ialottery blog

Find Your Inner George Or Mary Bailey

We’ve only been sharing little bits and pieces so far about our upcoming holiday contest involving “It’s A Wonderful Life,” but we’re making the official announcement today so you’ll have plenty of time to get ready!

We’re celebrating “It’s A Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart and Iowa’s own Donna Reed with a new instant-scratch game and a contest that gives you the chance to win prizes by giving your best impression of the holiday film’s lead characters.

We’re working with the Donna Reed Foundation in Denison in issuing the $2 scratch game and organizing the George and Mary Bailey look-alike contest.

We’ll hold three competitions around the state next month. If you’re at least 21 years old, we’d love it if you’d enter! And everyone is invited to come out and watch the competitions, then vote for their favorite look-alikes on the lottery’s Web site!

We’ll have three regional competitions around the state with prizes for the top three George Bailey look-alikes and the top three Mary Bailey look-alikes at each. Then photos and videos of the top regional winners will go on the lottery’s Web site at www.ialottery.com, where the public will be able to vote for its favorites.

Iowa’s best George and Mary Bailey impersonators as chosen by the public will each receive $500 cash from the Iowa Lottery!

The regional competitions are set for:

• 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines.
• 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids.
• 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, at Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City.

So go watch the movie, then get into character and we’ll see you at one of our regional competitions! Click here to visit the contest page on our Web site.   

It’s a Wonderful Life TM & © 2008 Melange Pictures LLC.  All rights reserved.
Donna Reed used with permission. Licensed by Sovich Minch, LLP.
James Stewart used with permission. Licensed by The Stewart Family, LLC.

“It’s A Wonderful Life” In Iowa

Take a look at the film characters featured on our “It’s A Wonderful Life” holiday scratch game. Take a really good look because you can win a prize for doing an impression of them.   

You’ll soon have the chance to win mall gift certificates, Lottery Buck coupons for free plays, “It’s A Wonderful Life” merchandise, or even $500 cash for doing an impression of George or Mary Bailey, the 1946 movie’s lead characters. They, of course, were portrayed by the actor Jimmy Stewart and Iowa’s own Donna Reed.

So, dig out your best “George Bailey” overcoat, find your best “Mary Bailey” string of pearls, and practice doing your hair up in 1940s fashion! Then check back here Monday for all the details about our upcoming contest. Even if you don’t enter the contest yourself, we still want you to come out and watch others compete, and then vote for your favorites on our Web site!

Check back here Monday!

It’s a Wonderful Life TM & © 2008 Melange Pictures LLC.  All rights reserved.
Donna Reed used with permission. Licensed by Sovich Minch, LLP.
James Stewart used with permission. Licensed by The Stewart Family, LLC.

Minimum Age To Purchase Lottery Tickets

We often get questions about the legal age in Iowa to purchase lottery tickets. The age varies from state to state around the country and has differed over time here in our state, so it’s understandable that people can have questions.

There are just a few U.S. states where the legal age to purchase lottery tickets is 21 or older. Iowa is one of them.

When the Iowa Lottery began in 1985, the legal age in our state to purchase lottery tickets was 18. But in 1994, the Iowa Legislature raised the legal gambling age to 21, creating a uniform age limit for the lottery and the state’s casinos and racetracks.

We have information about Iowa’s legal purchasing age at the lottery’s retail locations around the state to help you keep things straight. Just look for the “Under 21, can’t buy one!” stickers or some of our other reminders.