Good News In Latest Security Checks

Another round of good news for anyone who’s ever bought a lottery ticket in Iowa or cashed one here!

This week, we conducted our latest round of unannounced security checks at Iowa retail locations to see how winning lottery tickets are being handled. And I’m pleased to report that once again, all tickets were handled appropriately by retail staff.

Lottery investigators visited 51 retailers in 20 western Iowa counties this time. The prizes for the tickets involved totaled more than $250,000. And the outcome was the same as in previous checks: All tickets were handled as they should be.

The lottery also conducted security compliance checks in February, April, May and August. All tickets were handled properly in those earlier checks as well. It appears we’ve got a smooth-running system in our state, but we all have to be on the look-out if we’re going to protect ourselves against fraud.

Problems with ticket redemption have been reported in other states, most recently in Idaho.

A convenience store employee in Idaho Falls was charged with felony presentation of an illegally obtained Lottery ticket after security compliance checks by the Idaho Lottery. Investigators said she kept a ticket presented to her by an undercover lottery staffer. The clerk thought the ticket had won a six-figure prize. She was arrested when she took the ticket to the Idaho Lottery and tried to claim it.  

We’re going to keep doing random checks of the ticket-cashing process. At the Iowa Lottery, we consider it part of our duty to protect consumers as well as the integrity of the Iowa Lottery.

You can help by contacting us if you ever have a concern about the lottery, its products or operations. Our main number is 515-725-7900 and our e-mail is Wmaster@ialottery.com. If you have a security-related concern, please call our Security Department directly at 515-725-7888.