Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has approved and notified the Himachal Pradesh State Lottery Regulation Rules, 2026, introducing a comprehensive framework for lottery operations in the state with an emphasis on transparency, accountability and public interest. The new rules bring lottery operations under direct government supervision and incorporate several safeguards to prevent fraud and ensure strict monitoring.
Under the notified rules, the minimum price of a lottery ticket has been fixed at ₹2, while the first prize in any lottery scheme must be at least ₹10,000. The Directorate of Treasuries, Accounts and Lotteries under the Finance Department issued the notification on Thursday. The administrative headquarters for lottery operations will be based in Shimla.
The government has imposed strict limits on lottery draws. No draw will be allowed after 9 pm, and a maximum of 24 draws across all lottery schemes can be conducted in a day. Only six bumper draws will be permitted in a year. Lottery operations will remain suspended on national festivals and notified public holidays.
To strengthen transparency, every lottery ticket will carry the state government logo, the Director’s digital signature, a barcode, QR code and the exact printing time. Physical tickets will prominently display the inscription, “For Sale in Himachal Pradesh Only.”
The rules provide for weekly, monthly and bumper lottery schemes. Ticket prices are proposed to range from ₹10 to ₹500, while prize money may vary between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 crore. The final decision regarding the scale of lottery operations, ticket prices and draw frequency will be taken with the approval of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
A major focus of the new regulations is preventing the circulation of counterfeit tickets. The central computer server for online lottery operations will be located within Himachal Pradesh, while a mirror server will be installed at the Directorate headquarters in Shimla to enable real-time monitoring by officials.
Lottery tickets and online stationery will be printed only at government presses or high-security presses accredited by the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian Banks’ Association. The rules also establish accountability for adjudicators responsible for conducting lottery draws. Class-I and Class-II gazetted officers associated with the draw process will be required to submit a no-conflict affidavit before taking charge.
Any adjudicator found to have a business or financial connection, directly or through close relatives, with a lottery distributor, sub-distributor or retailer will be barred from participating in the draw process. Concealment of such information could result in immediate dismissal, blacklisting and criminal proceedings.
The rules also prescribe strict penalties for distributors. Conducting the first draw within 60 days of securing the tender and signing the agreement has been made mandatory. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the entire security deposit to the government treasury. Distributors who fail to collect printed tickets without valid reasons will be required to compensate the government for the losses incurred.
