ialottery blog

Post-Holiday Question: Can I Use A Gift Card To Buy Lottery Tix In Iowa?

Now that holiday celebrations are winding down for a lot of us, we’re hearing from folks asking if they can use gift cards to buy lottery tickets in Iowa. The quick answer is: Yes. But there are more details involved, so please keep reading. 

From a legal perspective, a gift card is the same as cash, so under Iowa law, it can be used to purchase lottery tickets.

But some retail locations may have policies that bar the use of gift cards for lottery purchases, just as they may ban personal checks for any purchase. Stores can and do develop their own policies for what’s allowed in their place of business, and we understand that.

The same thing applies to the use of debit cards to buy lottery tickets. While it’s legal for debit cards to be used to buy lottery products in Iowa, some stores may have policies against that. To be sure, please check with the business involved.

(Here are some further notes about the use of debit cards: In Iowa, state law prohibits the use of credit when making a lottery purchase. But a debit transaction is always tied to available funds, so as long as the card says DEBIT on the front, it’s OK to use it for a lottery transaction so long as the store involved allows that. If it’s a CREDIT card, it’s illegal to use it to buy lottery tickets in Iowa.

When you’re using a DEBIT card, even if it’s run on the credit setting, the money involved is still coming from available funds, so it is still a DEBIT transaction. A debit card never involves anything other than available funds, meaning cash. We had wondered about that particular detail ourselves, so we checked with the network folks who process the transactions. They confirmed that DEBIT always = available cash.)

Player Mail: Hey! They Carded Me!

With the holiday rush underway, I’m sharing a conversation here on the blog that we had with a player in case you encounter the same thing while you’re out shopping and running errands.

The player reached out to us after being carded at a convenience store as he was buying lottery tickets.

“They made me show my I.D,” he wrote. “The clerk said anyone who looks under 40 must show I.D. I’ve been buying lottery tickets there for several years and never heard this before. I am 55 years old. Is this a thing?”

Now, some people might interpret that situation as a huge compliment to their youthful good looks (insert smile emoji here), but the fact that stores ask customers to verify their age before buying certain products is a reality, and it’s a step they take to protect their business.

Lottery tickets are an age-controlled product, meaning that you must be a certain age before you can purchase them. Here in Iowa, the minimum purchasing age for lottery tickets is 21.

Retail locations receive licenses to sell age-controlled products, and one of the ways they can violate the terms of their lottery license is by selling tickets to those who are too young to legally purchase them. The business’ license will be suspended or even revoked if that happens, so we explained to the player that some stores have adopted the policy that they will I.D. anyone, not just those they think may be under 21.

We understand the businesses' concerns and support our retailers’ decisions to ensure that laws and regulations are being followed.

So if you’re asked for an I.D. when you buy lottery tickets, know that the store is doing the right thing. (And if you suspect that you definitely do not look 21, maybe choose to have fun in that moment!)

Five Iowa Friends Split $1 Million Prize

Five friends who chipped in to buy lottery tickets together had quite a moment today as they claimed a $1 million Mega Millions® prize.

Tim Harless of Eldora bought the group’s $1 million-winning ticket at a local convenience store for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing. The friends call themselves “Just Us” and have played the lottery together for about 15 years. Harless said they’ve won smaller prizes during that time, but now they have a very different story to tell!

Harless is in the middle in the photo here. The four other members of the group are (left to right): Dave Twedt, Steve Wright, Dennis Dickenson, and Julia Salazar. They all live in Eldora and know each other through the Hardin County community of about 2,700.

The four men say that Salazar keeps the rest of them fed. She has managed the local Casey’s convenience store for 20 years, and it’s their regular stop for lunch, snacks and drinks.

Salazar said she checked the results of the drawing and called Harless yesterday morning to share the news that they’d won big. He said she was talking so fast he couldn’t understand her at first, but it finally sunk in.

Salazar also said she was contacted by the Iowa Lottery’s Security Division as part of its verification work for a ticket winning a sizeable prize. That review includes checking the store’s security-camera system for footage of the ticket purchase.

Salazar said that as she watched the security footage with the lottery’s security investigator, she hoped she would see Harless on camera coming into the store and buying a ticket. And there he was!

Dickenson, who works for Harless at the city’s street department, has a story of double good fortune: Last month, he survived quadruple bypass surgery, and now he and his friends have won a big lottery prize. He said he definitely feels lucky!

Harless bought the $1 million-winning ticket at Casey’s, 1807 Edgington Ave. in Eldora. The group’s easy-pick ticket came within one number of having a share of Tuesday’s $372 million jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Mega Ball. A ticket purchased in Ohio won that night’s jackpot. Tuesday’s winning numbers were: 22-30-53-55-56 and Mega Ball 16. The Megaplier® was 2.

