New Lotto Draw Times On Deck In Massachusetts

Ever have trouble catching the local lottery draw? That will change June 15. Draw times for some Massachusetts Lottery games have been moved up.

The change from the Massachusetts Lottery Commission stems from a four-phase plan unveiled in 2019. Phase 1 began in December 2019. It included purchasing new draw equipment and acquiring studios. The draw time changes mark Phase 2.

Phase 3 is ongoing and includes adding graphics, music and livestreaming to enhance content. Implementation of remote drawings will be Phase 4.

The commission is not expected to make any other changes to the lottery games currently being run.

Why change the draw times?

In previous years, Massachusetts draw times were dictated by program schedules set by broadcasters. For younger players who may not have experienced such rigid television, this meant draws happened before one could pause TV or share a friend’s cable with a password.

Even when the state began running the lottery in-house, broadcast times remained the same. Since then, times were evaluated and compared with industry standards, leading to the decision to make the change.

Mark William Bracken, executive interim director of the state lottery, explained the commission’s reasoning.

“We are excited to present our evening drawings at times that are more accessible for many of our customers. We have devoted considerable effort to enhancing the visual presentation of our drawings, and moving the draw times will give more customers the opportunity to experience the excitement of watching these drawings live.”

What are the new times?

The new draw times start June 15 for the three in-state draw games. The new times:

• The Numbers Game drawings will be at 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily. Previously, the draws were at 12:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. The time between draws remains at seven hours.
• The Mass Cash (daily) and Megabucks Doubler (Wednesdays and Saturdays) draws will be at 9 p.m. Previously, they occurred at 9:45 p.m. and 10:45 p.m., respectively.

Pools for next available drawings for each game will open shortly after the evening draws. Draw times for national games Lucky For Life, Mega Millions and Powerball will stay the same.

Overall lottery sales down from April 2021

The Massachusetts Lottery Commission released a report May 31 that showed the state’s overall unadjusted lottery sales in April were down $25.9 million compared with April 2021. In fact, year-over-year sales have been down every month in 2022.

Factoring in a $9.8 million multistate Mega Millions and Powerball settlement, there was an estimated $27.4 million decrease in net profit in April. Instant ticket and keno sales represented nearly 90% of all lottery sales in April.