History of the Kerala State Lottery
The Kerala State Lottery began on 1 September 1967, as the first state lottery department in India. Its first ₹1 tickets went on sale on 1 November 1967. The first draw took place on 26 January 1968, with a first prize of ₹50,000.
When did the Kerala State Lottery start?
The Kerala State Lottery started on 1 September 1967, when the Department of State Lotteries began work. Kerala was the first state in India with a department for lotteries. The department’s official profile records both facts.
Three dates mark the start:
- 1 September 1967: the department begins work.
- 1 November 1967: the first tickets go on sale at ₹1 each.
- 26 January 1968: the first draw takes place, on Republic Day.
Who started the Kerala lottery?
The Kerala lottery was the idea of P.K. Kunju Sahib, the state’s finance minister in 1967. The official profile names him as the source of the idea. P.K. Seydu Mohammed was the founding Director.
The profile gives two aims for the new department. The first was a steady income for the economically weak through ticket selling. The second was money for public welfare schemes. The District Lottery Office in Kannur credits the idea to P.K. Kunju Sahib as well.
What did the first Kerala lottery offer?
The first Kerala lottery offered a ₹50,000 first prize on a ₹1 ticket. Its draw took place on 26 January 1968. The lottery sold ₹20 lakh of tickets in its first year, according to the department’s LOTIS portal.
The ticket price rose fifty times between 1967 and 2026. A weekly ticket costs ₹50 today. The first prize grew two hundred times, from ₹50,000 to ₹1 crore.
How did the Kerala lottery grow from 1968 to 2017?
The lottery grew through new printing, new laws and new weekly draws. Ticket printing moved to a state press in 1984. Kerala wrote its own lottery rules in 2005, under a central law of 1998.
Who printed the tickets?
The Kerala Books and Publications Society has printed the tickets since 1984. Its official page describes manual number checks from 1984 to 2007. Computer-generated barcode numbering started on 1 January 2008.
Which laws shaped the lottery?
Four legal steps shaped the lottery between 1998 and 2015.
- 1998: Parliament passes the Lotteries (Regulation) Act, Central Act 17 of 1998.
- 13 January 2005: Kerala bans online and computer lotteries by G.O.(P) No.4/2005/TD.
- 20 April 2005: Kerala notifies the Kerala Paper Lotteries (Regulation) Rules 2005.
- 5 November 2015: the Supreme Court upholds Kerala’s ban on online lotteries.
The 1998 Act caps bumper draws at 6 a calendar year. Kerala runs exactly 6 bumpers today. A Welfare Fund Board for agents and sellers followed under a 2008 Act.
What changed in the Kerala lottery between 2017 and 2024?
Three changes stand out: GST on tickets, QR codes and the end of the Karunya Benevolent Fund link. Each one came from an official decision. Each one still shapes the ticket today.
- 2017-18: LOTIS reports ₹9,876.30 crore of lottery revenue for the year.
- 2019: QR codes appear on tickets, according to Onmanorama and the state press.
- 1 March 2020: GST on all state lotteries becomes a uniform 28%, by a GST Council vote.
- 31 August 2020: the Karunya Benevolent Fund scheme ends and moves to the State Health Agency.
- 2021: the Akshaya notification fixes a ₹40 ticket, ₹31.25 plus 28% GST.
The Karunya Benevolent Fund had run on lottery profits, according to Onmanorama in August 2020. The Hindu described the original scheme as discontinued in July 2025. The Karunya Benevolent Fund page covers its history.
When did the Onam Bumper first reach ₹25 crore?
The Onam Bumper first paid ₹25 crore in BR-87, drawn on 18 September 2022. TJ 750605, sold in Thiruvananthapuram, won it. That is the earliest Onam sheet in the online archive, which starts in March 2022.
What changed in the Kerala lottery in 2025?
2025 brought a 90-day claim period, four new weekly lotteries, a ₹50 ticket and 40% GST. The official sheets and notifications record each change. No year since 1967 changed the lottery as much.
| Date | Change | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 2024 | Amendment Rules 2024 published: 90-day claims, new claim offices | Kerala Gazette |
| 22 Mar 2025 | First sheet printing the 90-day claim limit (KR-698) | Official sheet |
| 25–30 Apr 2025 | Last Nirmal, Akshaya, Win-Win and Fifty-Fifty draws | Official sheets |
| 2–7 May 2025 | First Suvarna Keralam, Samrudhi, Bhagyathara and Dhanalekshmi draws | Official sheets |
| May 2025 | ₹1 crore first prize in every weekly draw | Official sheets |
| 22 Sep 2025 | GST on lottery rises from 28% to 40% | CBIC notification |
| 10 Nov 2025 | New weekly notifications: ₹50 = ₹35.714 + 40% GST | Kerala Gazette |
The weekly ticket went from ₹40 to ₹50 with the new lotteries, according to Onmanorama on 30 April 2025. Draws in May 2025 ran at 2 PM, according to the sheets. From 1 June 2025, the sheets show 3 PM again.
