You’ll Really Hear About It When You Win!

Starting today, when you win a lottery prize in Iowa and you have your winning ticket checked on an Iowa Lottery terminal, you’re really going to hear about it!

We think it’s a fun change: Whenever a winning lottery ticket is scanned, the lottery terminal will play a message. A voice from the terminal will say, “You’re a winner!” And then the terminal will give the lottery’s signature “Woo-hoo!” sound.

It’s just one more way to let Iowa Lottery players know they’ve won a prize. There already are several winner-notification features in place, including the customer receipts that are printed from lottery terminals and the customer display screens that show the amount you’ve won in many locations. The new “winning sound” from the terminal is another tool to add to that mix.

But with security in mind, we’re also keeping the sound the same for any prize you win, whether it’s $1 or $100 million. It will be the same message every time.

It’s not possible for retail employees to adjust the sound level on a lottery terminal, so the new recorded message will come through. Every lottery terminal across the state has been programmed to play the winning message, so start listening for it!

Comments

[Mary Neubauer]

Mary

Hi, Mark. The winning message is still playing in lottery retail locations across the state, so it’s possible that a winning ticket just hasn’t been scanned while you’ve been there. But if you would please give me the name and location of the store that you’re referencing, I will be glad to have someone check it out. And, we are aware of the issues that have been found in other states. The Iowa Lottery has been conducting unannounced security checks at retail locations here since early this year and so far, all tickets and prizes have been handled appropriately, which is good news for Iowa. We will continue our checks to ensure things continue to run smoothly here.

Take care, Mary

[Mark Chandler]

I take it this did not last long? I noticed the first time I brought tickets in to cash, (I think it was the first Monday, and I had about 15 tickets) it got annoying pretty fast. I have not heard it since. In the news- it seems like other states are still having problems with store clerks stealing winning tickets (Texas/$1,000,000 winning ticket?)

[Mike]

Yeah,draw attention to the winners.This is a good way to get then ROBBED!You people at the lottery just don't get it,do you?People demand anomynity,not noterioty.

[Jenny L.]

Oh geez...that almost makes me not want to cash in any winning tickets. I am not the kind of person that likes all the attention drawn to me...embarassing!