We got a great question yesterday from a lottery player on Facebook, who asked if she could use her debit card to buy lottery tickets.
I’ve blogged about this topic before, but it’s been a few years, so it’s a good time to look at it again.
The specifics involved are covered in Iowa law. Iowa Code Chapter 99G.30(5) reads as follows: “The retailer may accept payment by cash, check, money order, debit card, or electronic funds transfer. The retailer shall not extend or arrange credit for the purchase of a ticket or share. As used in this subsection, ‘cash’ means United States currency.”
In everyday terms, that means you can use cash, money orders and checks to buy Iowa Lottery tickets. And, because using a debit card is the same as writing a check, the use of those cards also is OK. But the use of credit cards is not OK.
A debit transaction is always tied to the available funds in your account. That nuance can sometimes be hard for people to understand, but as long as the card says DEBIT on the front, you’re good to go.
There is a caveat, though: While retail locations can accept a check or debit card for the payment of lottery tickets, they’re not required to do so. That’s a business decision made by the location involved. If you have questions, please check with your local retailer to see if the store has a policy about that.
Great question, Thomas. Easy-pick plays -- and the numbers within them -- are generated by each individual terminal. It's another way our procedures are designed to produce random combinations.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | July 21, 2015 at 09:46 AM
How are "easy pick" numbers generated? Does each lotto terminal generate it's own numbers or are they pulled from a central location at the time of the sale?
Posted by: Thomas Sullivan | July 20, 2015 at 09:44 PM
Hey, Ron. Another good question! You've likely heard us say before that in order for a prize to be paid, the ticket involved must have been legally purchased, legally possessed and legally presented. A ticket purchased with a credit card would not meet one of the thresholds required for payment.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | July 15, 2015 at 03:54 PM
Ok, so debit only. I get that. BUT what happens is someone wins the jackpot and you find out they purchased the ticket with a credit card? Do you disallow the win? That's the real question you didn't answer.
Posted by: Ron Jackson | July 15, 2015 at 03:33 PM
Hello, Lynda! I can tell this is a good topic -- we've all been wondering about it, right? Please check out my earlier answer to Linda, which is below. I answered the same question for her. Bottom line, as long as it's a DEBIT card, the transaction is OK.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | July 15, 2015 at 08:20 AM