Iowa's Had 12 Millionaires Since 2008!

Forget about April showers bringing May flowers, it’s raining millionaires in Iowa right now! Since 2008, 12 Iowa Lottery players have won prizes of $1 million. And the total is now up to four just this year.

The latest happened Friday night in Denison. A $1 million-winning ticket was sold at Kum & Go, 1109 Fourth Ave. S. in Denison, for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.

The ticket originally matched the first five numbers but missed the Mega Ball to win a $250,000 prize. But the player who purchased the ticket also added the Megaplier® option to the winning play, which multiplied the prize to $1 million. The winning numbers in Friday's $90 million Mega Millions jackpot drawing were: 15-18-39-48-53 and Mega Ball 3. The Megaplier® number was 4.

Players can multiply their prizes (except the jackpot) with the Megaplier up to four times. The cost is $1 per play. Nobody won the jackpot Friday, so Mega Million’s big prize climbs to an estimated $105 million for Tuesday's drawing.

This is the second ticket sold in Denison to win a major Iowa Lottery prize. Don Sporrer of Denison won a $2.7 million Hot Lotto jackpot in the drawing on Christmas Day 2002 with a ticket he purchased at a Denison supermarket.

The three Iowa Lottery players who have claimed $1 million prizes so far in 2010 are:

• Richard Bauder of Ankeny, who claimed a $1 million prize Jan. 14 in the "Set For Life" instant-scratch game.
• Sorin Ganea of Dubuque, who also won $1 million in Set For Life. He claimed his prize on Feb. 8.
• David Lyons of Des Moines, who won a $1 million Powerball prize in the March 31 drawing.

We’re still waiting to hear from the latest big winner. Prizes of $1 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Des Moines. Our prize-claim office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

If you’re the big winner and you need more information before coming in to claim the prize, give us a call at 515-725-7900. We can’t wait to meet you!