The former Kerala lotteries page lists the old and new draw codes side by side.
What does the Kerala lottery look like in 2026?
In 2026 the Kerala lottery runs 7 weekly draws at 3:00 PM and 6 bumpers at 2:00 PM. Every weekly ticket costs ₹50. The 2026 Onam Bumper paid a record ₹30 crore first prize.
Four 2026 events add to the record.
- 9 April 2026: the Karunya Plus KN-618 draw is cancelled for the general election.
- 26 September 2026: BR-111 pays ₹30 crore to TL 360615, sold in Kannur.
- 2 October 2026: no weekly draw takes place, as the SK-71 sheet shows.
- 28 November 2026: the Pooja Bumper BR-112 is set, at ₹300 a ticket.
The official app now carries the name Kerala Lottery Official, formerly Bhagya Keralam. It scans a ticket’s QR code and shows the prize. Lottery gross receipts reached ₹12,711.18 crore in 2024-25, according to the Finance Department.
How long has the lottery been drawn at Gorky Bhavan?
Every official sheet in the online archive, from March 2022 to October 2026, names Gorky Bhavan. The venue sits near Bakery Junction, Thiruvananthapuram. The latest draws from this venue are on the Kerala lottery result today page.
Kerala lottery history questions
When did the Kerala lottery start?
The Kerala lottery department began work on 1 September 1967. The first tickets went on sale on 1 November 1967.
When was the first Kerala lottery draw?
The first draw took place on 26 January 1968. Its first prize was ₹50,000.
Who started the Kerala lottery?
Finance minister P.K. Kunju Sahib proposed it, according to the official profile. P.K. Seydu Mohammed was the founding Director.
Which state started the first lottery in India?
Kerala. Its Department of State Lotteries, set up in 1967, was the first in India.
What was the price of the first Kerala lottery ticket?
The first ticket cost ₹1. A weekly ticket costs ₹50 in 2026.
What was the first prize of the first Kerala lottery?
₹50,000, according to the department’s profile. Weekly first prizes are ₹1 crore today.
How much did the first Kerala lottery sell?
₹20 lakh in its first year, according to the department’s LOTIS portal.
When did Kerala ban online lotteries?
On 13 January 2005, by G.O.(P) No.4/2005/TD. The Supreme Court upheld the ban on 5 November 2015.
When did the claim period become 90 days?
The Amendment Rules 2024 set 90 days. The sheets print it from KR-698, drawn on 22 March 2025.
When did the Kerala lottery ticket become ₹50?
In May 2025, with the new weekly lotteries. Onmanorama reported the rise from ₹40 on 30 April 2025.
When did the Onam Bumper reach ₹30 crore?
In 2026. BR-111, drawn on 26 September 2026, paid ₹30 crore to TL 360615.
How old is the Kerala State Lottery?
59 years in 2026, counted from 1 September 1967.
Who prints Kerala lottery tickets?
The Kerala Books and Publications Society, a state press, has printed them since 1984.
Was Kerala the first state with a lottery?
Yes. Kerala set up the first state lottery department in India in 1967.
Is the Karunya Benevolent Fund still funded by the lottery?
No, not as before. The original scheme ended on 31 August 2020 and moved to the State Health Agency, according to Onmanorama.
Related pages
- What is the Kerala State Lottery?
- Kerala bumper lottery history
- Kerala lottery ticket price history
- Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998
Sources: Directorate of State Lotteries, profile page, statelottery.kerala.gov.in; District Lottery Office, Kannur; LOTIS, lotteryagent.kerala.gov.in; Kerala Books and Publications Society, kbps.kerala.gov.in; Indian Kanoon (Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998; Kerala Paper Lotteries (Regulation) Rules 2005; Supreme Court, 5 November 2015); Kerala Gazette (Amendment Rules 2024; notifications of 2021 and 2025); GST Council and CBIC; official result sheets, result.keralalotteries.com; Kerala Finance Department; Onmanorama, 5 November 2019, 29 August 2020 and 30 April 2025; The Hindu, 9 July 2025. Unofficial site.