ialottery blog

So Far, We’ve Seen A Lucky Dog & A Brand-New Smile. Will YOU Be A Holiday Winner?

We’ve heard some great stories from the first 10 lucky Iowans who each won a $25,000 prize in our “Cash Prizes are Coming to Town” promotion. You could be the next holiday winner – and the prizes will get even bigger as we move ahead!

We’ve been meeting the initial round of holiday winners one by one since we announced their names on Tuesday.

One of our winners took a “less is more” approach when he entered the promotion. Chad Reusch of Quimby told us he only entered 2 tickets, but that was all he needed to become a winner!

“I just figured I’m going to do it, give it a chance, and it paid off,” he said.

Chad already knows what he’ll do with his $25,000 prize: He wants to buy a rooftop tent for his overland trailer, so he can go on even better camping trips with his “right-hand gal,” Ava.

“I call her my daughter, of course. She’s my service dog, goes everywhere with me,” Reusch said.

Another one of our winners came straight from the dentist’s office to claim his $25,000 prize. Greg Paine of Duncombe had booked an appointment to replace his teeth in Cedar Rapids a while ago. Little did he know when he scheduled that, he’d be making a pit stop at lottery headquarters on the way home.

“It just kind of fell into place,” he said.

It also worked out that his first chance to show off that new smile was the moment he held a giant check with his name on it. Paine said he plans to have plenty of fun with his winnings – after he takes care of some business.

“Well first I’m going to pay the dental bill!” he said.

There is still time for you to enter to win your share of more than $1 million in prizes in our holiday promotion. Here are some key details for you to know:

• Keep entering your nonwinning tickets! Our final drawings in the promotion will take place on Jan. 9. That day, we’ll award 10 more people prizes of $25,000.
• Every ticket entered in this promotion also is eligible to win the grand prize of $250,000 that will be awarded that same day. So if you didn’t win in either $25,000 drawing, you just might get an even bigger prize!
• And for those who entered ELF InstaPlay or scratch tickets but didn’t win in either $25,000 drawing, your tickets will be rolled into a drawing exclusively for ELF tickets for a $100,000 prize!
• The entry deadline for all of these drawings is 9:59 a.m. on Jan. 8. We’ll draw the lucky names the next day, and maybe we’ll be getting in touch with YOU!

Our Latest Promotion Could Have You ‘Dublin Your Luck’

There was so much anticipation for the Ireland trip package we just gave away in the Cyclone™ Football promotion that we’ve decided to do it again!

The Dublin Your Luck promotion opened for entries this morning, with another chance on the line for you to win a trip to see Iowa State’s 2025 season opener in Ireland.

The travel package for two includes airfare, lodging, game tickets to the Iowa St.-Kansas St. football game on Aug. 23 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, $5,000 spending money and a merchandise pack.

How To Enter

To enter the Dublin Your Luck promotion, you’ll need to join or already be a member of the Iowa Lottery’s free VIP Club. The promotion’s entry period opened this morning and runs through the morning of Feb. 10.

You can enter with nonwinning tickets in the “Cyclone™” scratch game. But please note: Any tickets previously entered in the Cyclone Football promotion that ended in late November are ineligible for this new promotion.

Entries can be made on the lottery’s website at ialottery.com or with the lottery’s mobile app.

The lottery will hold the drawing to select the Dublin Your Luck trip winner on Feb. 11.

Maybe you’ll be like Tammy Newcomb of Davenport, the Ireland trip winner selected Nov. 21 in the Cyclone Football promotion, and be on your way to Dublin next year!

A Thought To Keep: Please Reserve Lottery Tickets For the Adults On Your Gift List

Here’s a reminder for the holiday season, but it really applies at any time of the year.

At the Iowa Lottery, we know that in the next month or so, lottery tickets will be given as gifts and put in stockings. And we’re not trying to tamp down on your holiday spirit!

But please remember that our tickets are something to be purchased by adults, for adults.

That’s true for a lot of gift possibilities. Some video games and movies aren’t appropriate for all ages. Alcohol and tobacco-related products have age restrictions. Even toys have age-recommendation guidelines.

In Iowa, you have to be at least 21 years old to buy lottery tickets, and we’ve always considered our products something for adults. You are gambling when you play the lottery.

We want our products to go to those who are mature enough to enjoy that entertainment. Research from the National Library of Medicine notes that adolescents and young adults are more vulnerable to the risks of gambling because their brains are still developing.

So if you’re giving lottery tickets as gifts, please keep them for the adults on your list.

And as always, if you or someone you know has questions about problem gambling, please know that help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week here in Iowa. You can text and live chat by visiting Your Life Iowa or call 1-800-BETSOFF (1-800-238-7633).

Truth or Myth: Children Can Buy Lottery Tickets If Their Parents Are OK With It

Here’s the latest in our Truth vs. Myth series to test your lottery know-how. People can get crabby with us on this particular point, so this is a good time to talk about it!

Here goes: It’s fine for children to buy lottery tickets in Iowa as long as the parents are okay with it.

That’s a myth.

