ialottery blog

New Powerball® Record: Jackpot Hits Est. $600 Million

There’s jackpot news galore right now, with Powerball’s big prize climbing to a record amount for the game at an estimated $600 million ($376.9 million cash option) for Saturday’s drawing and the Mega Millions® jackpot rolling to an estimated $190 million ($140.9 million cash) for night’s drawing. And we can’t forget Hot Lotto®! That game’s jackpot was just changed to an all-cash prize, and it stands at an estimated $6.21 million for Saturday.

Saturday’s Powerball jackpot is now the largest in the 21-year history of the game. And, it’s the second-largest lottery jackpot ever in the world. The previous record Powerball jackpot of $587.5 million was won on Nov. 28, split between two tickets in Arizona and Missouri. The largest jackpot in the world was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won on March 30, 2012. That big prize was split by three tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

The Powerball jackpot was last won in the drawing on March 30, so it’s been growing for about six weeks.

All this hub-bub means we’ve been hitting the streets for some Powerball events, and our new summer interns have had a chance to get in on the fun. Kelsey volunteered to wear the Powerball suit at Wednesday’s event, as you can see from the pic here! (Thank you, Kelsey …)

Strong sales across the country are the reason the prize is taking big jumps now. Saturday’s estimated jackpot is about $236 million higher than the $363.9 million prize that was up for grabs in Wednesday’s drawing.

Between Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto, a combined estimate of $796.21 million will be on the line in lottery drawings this weekend – and that’s a record amount. When the Mega Millions jackpot hit its record level back in March 2012, a combined total of $716 million was on the line in lottery drawings that weekend. Either way, it’s an attention-grabbing amount!

So, is this the new normal? If it seems like we’ve been seeing bigger jackpots more often in lottery games, that’s because we have. Changes designed to achieve bigger, faster-growing jackpots were made over the past few years and they’re producing exactly what we had hoped. In January 2010, most U.S. lotteries began selling both Mega Millions and Powerball rather than just one of the games alone, and in January 2012, $2 Powerball debuted. Both factors have contributed to the run of giant jackpots we’re seeing today.

Two Powerball tickets purchased in Iowa were just one number away from having a share of the jackpot last night. Both tickets matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $10,000 prize. They were sold at these lucky stores: Kum & Go, 1001 Sanborn Ave. in Okoboji; and Kum & Go, 530 North Ave. in Norwalk.

The huge jackpot is attracting a lot of first-time players. Here’s how to play, if you’re just getting in: Powerball players choose five numbers from a pool of 59 numbers and another number – the Powerball – from a separate pool of 35. Plays cost $2 and you can choose your own numbers or let the terminal generate a play for you by asking for an easy pick.

Players who purchase the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play can increase their winnings (except for the jackpot) by up to four times the amount.

Drawings are held at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here in Iowa, you can buy a ticket for Saturday’s drawing up until 8:59 p.m. that day.

Powerball® Jackpot Hits Est. $550 Million

There’s jackpot news galore right now, with Powerball’s big prize climbing to an estimated $550 million ($350.1 million cash option) for Saturday’s drawing and the Mega Millions® jackpot rolling to an estimated $190 million ($140.9 million cash) for tomorrow night’s drawing. And we can’t forget Hot Lotto®! That game’s jackpot was just changed to an all-cash prize, and it stands at an estimated $6.21 million for Saturday.

Saturday’s Powerball jackpot is the second largest in the 21-year history of the game. And, it’s the third-largest lottery jackpot ever in the world. The record Powerball jackpot of $587.5 million was won on Nov. 28, split between two tickets in Arizona and Missouri. The largest jackpot in the world was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won on March 30, 2012. That big prize was split by three tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

The Powerball jackpot was last won in the drawing on March 30, so it’s been growing for about six weeks.

