Is An “X” A Signature?

Here’s a great question that just came our way, in case you’ve ever wondered the same thing. A man who works at a gas station that sells Iowa Lottery tickets emailed us to ask if an “X” on the back of a lottery ticket counts as a signature.

Here are the details we shared with him, which we also include on the “Sign Your Ticket FAQs” page of our website. The quick answer is that an “X” is not a signature. Players should sign the back of a lottery ticket the same way they sign a check or any other legal document. Don’t use just your initials or an X, but rather, use your signature.

Why does that matter? Signing your ticket is an easy way for you to protect your purchase. Your signature identifies your lottery ticket – and any prize you may win – as belonging to you.

Comments

[Deb Hiepler]

People are a bit nervous about "Big brother, and Uncle Sam" looking at those winnings. All the little wins add up and, BOOM !, Mr. Taxman is at your door.
I work at a convenience store and hear this all the time. So, we get a lot of squiggly lines and X's for signatures.