North 5 Numbers
North 5 (formerly known as Northstar Cash) is a homegrown Minnesota Lottery exclusive game that certainly shines bright. There are daily chances to wish upon a star and hit a jackpot that starts at $25,000 and rolls over until it's won. It also has the best odds of any MN lotto game and tickets that cost just a buck.
- How to play: Pick your favorite five numbers from 1 to 31.
- Drawing schedule: Drawings are held every evening at 6:17 pm CT. Finish your ticket purchase before sales close at 6:10 pm if you'd like to enter that evening's draw..
- How to win: Hit the jackpot if you match all five winning numbers.
The Live North 5 Numbers for Minnesota are shown below along with the estimated jackpot and cash lump sum for the next draw.
Featuring the best odds of any Minnesota draw game, the North 5 jackpot is nine times more winnable than Gopher 5 and 1,720 times easier to hit than Powerball. There are four prize levels to increase your chances of taking home a win - match all five numbers drawn to score the top prize.
The largest-ever North 5 jackpot was $236,073 and the average grand prize is $43,118. The jackpot is typically hit once a week, and the longest period between jackpot wins was 17 days.
In 2019, there were 52 winners and four jackpot wins in a row. The luckiest place to play was Cub Foods in Bloomington, where eight jackpot-winning tickets were sold.
How to Play
Get started by filling out a playslip from an official lottery retailer. Each play costs $1.00 and offers four ways to win.
Select your favorite five numbers from 1 to 31 for each play. You can also use the North 5 smartpicks page on this site to let AI help you make your selection.
Win a cash prize by matching two, three, four, or five numbers drawn. Match all five numbers to win the jackpot. You'll enjoy excellent overall odds of winning a prize of just 1 in 6.
Try a multi-draw ticket to play your numbers for up to 14 draws in advance, without leaving the house again.
When your ticket prints, verify that the numbers and draws listed are correct.
Last but not least, sign the back of your ticket right away, and store it in a safe place. That way if you lose it, only you can claim a prize.
Prizes
Check the cash prizes you can win by matching two, three, four, or all five numbers. Playing North 5 gives you the best odds of any Minnesota jackpot game.
Do you have to match the numbers in the exact order they are drawn to win? No - as long as your numbers match the numbers draw, they can be in any order. On your ticket, the numbers are printed in numerical order, but they don't have to match in that order.
| Numbers Matched | Prize | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Jackpot* | 1 in 169,911 |
| 4 | $50 | 1 in 1,307 |
| 3 | $5 | 1 in 52 |
| 2 | $1 | 1 in 7 |
| *The jackpot is a cash prize; if there is more than one winner, it will be divided equally. Overall odds of winning a North 5 prize are approximately 1 in 6. |
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Claiming Prizes
All Minnesota lotto (draw game) prizes must be claimed within one year from the winning drawing date. If not claimed by this time, prizes expire and tickets are no longer valid.
Winners may claim prizes of $50,000 and under by signing the back of the ticket and mailing it to the lottery. Make a copy of the front and back of the ticket for your records and send the original by registered mail. For prizes of $600 and over, a completed claim form is also required. Retailers may also be able to redeem wins under $600. For wins above $50,000, you'll need to call the lottery to talk through claim options.
Lottery wins are subject to taxes. For residents and resident aliens, 31.25 percent in federal and state taxes is withheld from every prize above $5,000.
Under federal law, the lottery must deduct 24 percent in federal income taxes, and Minnesota law requires withholdings of 7.25 percent in state income taxes.
For non-resident aliens, the lottery is required by law to deduct 30 percent in federal income taxes on prizes of any value, and 7.25 percent in state income taxes on prizes above $5,000.
Whether the withholdings will meet your total tax liability depends on your total income and deductions.
Lottery prizes of $600 and up are also liable for debts owed to the state of Minnesota. Wins will be reviewed by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and any debts will be subtracted from the prize.
For more information on how to claim Minnesota Lottery wins, please visit the Where to Claim Prizes page.