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The Maine Lottery is run by the government of Maine. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), whose flagship game is Powerball. It was founded in 1974 after being approved through a voter referendum.
Maine originally joined MUSL in 1990, before the Iowa-based organization began Powerball; Maine pulled out two years later, when Powerball was introduced. Maine did not rejoin MUSL until 2004. (Powerball drawings moved to Florida in 2009, although MUSL headquarters remain in Iowa). MUSL's smaller jackpot game Hot Lotto is Maine's first continuing draw game to have its winning numbers drawn via random number generator (RNG) instead of using traditional lottery balls.
An agreement was reached on October 13, 2009, for Mega Millions and Powerball to be available through any US lottery. Maine began sales of Mega Millions on May 9, 2010, after most lotteries began offering both games on January 31, 2010. The Portland Press Herald, on March 31, 2010, reported that the Supplemental Budget had passed; it included a provision to require Maine to join Mega Millions on May 9, 2010. WCSH-TV (NBC) in Portland reported that Gov. Baldacci signed the Supplemental Budget on March 31, 2010.
Currently, 46 lotteries offer Mega Millions and Powerball. Since rejoining MUSL in 2004, Maine has not sold a Powerball jackpot ticket; it sold its first Mega Millions jackpot ticket in January 2023. Maine's largest lottery prize was from Lotto*America during its first incarnation with MUSL.
All of Maine's draw games are shared with other lotteries; its "smallest" online games are those offered by the Tri-State Lottery; whose drawing games, also available in Vermont and New Hampshire, are always drawn in New Hampshire. Maine also offers scratch tickets.