All this hub-bub means we’ve been hitting the streets for some Powerball events, and our new summer interns have had a chance to get in on the fun. Kelsey volunteered to wear the Powerball suit at yesterday’s event, as you can see from the pic here! (Thank you, Kelsey …)

Strong sales across the country are the reason the prize is taking big jumps now. Saturday’s estimated jackpot is about $186 million higher than the $363.9 million prize that was up for grabs in Wednesday’s drawing.

Between Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto, a combined estimate of $746.21 million will be on the line in lottery drawings this weekend – and that’s a record amount. When the Mega Millions jackpot hit its record level back in March 2012, a combined total of $716 million was on the line in lottery drawings that weekend. Either way, it’s an attention-grabbing amount!

So, is this the new normal? If it seems like we’ve been seeing bigger jackpots more often in lottery games, that’s because we have. Changes designed to achieve bigger, faster-growing jackpots were made over the past few years and they’re producing exactly what we had hoped. In January 2010, most U.S. lotteries began selling both Mega Millions and Powerball rather than just one of the games alone, and in January 2012, $2 Powerball debuted. Both factors have contributed to the run of giant jackpots we’re seeing today.

Two Powerball tickets purchased in Iowa were just one number away from having a share of the jackpot last night. Both tickets matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $10,000 prize. They were sold at these lucky stores: Kum & Go, 1001 Sanborn Ave. in Okoboji; and Kum & Go, 530 North Ave. in Norwalk.

The huge jackpot is attracting a lot of first-time players. Here’s how to play, if you’re just getting in: Powerball players choose five numbers from a pool of 59 numbers and another number – the Powerball – from a separate pool of 35. Plays cost $2 and you can choose your own numbers or let the terminal generate a play for you by asking for an easy pick.

Players who purchase the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play can increase their winnings (except for the jackpot) by up to four times the amount.

Drawings are held at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here in Iowa, you can buy a ticket for Saturday’s drawing up until 8:59 p.m. that day.

It's a Mega Facebook Contest

The snow has melted away from this month's surprise snow storm! So, let's celebrate in a Mega way with a Facebook contest! You can enter for a chance to win free plays in Mega Millions® and some lottery swag, too!

You can enter May's Facebook contest beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (May 20) through 11 a.m. Tuesday (May 21). We'll be asking you a lottery-related question on the Iowa Lottery's Facebook page under the "Lottery Contests" tab. Enter for your chance to win one of three sets of $10 in Mega Millions coupons and lottery swag!

Visit our Facebook page beginning at 11 a.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday where we'll pose our question on the Lottery Contests tab located under our cover photo. When the man on the Lottery Contests tab turns green and says "Enter Now!" that's your cue to enter. Click the tab, read the question, fill in the entry form and your answer and click "submit" during the 24-hour window and you'll be entered. Limit one entry per person. It’s just that easy!

Important Note: The question will NOT appear on our Facebook "Wall." You'll need to visit our Facebook page and click the Lottery Contests tab to see it! Also, if you’re viewing our Facebook page on a smart phone, you will need to use the Desktop view in order to see the Lottery Contests tab. It does not appear in the mobile application view.

We’ll select three winners from the correct eligible answers submitted, so be sure to double-check your answer before you hit the submit button. Winners will be announced in our May Facebook contest results blog, on the Lottery Contests tab on our Facebook page and we'll link to the blog entry on Twitter.

We'll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. If you’re one of the winners, we'll need to verify your information to award your prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28, to verify their information with us. We'll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

A few other details:

• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There's no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• The Mega Millions coupons are only redeemable for tickets, not for cash.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

May Twitter Contest Results

Three lucky winners in today’s Twitter contest will each receive prize packs of $20 in our new Double Dog Dare instant-scratch game. The game offers twelve top prizes of $2,000! No bones about it, that would be one sweet prize to win.

The three winners in today’s contest are:

@BubbaJoeWeber
@DecktheWalls
@JamesMike18

If you’re one of the winners, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, to contact us with their information in order to claim their prize.

Thanks for participating! Our next Twitter contest is set for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 11. See you then!

