We’ve gotten inquiries this week from players in different parts of the state who all appeared to be hearing the same radio ad, and they wanted to know if it was from us. The quick answer is: No, the ad for a service to check lottery tickets is not from the Iowa Lottery. And the AutoLotto website advertised is not associated with our lottery.
We have legal and policy concerns about the information we learned after doing some digging. We urge lottery players in Iowa to get lottery results and the details about our games directly from us here at the Iowa Lottery.
The radio ad appears to be playing in heavy rotation in different markets around the state. We’ve heard it in central Iowa at different times of the day. The spot references unclaimed lottery prizes and encourages listeners to use a free “AutoLotto app” to check the results of Powerball® tickets. The ad also directs listeners to AutoLotto’s website to learn more.
When we visited the website, it appears to involve more than just checking the results of lottery tickets. Information on the site indicates that people can use the app to purchase tickets online via a credit card that the user would keep on file with the service.
It’s illegal here in Iowa to use credit in the purchase of lottery tickets. And under Iowa law, lottery tickets can only legally be purchased from a licensed lottery retailer. Obtaining a ticket in any other fashion could call into question the legitimacy of the prize.
Internet gaming also remains a big topic of discussion among our state’s lawmakers. They’ll convene Jan. 9 for the start of the 2017 legislative session, and we anticipate that Internet gaming will be among the many issues soon under debate at the state Capitol.
Bottomline, we do not recommend that you use any outside service to purchase our products or receive information about the Iowa Lottery. Through our website, our offices around the state and our presence on social media, we always have information available. We pride ourselves on customer service, so if you contact the Iowa Lottery, we’ll do our best to answer your question right away. And if we need to do more research, we will get back to you.
As we say in the Player Security reminders that are a permanent feature on our website: We want you to take fun seriously and protect yourself. And if you ever have a concern about Iowa Lottery products or operations, please call us at 515-725-7900, email us at wmaster@ialottery.com or reach out to us here on the blog or elsewhere on social media. We’ll be glad to help.
P.S. You know that the Iowa Lottery already has an app that you can use to check the results of your tickets, right? We currently have an iPhone app, but we anticipate that we’ll have an Android version also available early next year. The iPhone app is available on iTunes under the “Iowa Lottery’s LotteryPlus” listing.
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