A BIG Thank You For Liking Our Games

We’ve just gotten some great news here at the lottery, and we know that in the end, we owe it all to you, our players.

Sales of the Iowa Lottery’s core products set records in February, led by continued strong sales of instant-scratch tickets and $2 Powerball. Lottery proceeds to state causes also were strong for the month, hitting nearly $7.8 million. That’s a 69 percent increase from February of last year, and these latest results keep the lottery on pace for another record year.
   
We’re always proud to know that the proceeds raised by lottery sales will make a difference for the vital programs that benefit us all. And we also know we couldn’t have done it without you! Our goal is to provide you with fun games to play and prizes to win while raising as much money as we can as responsibly as we can. We hope the record shows we’ve been doing that.

But while we’re celebrating this good news, we’re still keeping an eye on fuel prices. If you’ve followed our blog for awhile, you’ve heard us say before that fuel prices are one of the biggest issues that can impact lottery sales. And with predictions for the possibility of $4 to $5 gas heading into summer, we know our sales in the coming months may be affected. Hey, we all feel it when prices head up!

February was the lottery’s highest sales month ever for its core products. The monthly total of $30.2 million in combined sales from lotto, scratch and pull-tab tickets topped our previous monthly sales record for core products set back in March 2011 by more than $3 million and kept the lottery on pace for a double-digit sales increase over our previous fiscal year. 

February also saw the lottery’s highest monthly sales in its history for instant-scratch tickets, which totaled $17.5 million, an increase of nearly $500,000 from the previous record, which had just been set in January. And January’s figures had topped the previous record high that had just been set in December, so Iowa scratch sales have now set records for three months in a row. You’ve also given $2 Powerball a good reception since its January debut. Powerball sales saw a double-digit increase in February.

So what do we think is contributing to these strong numbers? It’s several things, actually. We’ve got a strong mix of games and themes out there; there continue to be a lot of big winners here in Iowa, including three players who have claimed $1 million prizes so far this calendar year; the entry numbers tell us you’ve enjoyed our latest promotions (Don’t forget to get in on the “Warehouse Dash” right now!); and you know that when you buy a lottery ticket, some of the money you spend goes to good causes, like Iowa veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund.

Comments

[Bill]

I have not play the power ball after it had gone to two buck a play and theplace i work at has change over to Mega don't like the two buck i kknow of a lot of player in other stat that don't play any more to.

[arlis bartley]

You've set records because everyone needs money. I think it's great there are some winners. I'd just like to know how they win. I very rarely even get a number, but I buy my tickets every week hoping like everyone else.
On the scratch off's I occasionally get my money back.

[arlis bartley]

I'd rather have smaller jackpots & going out
more often and not to just the big cities.
Several peope in several states should win the big jackpots rather than one person getting 100 to 300 million at one time. No one needs that much.

[William Schmidt]

Very disappointed in $2 Powerball. Used to play $5 on Wed. & $5 on Sat. and had better number match/return on my money. Now play $6, (3 picks), on each day and my return has been nothing. Have had no more than 1 number match and no Powerball match at all since program was changed to $2 a play.
Sure the $ sales have Doubled, the program is taking in Double the $ figure! I vote we go back to $1 program.