt to notify each winner by telephone or email using the contact information provided in the Winner's registration data no later than one business day (Monday-Friday) after the winners are posted on the Florida Lottery's website.

What is the cash option for the Florida Lottery? ›

Players may choose to receive their portion of the FLORIDA LOTTO jackpots in a one-time Cash Option payment or in 30 annual payments.

Why does the lottery commission deduct money from your winning if you owe money to the IRS? Lottery winning are considered income. Once the income exceeds a certain level the person paying has an obligation to withhold state and federal income taxes on your behalf.

Florida only allows those who win $250,000 or more to be exempt from public disclosure for 90 days. After that, state law requires the winner's name, city of residence, game played, and date and amount won to be provided “to any third party who requests the information.”

A few states do allow lottery winners to claim a prize anonymously. Florida is not one of those states. But Florida does allow a legal entity other than an individual to claim a prize, including an LLC or even a trust.

The Florida Lottery does not offer the sale of Lottery tickets by mail, fax, or via the Internet, nor do we currently offer a subscription service. Tickets must be purchased from any of the more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers in the state of Florida. Find an authorized Florida Lottery retailer.

A completed Florida Lottery winner claim form is necessary to process winning tickets valued at $600 or greater. This form can be found at www.flalottery.com, Lottery district offices, and most Lottery retail locations.

Players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers - five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 25 (the gold Mega Ball) - or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.