Player Mail: Why Is There A Sales Cut-Off Before A Drawing?

One of our players contacted us about the sales cut-off times before the drawings in our lotto games like Powerball and Mega Millions, and wondered why they couldn’t be eliminated. The man said he wants people to be able to buy tickets right up until one minute before the drawing. The short answer is that wouldn’t work from a security perspective. Here’s the back story:

 

Sales cut-off times are just one of the security features in our games. They’re one of the processes that lotteries use to help ensure that everything is ready to go. With millions – and sometimes billions – of dollars involved in our drawings, it’s obviously important that mistakes be avoided!  

 

Before one of our drawings can be held, all of the lotteries in that game have to verify that their sales figures balance and that all plays are recorded in the system. It’s a meticulous process, and we know it’s what the public expects from us.

 

The good news is that as computer speeds and technology have improved through the years, it now requires much less time to accomplish that work before the drawing. Today, our sales cut-off times are an hour or less before our lotto-game drawings. Years ago, the sales cut-off time was often two hours before the drawing, but we’ve been able to reduce that and we hope it’s a convenience for our players and retailers.

 

I would imagine there will always be some time required for balancing and verification before a drawing can happen, but maybe in the future, the time involved will be even shorter than it is now.

 

The exact sales cut-off times vary from state to state, depending upon the requirements in that particular state. Check your state lottery’s website for the information that applies in your area.

 

We’ll keep doing our best to keep the sales cut-off period involved here in Iowa as short as possible.

Comments

[Mary]

Great question, Bruce. We do not currently offer a Pick 5 or Pick 2 game but we do offer a Pick 3 and Pick 4 game here in Iowa. I will certainly pass your suggestion along to our team. Thank you.

[Mary]

It is true, no one has stepped forward yet to claim the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot. As we encourage all of our winners, take the time to get with a financial advisor before claiming your prize. http://www.fox5ny.com/news/why-hasn-t-the-15-billion-mega-millions-winner-claimed-the-prize-?fbclid=IwAR1wDYUIUDN8a9ycwyJBBLx9eTtLrkqZ8JHP3_OXXVf2b1zZErvyQB2hBu0

[Bruce Nedd]

How come the Iowa Lottery doesn't have its own Pick 5 and pick 2 games

[Sherry Kaestner]

I found the info provided about the two recent huge jackpots regarding the payouts growing over time if the annuity option is chosen interesting. I just assumed winners received the same amount every year of the annuity period. One more question - Is it true no winner has come forth for the $1.5 billion Mega Millions drawing?