While the massive multi-million-dollar jackpot games like Powerball and Mega Millions tend to get all the hype, there’s a lesser-known jackpot game that’s only played right here in Minnesota that’s equally worthy of your dream.
Minnesota’s own Gopher 5 game gives players the chance to dream with jackpots that start at $100,000 and grow until won. Already this year, we’ve seen two record jackpot runs, which ended with exciting wins in Greater Minnesota.
1st Gopher 5 win of 2024
One lucky Minnesota player won a $1,911,651 Gopher 5 jackpot in the April 15 drawing. This is the fourth largest Gopher 5 jackpot on record. The winning ticket was purchased at Food-N-Fuel in Worthington. The big win earned the business a $5,000 bonus and allowed store owner Cho Lo to pay some bills, which he said was incredibly beneficial for his business. “We got a lot of traffic coming in after,” Cho Lo explained. “I saw a lot of new faces who were purchasing items and tickets from our store,” he added.
2nd Gopher 5 win of 2024
A Gopher 5 ticket worth $2,045,590 was sold at Orton’s Baxter Holiday for the June 26 drawing. This is the largest Gopher 5 jackpot ever won—breaking nearly a 20-year record.
Orton’s Baxter Holiday also had a lot to celebrate, including a $5,000 bonus for the business. “We are all hoping the winner is local,” said Angie, the store manager. “We have a lot of regular customers who come in for their tickets!” However, the identity of the winner remains unknown since the prize was claimed anonymously on June 28.
The previous Gopher 5 record was $2,032,201 and won on a ticket purchased at Steve’s Corner in St. James on Nov. 8, 2005. The prize was claimed by a group of 22 co-workers from the Watonwan County Highway Department/Public Works Department.
What sets Gopher 5 apart from the multi-state jackpot games? First, each ticket only costs $1. Secondly, with overall odds to win the jackpot at 1 in 1,533,939, it’s much more winnable ... but remember, it’s still a long shot.
Next time you’re looking for a new game to play, try your luck on Gopher 5. With 3,000 lottery retailers located all around the state, getting in on the fun has never been easier.