3X the Sizzle,’ Hot Lotto® Revamp & Other Jackpot News

We’ve got all kinds of jackpot news to talk about right now! Here’s a quick rundown:

You’ve probably heard that the Powerball® jackpot is really getting up there. It’s reached an estimated $350 million for Wednesday’s drawing. That’s the third-largest jackpot in the history of the game. Not too shabby!

And Mega Millions® also is rolling, with that jackpot growing to an estimated $170 million for tomorrow night’s drawing.

And then there’s Hot Lotto®, which just got a make-over and has a new promo offering prizes of free gas to go along with its new look. We blogged about those changes for the first time back in early April, but here are those details again:

Hot Lotto’s make-over took effect yesterday, upgrading the jackpot to a cash-only prize with withholding taxes paid. That means that if the advertised jackpot is $2 million, the winner will receive a one-time, lump-sum payment for that full amount. To be more specific, the current Hot Lotto jackpot is an estimated $6.16 million for Wednesday’s drawing. If you match all six numbers and are the only winner nationwide for that big prize, you will take home $6.16 million.

The revamped game is being introduced with a special promotion offering 85 prizes of free gas. The “3X the Sizzle” promotion means players can purchase three Hot Lotto plays with the Sizzler for $5 (a regular $6 value) and have the chance to enter a drawing for up to $500 in free gas.

When you purchase a 3X the Sizzle ticket, the lottery terminal will automatically generate a trailing ticket containing a special code that you’ll need to enter on the lottery website for a chance to win ethanol promotional checks for free fuel from the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

You can purchase 3X the Sizzle tickets through July 13 and enter the promotion until noon on July 23 at www.ialottery.com.

We’ll select 85 winners of ethanol checks in a drawing July 25. Fifty players will each win $100 in ethanol checks for free gas; 25 each will win $250 in checks; and 10 each will win $500 in checks.

The numbers available to play in Hot Lotto have changed with the new version of the game. You now choose five balls from a pool of 47 (it was 39) and another number, called the Hot Ball®, from a separate pool of 19 (unchanged). The minimum Hot Lotto jackpot is $1 million cash with state and federal withholding taxes paid, and grows until someone wins it.

One Week Left To Enter Tickets For Points In VIP Club

A deadline is approaching for the members of our VIP Club. There’s a week left for you to enter eligible nonwinning scratch tickets for points in the club.

We announced last month that we’re responding to our players’ feedback by revamping the Iowa Lottery’s free VIP Club. We also announced some deadlines as part of that transition. The first of those arrives a week from now.   

You can enter eligible nonwinning scratch tickets for points in the VIP Club until 11:59 p.m. next Wednesday, May 15. And don’t forget the “Cash Blowout” promotion that gives you a new option for your points! 

The Cash Blowout offers 12 cash prizes ranging from $100 up to $20,000! From now until June 30, you can use some or all of the points in your VIP Club account to enter the promotion. Each prize level requires an equivalent number of points for entry. For example, it takes 100 points to enter the drawing for five prizes of $100 and 1,000 points for an entry into the drawing for a $1,000 prize. There are corresponding entry points and prize levels for $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $10,000, and ultimately, 20,000 points for an entry into the drawing for a $20,000 prize.

You can enter the Cash Blowout until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 30. All unused points in the VIP Club also will expire at that time and the Points For Prizes™ store will close. We’ll select the Cash Blowout prize winners in drawings on July 2. The complete winners list will be posted on our website and we’ll also notify winners individually at the contact information provided in their VIP Club accounts.               

As we announced last month, the VIP Club will be in transition for the next couple months, with our focus shifting to cash prizes and additional drawings as the club’s merchandise store is closed down. Moving ahead, we plan to have both cash and merchandise up for grabs as prizes in drawings through the VIP Club. We also want players to be able to use both their lotto and scratch tickets for entries. And of course, we’ll still email monthly coupons to you and have special offers and contests that are exclusive for VIP Club members.   

