Montana Lottery Delay: Technical Glitch Halts $1 Million Ticket Sales
A new central gaming system failed under high demand, forcing the state to postpone ticket sales after hours of gridlock and confusion at retail locations.
By Lucas Sheridan ·
Nearly seven hours. That is how long some Montana residents waited in line on Sunday morning before the state lottery officially postponed sales for its annual Montana Millionaire drawing. The delay stemmed from technical failures in a new central gaming system, leaving thousands of hopeful players stranded at gas stations and convenience stores across the state.
The disruption began shortly after tickets went on sale at 5:30 a.m. The Montana Lottery acknowledged issues around 6 a.m., but the system continued to malfunction for several hours. By 11 a.m., officials announced the postponement. The state transitioned to a new vendor system provided by Bally's Intralot in September. This was the first year the lottery relied on that infrastructure for the high-volume event.
Three specific problems caused the outage. First, the system struggled with the high volume of simultaneous transactions. Second, instant-win prizes were awarded more frequently than intended. Third, data feeds for the website and mobile platforms malfunctioned. The lottery stated it is working with Bally's Intralot to fix these issues. To preserve game integrity, approximately $500,000 in instant-win prizes that were issued too frequently will be returned to the pool of remaining tickets.
Customers reported long waits and confusion. Jason Ans arrived at a Circle K on Grand Avenue in Billings before 4 a.m. He secured the fifth spot in line. The first customer purchased eight tickets, with each print taking five minutes. The system crashed shortly after the second customer began their transaction. Ans initially thought the problem was local. After speaking with his son at another location, he learned the failure was statewide.
Austin Miles waited at a Circle K on Broadwater Avenue in Billings. He arrived around 4 a.m. and watched employees restart the system after a power outage. The lottery terminal briefly worked before crashing again. Miles contacted friends working at other bars and gas stations across the state. All reported similar outages. Miles noted that tickets usually sell out by that time. He said the system was down everywhere he could reach.
The Montana Millionaire drawing is a major annual event for the state. The $20 tickets offer six $1 million grand prizes plus additional instant-win awards. In 2024, tickets sold out in a record three hours. This year, the delay turned a quick purchase into a long ordeal. Some customers brought chairs. Others stood for hours. A few reported feeling faint as the morning dragged on. Social media posts from across Montana questioned the status of sales and when they would resume.
The lottery declined an interview request but issued a statement explaining the technical root causes. It confirmed that all tickets purchased before the shutdown remain valid. A new sales date and time will be announced once the technical issues are resolved and all game and sales data are validated. The state said it will share updates through its website, social media channels, and retail partners.
Despite the frustration, many customers remained patient. Ans said a stranger next to him bought him water during the wait. He described the group as good people. Miles noted that while a few people were angry, most kept their spirits up. Zane Johnson, who was second in line, managed to purchase tickets before the official postponement. He said the lottery team kept customers updated. He left the store ready to go home, holding his valid tickets.