Six prizes of at least $1 million have now been won this year in Iowa. Casey’s will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket at one of its stores.

All the members of the Just Us group talked about putting their winnings into savings, paying off bills or investing for retirement. And for Wright, who’s already retired, another possibility is on the list. He said there might have a new pickup in the spring.

Wardrobe For Tomorrow: It’s National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day

Head’s up for what to wear tomorrow!

Dec. 20 is National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, according to the National Day Calendar. The website tracks unusual and unique national days and has a day for just about everything (including ugly sweaters).

According to the day calendar, this particular national day was started in 2011 by folks who adore their ugly Christmas sweaters and were looking for a way to lighten up the busy holidays.

The day has grown in popularity and is now apparently celebrated worldwide on the third Friday in December.

To help get us all in the spirit, those of us in the lottery’s External Relations area dressed up in our very BEST ugly sweaters for a photo opp. And as you can see, some of us appear to like our sweaters more than others!

The day calendar offers these tips for truly celebrating your ugly sweater:

• Select ridiculous colors. The more they clash, the better.
• Embellish it. The list of potential add-ons for your sweater is probably endless, but top candidates include pom-poms, bells, felt, tinsel or any other glittery, jingly items you’ve got around the house.
• Add a collar or ruffle. You apparently can never dress up your ugly sweater too much.
• Electrify it! Bright lights are NOT over the top in the ugly-sweater category!

And finally, use the hashtags #UglyChristmasSweaterDay or #ChristmasSweaterDay when you talk about it online tomorrow.

Ticket Purchased In Hardin County Area Wins $1 Million Prize

Someone who bought a Mega Millions® ticket at a Hardin County convenience store won a $1 million prize in last night’s drawing.

It’s the sixth prize of at least $1 million won in Iowa so far this year.

The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 1807 Edgington Ave. in Eldora. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $372 million Mega Millions jackpot.

The Eldora ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Mega Ball to win a $1 million prize. It was one of three tickets across the country to win a $1 million prize in last night’s drawing. A $2 million-winning ticket was sold in Pennsylvania, and a single ticket purchased in Ohio won Tuesday night’s jackpot.

Last night’s winning numbers were: 22-30-53-55-56 and Mega Ball 16. The Megaplier® number was 2. 

Casey’s will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket at one of its stores.

Prizes of $1 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday. If you think you’re the big winner and you have questions before coming forward to claim the prize, please feel free to give us a shout at the lottery at 515-725-7900 or by email at wmaster@ialottery.com.

Pssssst! After Six Months Without One, There’s A Big Jackpot

If you’ve felt like it’s been awhile since there’s been a giant jackpot in Powerball and Mega Millions, that’s because it has! But Mega Millions has some steam going right now, so we’ll all keep our eyes on that big prize.

What’s the backstory behind our recent “jackpot drought”?

There have been a lot of winners in Powerball and Mega Millions this year, and as luck would have it, the jackpots in both games have been won at what some would call a “lower level” these days. Now, that’s still in the tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars. But neither game’s jackpot has really climbed into the stratosphere since June.

Mega Millions has some steam going right now. Its jackpot has reached an estimated $372 million annuity, $251.6 million lump-sum option, for tonight’s drawing.

The last time the Mega Millions jackpot was this size or bigger was back in June, when it was won at $522 million in the drawing on June 7 with a ticket purchased in California.

And we can’t forget Powerball. It also has had a bit of a hiatus in gigantic jackpots. Powerball’s top prize hasn’t topped the $300 million mark since June 1, when it was won at $344.6 million with a ticket purchased in North Carolina.

The Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $160 million annuity, $108.7 million lump-sum option, for tomorrow night’s drawing.

Both games are working just as they should, and there will always be peaks and valleys in lottery jackpots. Maybe we just got spoiled with all the big jackpots we were seeing in the past couple years!

Iowa City Man Claims Prize of $25,000 A Year For Life

An Iowa City man has claimed a prize of $25,000 a year for life he won earlier this week with a lottery ticket he bought at a local convenience store.

Joseph White, 75, is Iowa’s sixth big winner in the Lucky for Life game since its 2016 debut here. He bought an easy pick ticket at the Kum & Go at 1310 S. Gilbert St. in Iowa City that matched the first five numbers but missed the Lucky Ball in Monday night’s drawing to win the game’s second prize of $25,000 a year for life.

