Winning Millionaire Raffle tickets sold in small Minnesota towns of Nowthen, Tracy
NOWTHEN, Minn. — The new year is off to a lucky start for two Minnesota lottery players. The state's Millionaire Raffle sold two grand-prize tickets — each totaling $1 million — in two small towns: Tracy in southwestern Minnesota, and Nowthen in the northwest metro.
During the first shift of the year at Bill's Superette in Nowthen, every transaction came with a little more excitement.
"It is really exciting. It's nice that it comes from a small town and, you know, a great community," said store manager Jaimie Bona. "Actually one of our other store managers shot me a text of the report that comes out on our lottery machine, and he goes, 'If you're the winner, I expect you to take me on vacation.' And I raced to work to check my ticket!".
The two winners anonymously claimed their prizes on Thursday. The Nowthen winner was a first-time player who decided to purchase a ticket because his grandmother told him to do so, according to Minnesota Lottery.
Casey's General Store in Tracy sold the other winning ticket, and both stores earned $5,000 rewards for the wins.
Last year's winner in Delano never came forward. That $1 million now goes back to the state of Minnesota's general fund.
Fifteen-thousand other ticket holders won some sort of prize. There were five $100,000 winners, five $50,000 winners and five $25,000 winners.
All of the prizes are large enough to necessitate claiming them in person at the Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville. Winners have until year's end to claim them.
Lottery officials say players snapped up all 800,000 raffle tickets in just 15 days, setting a new record.
In a recent edition of "Good Question," WCCO's Jeff Wagner spoke with a wealth advisory about why jackpot totals end up being significantly lower once they reach the winners; the answer, in short, involves whether you're making an investment on time, along with how much is taken out in taxes.
Note: The above video first aired on Jan. 1, 2025, before the winners claimed their tickets.
