State Specific Rules
To play Powerball in Delaware, you just need to follow the standard rules. Choose five main numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball from 1 to 26, and decide whether to add Power Play or not. The following rules also apply:
- Get your entries in before 9:45pm Eastern Time on draw days.
- You can enter up to 10 drawings in advance.
- You need to be at least 18 years old to play.
- A state tax rate of up to 6.6 percent will be levied on lottery winnings.
How to Claim Prizes
If you win a prize of $599 or less, you can claim your prize by visiting any licensed lottery retailer or mailing your winning ticket to the Delaware Lottery Office. For prizes between $600 and $5,000, mail in your ticket or visit one of the regional claim centers. If you win $5,001 or more, you will need to claim in person at the Delaware Lottery office in Dover. You will need to take photo identification and your social security number.
The Delaware Lottery Office is open from 8:00am-4:00pm ET from Monday to Friday. The location of the office is as follows:
Delaware Lottery Office McKee Business Park 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102 Dover, DE 19904 Phone: (302) 739-5291
There is a regional claim center in each of Delaware’s three counties. The addresses are shown below.
County Address Telephone No: New Castle County Division of Revenue Carvel State Office Building 820 N. French Street Wilmington, DE 19801 302-577-8200 Kent County Division of Revenue Thomas Collins Building Suite 2 540 S DuPont Hwy Dover, DE 19901 302-744-1085 Sussex County Division of Revenue 20653 DuPont Blvd Suite 2 Georgetown, DE 19947 302-856-5358
Claim Period
If you buy a Powerball ticket in Delaware, you have one year from the date of the draw to come forward and claim your prize.
Lost and Damaged Tickets
You must present your ticket to be able to claim a prize so you will miss out an award if you lose your entry. You should sign the back of your ticket so you can be identified as its rightful owner. If your ticket has been damaged, it will be considered void unless the director validating your claim is satisfied that it is genuine.
Where Does the Money Go?
The Delaware Lottery distributes the largest share of its revenue – at least 50 percent – to the prize pool, while 30 percent is given to the General Fund to help pay for public services in the state. The General Fund supports a number of different sectors, including public and higher education, health and social services, public safety, child and family services, natural resources and environmental control, and more.
Approximately 10 percent of the money raised from ticket sales is paid in commission and bonuses to Delaware’s licensed lottery retailers, while less than five percent is used to cover the operational costs of running the lottery.
Going Public
If you win a Powerball prize in Delaware, you do not have to go public. State law allows you to keep your identity private, so just let the Delaware Lottery know whether you would prefer to have your name and photo released or would rather remain anonymous.
Delaware Powerball Winners
Delaware’s biggest winners have made the most of the state’s rules regarding anonymity and kept their identities private when claiming their money. A group of 33 co-workers from a printing company in Seaford landed the largest jackpot ever won in the state, banking $214 million on October 9, 2004. They purchased their ticket at Uncle Willies convenience store in Blades and opted for the cash option of $116 million. Each member of the lottery pool received $2.6 million after taxes.
A couple from the neighboring state of Pennsylvania won $121 million on December 17, 2016 with a ticket bought at Selbyville Goose Creek, near to the Maryland border. They would not have been able to stay anonymous had they played in Pennsylvania, but were able to claim their prize in secret in Delaware. The winners selected the $72 million