Lucky for Life is a $2 game with drawings twice a week, at 9:38 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. The game’s top two prize levels are described as “lasting as long as you do,” meaning that they are truly for life. The minimum guaranteed payout for those two prize levels is 20 years, and there is a lump-sum option for those who prefer that rather than lifetime annuity payments. White chose to receive his prize as the lump-sum option.

The winning numbers in Monday’s Lucky for Life drawing were: 1-16-27-39-45 and Lucky Ball 10. Kum & Go will receive a $500 bonus from the lottery for selling White’s ticket at one of its stores.

Lucky for Life Prize:  $25,000 a year for life
Chosen to receive as: $390,000 lump-sum option
Federal withholding:  $93,600
State withholding:  $19,500
Net amount:   $276,900

Iowa City Ticket Wins Prize Of $25,000 A Year For Life

Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Iowa City has an extra reason to celebrate this holiday season: Their ticket won a prize of $25,000 a year for life in the Lucky for Life game!

It’s Iowa’s sixth big winner in the game since it debuted here in January 2016.

The Iowa City ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Lucky Ball in last night’s drawing to win Lucky for Life’s second prize of $25,000 a year for life. The winning ticket was purchased at the Kum & Go at 1310 S. Gilbert St. in Iowa City.

Lucky for Life is a $2 game with drawings twice a week, at 9:38 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. The game’s top two prize levels are described as “lasting as long as you do,” meaning that they are truly for life. The minimum guaranteed payout for those two prize levels is 20 years, and there is a lump-sum option for players who would prefer that rather than lifetime annuity payments.

The winning numbers in last night’s Lucky for Life drawing were: 1-16-27-39-45 and Lucky Ball 10. Kum & Go will receive a $500 bonus from the lottery for selling the winning ticket at one of its stores.

Players in Lucky for Life choose five numbers from a pool of 48 for the white balls and 1 out of 18 numbers for the Lucky Ball. You can win the game’s top prize of $1,000 a day for life by matching all six numbers selected in one of its drawings. The game’s second prize – for matching the first five numbers but missing the Lucky Ball – is $25,000 a year for life. Other prize levels in the game range from $4 up to $5,000.

Prizes at the top two levels in Lucky for Life need to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If you think you’re the Iowa City winner and you have questions before coming forward to claim the prize, please give us a shout at the lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at Wmaster@ialottery.com.

(Literally) Mapping Out Iowa’s Big Winners

It’s time for the latest map in our project this year to track the spots where the biggest lottery prizes have been won in Iowa!

Iowa Lottery players claimed 316 prizes of $600 or more in November, bringing the grand total so far to 4,034 for calendar year 2019.

As you can see from the patterns involved, something that we’ve often said about prize wins holds true: In bigger cities, more people are buying tickets and winning prizes. That’s not a matter of luck, it’s a matter of population.

Another way of putting it is that if 5 percent of lottery tickets are sold in a particular area, you'll expect to find about 5 percent of the overall winners there. Everyone has the same chance of winning, but there will be more winners in places where more tickets are sold.

Click here for a direct link to this map in an interactive format where you can see the details involved. Each dot shows the retail location where the winning ticket was purchased, the prize won, the game involved, and the date the prize was claimed.

The dots are in different colors for the four types of lottery games here in Iowa: scratch games, lotto games, InstaPlay games and pull-tab games. Scratch tickets have always been the Iowa Lottery’s leading product and they’re represented on the map by red dots, so there are a lot of them!

And as always, remember that our maps only show those big prizes that have been claimed. They don’t include those prizes that have been won but aren’t claimed yet.

Gift-Giving Reminder: Think About Age Restrictions & Content

With the arrival of the holidays, please consider this gentle reminder as you’re shopping for gifts in the days ahead.

We know that lottery tickets will be among the items that people give as presents and put in stockings this year. And at the Iowa Lottery, we’re glad that our products can be part of the fun! But remember that our tickets may not be something you want to give to those underage.

That holds true for lots of products: The content of some video games and movies may not be appropriate for all ages. Alcohol and tobacco-related products have their own age restrictions. Even toys have age-recommendation guidelines. 

In Iowa, you have to be at least 21 years old to buy lottery tickets, and we’ve always considered our products as something reserved for adults. Remember that you are gambling when you play the lottery. 

Be sure to give youngsters age-appropriate gifts in general, and when you give lottery tickets specifically, please keep the person's age in mind to minimize the risks associated with youth gambling.

We also echo the message from the Iowa Department of Public Health about the help that’s available in our state for problem gambling. If you’re concerned that someone you know is struggling with their gambling or if it is an issue for you, there are resources that can help day or night. You can call 1-800-BETSOFF (1-800-238-7633) or go to the Your Life Iowa website to reach help through secure chat or text.