1995
The New Mexico Lottery Authority is formed on April 5th after legislation was introduced by Senator Michael Sanchez – aimed at giving New Mexicans the chance to earn a college degree. Governor Gary Johnson signed the Bipartisan Bill – 853 – and the New Mexico Lottery was created.
November 20th sees the NM Lottery’s first CEO – Ralph Decker – in his role.
1996
On April 27th – the New Mexico Lottery is fully launched when sales begin for its very first Scratcher tickets.
The New Mexico Lottery becomes the 23rd member to join the Multi-State Lottery Association – MUSL – on October 20th. The MUSL runs the massive Powerball game (previously Lotto America) across the nation and now New Mexicans can take part. The first New Mexico Powerball ticket is sold to Governor Gary Johnson.
1997
A new game is launched by the NM Lottery on February 16th – Daily Millions.
On June 2nd – The New Mexico State Lottery introduce self-service vending machines for Scratch tickets.
In August – the first Legislative Lottery Scholarships are awarded by the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education.
November 1st sees some changes made to the POWERBALL game with the intention of offering bigger jackpots. The starting jackpot figure for POWERBALL is increased to US$ 10 Million and players can now choose between a cash lump sum payment or an annuity of 25 annual instalments if they win the jackpot. The matrix also changes to 5/49 + 1/42.
1998
On January 15th – the NM Lottery introduces a new game – Trucks & Bucks Scratchers.
February 6th sees the launch of another new game – Roadrunner Cash – which is still going strong today.
On February 10th the first draw for the new Roadrunner Cash game is shown live on television.
The MUSL retire the Daily Millions game on March 29th.
July 27th sees draws for Roadrunner Cash increase to 4 nights per week.
The New Mexico Lottery Authority introduce another new game on October 19th – Mega Match 4.
November 3rd sees the first Mega Match 4 US$ ½ Million jackpot won which is claimed by Richard Beasley from Farmington.
1999
The second Mega Match 4 jackpot prize of US$ ½ Million is won on May 10th by Alfredo Castillo from Deming.
May 18th sees the New Mexico Lottery launch its first US$ 5 Scratcher ticket – the US$ 50,000 Jackpot.
On November 1st – draws for the Roadrunner Cash game are increased by the NM Lottery to 6 nights every week.
2000
From July 1st – proceeds from New Mexico Lottery games will be split between Public School Capital Outlay and the Lottery Tuition Fund – 50% going to each.
The New Mexico Lottery introduces a new game on September 24th – Pick 3.
The first New Mexico Powerball jackpot is claimed on November 30th when fourteen players from Albuquerque win an incredible US$ 131 Million from the game drawn on November 29th.
2001
A rollover feature is added to the Roadrunner Cash game in January by the NM Lottery. This means that the jackpot prize will increase in size each time it is not won.
On March 7th – the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) adds the POWERPLAY multiplier to the Powerball game.
The first Roadrunner Cash jackpot in excess of US$ 100,000 is won in April after rolling over – by six fire fighters from Los Alamos who claim a fantastic
US$ 152,000.
From June 15th – all New Mexico Lottery proceeds are now directed towards the Lottery Tuition Fund.
July sees the launch of a new Scratcher – “Powerball – the Game Show”. New Mexico Lottery players can play this with the chance to join in a national Powerball game show which will begin on TV later in the year.
Powerball – the Game Show is launched on TV across America on October 6th and among its first group of contestants are New Mexico Lottery players.
The NM Lottery introduced its first US$ 10 Scratcher – which is called
Lucky Luminarias – in November with a top prize of US$ 100,000.
2002
The New Mexico Powerball has its second jackpot winner when Isabell Delgado from Las Cruces claims US$ 32 Million from the February 22nd draw.
Powerball – the Game Show – is replaced on October 5th by
Powerball Instant Millionaire hosted by Todd Newton.
POWERBALL sees some game changes on October 6th when 4 numbers are added to the main (white) balls and the POWERPLAY option has the number 1 removed. Jackpot odds are now 1 in 120 million and even larger POWERBALL jackpots will be created and more frequently.
The Powerball game reaches a record jackpot of US$ 315 Million on December 25th.
2003
The top prize on Roadrunner Cash increases to US$ 20,000 on October 27th.
2004
New Mexico Lottery player – Kathy Silvas from Roswell – wins US$ 129,000 on the TV show – Powerball Instant Millionaire on January 10th.
The Roadrunner Cash game produces a record prize of US$ 362,000 which is claimed by Rodney Zamora from Carrizozo on March 12th.
The New Mexico Lottery launches a new game – 4 This Way – on September 26th.
US$ 340,000 – the second biggest Roadrunner Cash prize to date is won on October 28th by 2 neighbours from Tijeras.
A New Mexico Powerball prize is multiplied by the POWERPLAY feature to US$ 400,000 for the first time in December.
2005
Roadrunner Cash produces a new record jackpot of US$ 400,000 – which is shared by 2 New Mexico Lottery players on March 18th.
The biggest Scratcher prize offered by the New Mexico Lottery comes with the new game – $500,000 Extravaganza – which is launched on May 9th.