I Double Dog Dare You Not to Miss This Contest!

Or should I say that I TRIPLE dog dare you? Ha, ha. You know I had to have some fun with our newest $1 instant-scratch game - "Double Dog Dare"

We’re offering tickets in that game as prizes in our Twitter contest this month. Three lucky winners will receive $20 each in Double Dog Dare tickets! And, hey, that game offers 12 top prizes of $2,000! You sure could have a howling good time with that! (Sorry, I couldn’t stop myself!)

The Twitter contest begins at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14. Participants will have 15 minutes to enter. To be eligible to enter, just follow us on Twitter – it’s free to create an account if you don’t already have one. Then give us the correct answer to our super-easy contest question and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of the three ticket prize packages.

At 2 p.m. next Tuesday, we’ll pose our question on Twitter. Reply with your answer within the 15-minute time limit and you’ll be entered in the contest! No late entries will be accepted. Reply to @ialottery on Twitter. (Don’t direct message us on Twitter, as direct messages aren’t eligible for entry.)

We’ll select the three winners in our contest, then blog about the results and link to that blog entry on Twitter and Facebook.

If you win, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, to contact us with their information in order to claim their prize.

A few other details:

• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win!
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for the lottery’s Twitter Contest. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

Mother Goose Is Back In the Sunshine!

We don’t want you to think we’re turning the lottery’s blog into Mother Goose Central, but the staffers in our Mason City office have been getting a lot of calls today from folks wondering how our new friend is doing. The quick answer: What a difference a few days and some sunshine make!

Mother and Father Goose and their nest of eggs all appear to have come through last week’s snowstorm just fine. Nearly all of the snow has already melted (that’s the good thing about late-season snowstorms) and with today’s sunny weather, things are looking a lot more like spring for our goose family.

And it turns out that Mother Goose did make national news last week. Click here to see ABC News coverage about her as she stayed on her nest in the snow. We think our goose family has hit the publicity jackpot! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist a Powerball reference there. Do you have YOUR ticket for Wednesday’s estimated $222 million jackpot drawing?)

We’ll provide more Mother Goose updates as hatching day gets closer for our goose family. The experts tell us we should see goslings late this month.

Mother Goose Is Hanging In There

Mother Goose has captured our hearts! 

After I blogged yesterday about the snowbound mother goose outside our regional office in Mason City, her story caught the attention of several Iowa media outlets. Someone even told me she made national news this morning, but I haven’t seen that clip yet.  

We’ve been hearing from people concerned about her welfare. Today’s update: Mother Goose is just fine. She’s still sitting on her nest in the snow, protecting her eggs. I’m posting a couple pictures of her this afternoon.

With all the hub-bub over her, I figured I should get some expert advice. So today, I talked with Kevin Drees, the director of animal care and conservation at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Kevin had a lot of good insight:

First, it appears that Mother Goose is a Canada Goose. Should anyone be thinking about getting close to her, please be aware that she and other Canada Geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. That treaty makes it illegal to hunt, kill, sell, disturb nests, purchase or possess migratory birds except as permitted by regulations adopted by the Secretary of the Interior. In short, the law says we should leave Mother Goose alone.

Kevin also says that Mother Goose is doing exactly what she’s supposed to be doing: protecting her eggs. If you were approach her and cause her to fly away, that could harm the eggs in her nest. Kevin says we should all keep our distance and not frighten her away.

Kevin says Mother Goose is a good example of wildlife’s ability to adapt: Not only has she built her nest in an area near an office building, she’s doing just fine on her nest in the snow.

The incubation period for Canada Geese is 25 to 30 days, so by sometime in late May, I’ll bet Mother Goose will have some cute little goslings following her around. Don’t worry, I’ll give you updates along the way about her!

In the meantime, our Mason City crew says they’ll keep checking in on her, but only through our office window so we can enjoy her story without disturbing her.