Early Sunday morning in Billings turned into a test of patience for lottery fans. People began lining up at Circle K locations on Grand Avenue and Broadwater Avenue as early as 3 a.m., hoping to be among the first to purchase a $20 Montana Millionaire ticket for this year’s six $1 million grand prizes.
System failure halts sales
Ticket sales officially opened at 5:30 a.m., but within minutes the lottery’s new central gaming system, supplied by Bally’s Intralot, began experiencing performance problems. The Montana Lottery acknowledged the issue around 6 a.m., just 30 minutes after sales started. After multiple attempts to restore service, officials announced at about 11 a.m. that the game would be postponed.
Jason Ans, who arrived at the Grand Avenue Circle K just before 4 a.m., secured the fifth spot in line. He watched the first few customers receive tickets before the system “crashed.” “First person in line, she got, I think, eight tickets, but they came out every five minutes or so,” Ans said. “Then the next guy went up, and then, boosh, it just crashed.”
Another line formed at the Broadwater Avenue location, where Austin Miles arrived around 4 a.m. He reported that a brief power outage caused the system to restart, only to go down again moments later. “System’s been down from everything I’ve been told all over the state,” Miles said, noting that friends at other gas stations and bars reported the same problem.
Technical causes identified
The lottery explained that the transition to the new central gaming platform in September was the first year Montana Millionaire sales were conducted on that system. Three specific issues were cited: performance problems from a high volume of simultaneous transactions, instant‑win prizes being awarded more frequently than intended, and glitches in the information feed on the lottery’s website and mobile apps.
To preserve the integrity of the game, the lottery said it will add back roughly $500,000 in instant‑win prizes that were awarded too often during the brief sales window. All tickets purchased before the shutdown remain valid, and a new sales date will be announced once the technical problems are fully resolved and the data validated.
Community response
Despite the long wait—some players reported standing in line for nearly seven hours—many remained courteous and supportive of one another. “The guy was standing next to me, bought me water, which is really nice,” Ans said. “Yeah, just a good group of people.” Miles added that while a few individuals expressed frustration, the overall mood stayed upbeat. “It can always be worse. This isn’t bad at all,” he noted.
For those who managed to secure tickets before the postponement, such as Zane Johnson, the outcome was positive. “They kept us updated. It wasn’t their fault. It was a system that wasn’t working right,” Johnson said. “Got my tickets. So I’m happy. I’m ready to go home.”
Looking ahead
The Montana Lottery plans to communicate updates through its website, social‑media channels, and participating retailers. The incident underscores the challenges of implementing new technology for a beloved statewide tradition. In 2024, Montana Millionaire tickets sold out in a record three hours, making this year’s draw one of the most anticipated events on the calendar.
Montanans can look forward to a rescheduled sales window later this year, when the lottery expects the system to operate smoothly and the chance to win a $1 million prize will be back on track.
Original reporting: KTVQ Q2 Billings (local) — read the source article.
