Lottery fans are waiting to find out the identity of the state's biggest-ever Hot Lotto jackpot winner. The Minnesota State Lottery announced Sunday that a winning ticket was sold in Anoka County, but declined to reveal the identity of the winner or the location that sold the winning ticket.

The mystery winner is now $11.71 million richer — and for this particular type of game, the tax bill on the windfall is covered, too. It's the largest Hot Lotto jackpot won in ­Minnesota since the multistate game was launched here in 2002.

"As soon as the winner comes forward and we can validate the ticket, we'll release that info," a lottery spokesperson said Sunday night.

Hot Lotto players choose five numbers from 1 to 47 and one Hot Lotto number from 1 to 19. Saturday night's numbers were 1-2-3-25-30 with a Hot Ball of 19.

Minnesota's lottery is coming off a record-breaking year. In 2013, the lottery set records for revenue, prizes paid and money returned to the state government.

Hot Lotto and other lotto games are growing in popularity. Scratch-off games typically bring in about twice as much revenue to the state lottery as lotto games. But last year, sales of lotto games grew by about 20 percent, while sales of scratch-off games were up only 3 percent.

Although this was Minnesota's biggest Hot Lotto jackpot, the lucky ticket-holder still takes a back seat to a number of giant wins by ­Minnesotans in the multistate ­Powerball lottery. Among them:

• Paul White of Ham Lake, who claimed a $148 million jackpot last year.

• Tom and Kathleen Morris of Burnsville, who won $228.9 million in a 2011 drawing.

• Paul and Sue Rosenau of Waseca, winners of a $180.1 million prize in 2008.

• Sheryel Hanuman of Roseville, winner of $41.5 million in 2001.

• And, of course, the "lunch ladies" from Holdingford: 15 school cooks and a custodian who split a $95 million Powerball jackpot in 2003.

Staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this ­report.

John Reinan • 612-673-7402

BY THE NUMBERS

2013 was a record year for the Minnesota State Lottery. Tickets sold, prizes paid and money returned to the state all set new highs.

Tickets sold: $560 million

Prizes paid: $347 million

Returned to state: $135 million

Source: MN State Lottery