The $500,000 Extravaganza produces its first top prize winners in Dutch and Janice Ensconatus who claim their winnings on July 22nd.
August 19th sees the third New Mexico Powerball winner when John San Cartier from Albuquerque claims US$ 93.4 Million having purchased a ticket for the draw on August 10th.
POWERBALL sees some further game changes on August 25th when 2 main (white) balls were added, nos. 54 and 55. Jackpots were now to start at a more exciting US$ 15 Million and second prizes at US$ 200,000.
October 19th sees a record POWERBALL jackpot occur when an incredible US$ 340 Million is won by a family from Oregon.
US$ 600,000 New Mexico Lottery prize is won on September 7th when a Powerball second tier win is multiplied with the POWERPLAY feature.
A record jackpot of an incredible US$ 340 Million is produced by Powerball on October 19th.
The biggest Roadrunner Cash prize to be won by a single New Mexico Lottery player – US$ 390,000 – is claimed on December 17th by a winner from Otero County.
2006
A world record POWERBALL jackpot of an incredible US$ 365 Million is won by a group of Nebraska factory workers following the drawing on February 18th. This still stands as the largest lottery jackpot won to date in the world on a single lottery ticket.
Already a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) with the Powerball game – the NM Lottery begins selling tickets on November 12th for their other multi-state game – HOT LOTTO – which began back on April 10th 2002.
A record jackpot of US$ 687,000 is produced by Roadrunner Cash on November 21st which is claimed by 3 New Mexico Lottery players from Edgewood and Albuquerque on December 1st.
2007
The fourth NM Powerball prize is claimed on May 30th – winner Felipe Piña of Los Ojos scoops US$ 62.8 Million from the draw on May 23rd. .
The first New Mexico HOT LOTTO jackpot is claimed on August 7th when Edward Boyd from Farmington shares a US$ 2 Million prize from the August 4th draw with a HOT LOTTO player from Minnesota.
The New Mexico State Lottery launches a New Year’s Eve Raffle game on October 28th.
The New Mexico Lottery New Year’s Eve Raffle is drawn on December 31st with prizes valued at US$ 625,000.
2008
A “Sizzler” multiplier feature is added to the HOT LOTTO game on January 3rd.
The second HOT LOTTO jackpot to be won by a New Mexico Lottery player is claimed on February 11th by David Fort from Albuquerque – who wins a healthy US$ 5.6 Million from the draw on February 9th.
The POWERPLAY feature on the Powerball game of August 9th multiplies a US$ 200,000 prize to US$ 1 Million for New Mexico Lotto player Joseph Baca from Las Vegas.
The biggest New Mexico Lottery Powerball prize to date – US$ 206.9 Million from the September 27th draw – is claimed on October 3rd by 9 players from Roswell.
2009
January 4th sees some significant changes to the Powerball game – the intention being to create larger jackpot prizes and produce even more winners. Starting jackpots are now increased to US$ 20 Million, a new US$ 1 Million is created and the Powerball matrix changes to 5/59 + 1/39. Also – draws for the Powerball move to Orlando’s Universal Studios in Florida – as the Florida Lottery joins the MUSL in selling Powerball Tickets.
Jackpots for the New Mexico Lottery – Roadrunner Cash game – now increase to US$ 25,000 and the odds are decreased from 1 in 66 to just 1 in 8 on October 4th.
On October 9th an agreement was made between the Mega Millions Consortium and the MUSL – Multi-State Lottery Association – to allow the cross-sales of Mega Millions tickets within states that offered the Powerball game and the sale of Powerball tickets within states that offered the Mega Millions game. The New Mexico Lottery would sell Mega Millions tickets come January.
The New Mexico Lottery Authority Board of Directors hold a special meeting on October 27th to decide whether or not to join in selling Mega Millions tickets – resulting from the MUSL/Mega Millions Consortium cross-selling agreement. They vote in favour of adding Mega Millions tickets to the NM Lottery portfolio.
The third HOT LOTTO NM jackpot to be won by a New Mexico Lottery player occurs on the November 18th draw – when Aurbra King from Elida wins a top prize of US$ 1.1 Million.
2010
The fourth New Mexico HOT LOTTO jackpot winners are Bill and Janet Swann from Ruidoso who claim US$ 3.54 Million on January 25th from the draw that took place on January 16th.
On January 31st the New Mexico Lottery begins selling its first lottery tickets for the New Mexico Mega Millions – as a result of the cross-selling agreement made between the Mega Millions Consortium and the MUSL – Multi-State Lottery Association made in October 2009.
On February 4th – a US$ 1 Million Powerball win is claimed by Eduardo Vasquez from Albuquerque. Eduardo had won US$ 200,000 playing in the January 30th draw and had his prize multiplied by 5 times as he had played using the POWERPLAY option.
March 3rd sees one of the first New Mexico Mega Millions wins – when John Gonzales from Tucson and Raul Gomez from Riswell wins US$ 10,000.
May 26th sees the largest NM Mega Millions prize won to date when E. Streett from Bisque Farms wins US$ 40,000.
New Mexico Lottery – Where the Money Goes…