Results Of Latest Security Checks In Iowa

Another round of security checks at lottery retail locations in Iowa, another round of good news!

We’ve just completed our latest round of unannounced security checks at randomly selected retail locations across the state and once again, all tickets were handled appropriately by retail staff. But there was a big difference between this month’s checks and those we conducted earlier this year. The prizes from the tickets involved this time were much larger, totaling $1.5 million. But the outcome is the same: The tickets were handled as they should be. 

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation worked with the lottery on this round of checks. We again varied the times that stores were visited, making stops during the day and at night. And, we purposefully timed this month’s checks to hit during the current Powerball jackpot run that’s creating high sales. The jackpot has climbed to an estimated $161 million for Saturday’s drawing and it’s definitely made for heavier traffic in stores around Iowa!

We think it’s important to try out different scenarios during our security checks to cover as many situations as possible. In February, lottery security investigators, all of whom were men, posed as the customers. In April, investigators oversaw the process, but women who work at the lottery posed as customers and presented the tickets for cashing. Then in May, we made a lot of our stops at night.

In the checks earlier this year, the prizes involved were $600 or less, so they could be claimed at the retail level. This time around, the prizes were larger, so they would ultimately have to be claimed at a lottery office. Our investigators and DCI agents presented to them in the stores to see what the reaction would be. The results show Iowa has a retail system that’s functioning well. But we know there have been problems in areas outside our state, so we need to guard against even the possibility of that here.  

Click here and here to read about the issues that have been uncovered during lottery security checks in other states.    

If you ever have a concern about the Iowa Lottery, our products or operations, please contact us at our main number in Des Moines at 515-725-7900 or by e-mail at Wmaster@ialottery.com. If you have a security-related concern about the lottery, please call the Lottery Security Department directly at 515-725-7900.

Comments

[Josh Fleming]

Nice post Mary. Once again the Iowa Lottery is giving people that behind the scenes look inside the Iowa Lottery that they covet. I had no idea this process was in place. Good show!