Iowa law specifies that you have to be at least 21 years old to buy lottery tickets in this state. There is no wiggle room on that.

The crabby part I referenced can come into play when people are buying tickets and their child with them wants to be involved by handing the money to a clerk or putting it into the bill acceptor on a lottery vending machine. In those instances, there could be a question about who is actually buying the tickets. And when that happens, we ask the adult involved not to let the child handle the money.

You can imagine that if it’s a small child, they can become unhappy that they’re not allowed to be part of the process. Cue a meltdown by the child and a subsequent exasperated parent.

Please know we’re not trying to be mean! We’re just ensuring that the law is being followed. (Apologies for any meltdowns involved.)

While those under 21 can’t purchase lottery tickets in Iowa, it is legal for them to claim a prize, provided that the ticket involved was legally purchased, legally possessed, and legally presented; and that the intent of those involved is not to circumvent the law.

That particular point has to do with property rights. Once someone buys a lottery ticket, it becomes their property, and they can give that property to someone else if they choose.

For example, we’ve seen grandparents give winning lottery tickets to their grandchildren to claim to help pay for college expenses. Another time, a parent gave a winning ticket to a child to claim as a birthday gift.

If the person claiming the prize is younger than 18, a parent or minor also has to sign the lottery claim form. And when the prize is being claimed at a lottery office, our Security team will review the details to ensure that the law is being followed.

Whether you play the lottery or not, we want everyone to have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works. This Truth or Myth series is part of that effort.

Focus On Convenience: We’re Rolling Out More Vending Machines For Lottery Tickets

Your local store may be sporting some new lottery equipment the next time you buy tickets.

We’re in the process of rolling out new self-service kiosks to 150 retail locations and new pull-tab vending machines in another 30 stores. All of the locations already sell lottery tickets, but the new equipment will provide additional convenience for customers AND employees.

You can see a couple of the new machines in the images at the top of this post! On the left is the new self-service kiosk at Jet Stop in Burlington, and on the right is the new pull-tab vending machine at Brew Oil in Correctionville.

What’s Behind This Move?

Retail studies today show that some customers prefer to make their purchases from another human being, while others want to use self-service. With new equipment in retail locations, you’ll have more options if you want to play the lottery.

The Iowa Lottery’s self-service kiosks allow you to buy lotto, scratch and InstaPlay tickets, while our pull-tab vending machines carry only that product. You of course can still buy tickets at the lottery terminal in stores.

The Timing Involved

We began installing 150 new self-service kiosks earlier this month, and when that rollout is complete in mid-January, we’ll have them in 360 locations. Installation of 30 new pull-tab vending machines began in late October and will be wrapped up by early next month, with pull-tabs being sold in a total of about 425 locations in Iowa.

The machines aren’t in all our retailers – lottery tickets are sold in about 2,500 businesses statewide. But we’ve done our best to identify the busy spots where additional equipment can help make buying tickets and checking prize results easier.

As we move ahead, we’ll continue to evaluate opportunities for other new equipment. But for now, maybe you’ll see a new lottery machine the next time you’re in your favorite local spot!

Why Do So Many Pick 4 & Pick 3 Players Win Multiple Prizes In The Same Drawing?

It’s happened again! An Iowa player won multiple top prizes, all in the same lottery drawing. I’m not sure I can fully explain the thought process involved that led to the happy moment, even after all my years of working at the lottery. But I’ll try! Here goes.

In the latest scenario, a Mount Pleasant man won 3 top prizes of $30,000 in last Saturday’s midday Pick 4 drawing. He chose his own numbers and bought his winning tickets all at the same Mount Pleasant store.

Pick 4 and Pick 3 are both games with drawings twice a day. They’re different from our other lotto games because you as the player can choose the type of play you want to make. And that determines the prize you can win.

How You Play

For example, you can buy a play where you’ll win a prize by matching the winning numbers in the drawing in any order. That’s called a box play. Or, you can buy a play where you’ll win a prize by matching the winning numbers in the exact order they’re selected in the drawing. That’s called a straight play. The different ways you can play – and win – are part of the fun of the games.

In Pick 3, you choose 3 numbers, each from 0-9. And in Pick 4, you choose 4 numbers, each from 0-9. Plays cost from 50 cents up to $5.

Players in both games often choose their own numbers rather than buying easy-pick tickets where the lottery terminal randomly assigns the numbers in the play. And because the players are loyal to their numbers, when they win, they often hit BIG.

The Mount Pleasant winner this week is a perfect example of that. He chose his own numbers, buying 3 identical tickets for the same Pick 4 drawing. And he hit big, winning the top prize of $30,000 on each ticket. He had chosen a straight play and won by matching the winning numbers in the exact order selected in the drawing: 7-0-0-6.

But Why Do They Do That?

So what’s behind that thought process of buying multiple tickets, all with the same numbers for the same drawing? Maybe it’s the “max bet” concept, where the players figure if they’re going to win, they want to win big. Maybe they have certain lucky numbers. Or, they could just have a feeling and decide to play.

I’m not sure I can pinpoint the reason, I just know it happens. And when it does, someone has a really good day!