A couple player questions this week were a reminder for me to keep highlighting the details that are a permanent part of the Iowa Lottery website to get important information out there.
So, the first stop I’ll highlight today is the page featuring the Unclaimed Prizes list. In that one spot, you can see all the prizes of more than $600 in Iowa that are still unclaimed in lotto and InstaPlay games. You can search the list in several different ways to find the details that matter most to you. Search by game, place of purchase, prize amount, date of win, and date of expiration – whichever is most important to you.
The biggest unclaimed prize on the list is currently a progressive jackpot in the “Extreme Green Progressive” Instaplay game that was won Feb. 11 and will expire May 12 if it isn’t claimed by then.
The other feature I’ll call to your attention today is the Remaining Prizes list. On that page, you can see the number of larger prizes available in our scratch, pull-tab and InstaPlay games, how many of those prizes have already been claimed, and the number that remain unclaimed. It’s another important reference item designed to give players insight into the games we have on the market.
Hi, Billy. The prizes shown on the remaining prizes list for the “Cherry Twist Progressive” game are in the current supply of tickets that are for sale. Over time, as the tickets available in particular InstaPlay games have been purchased, we have replenished the games. When that happens, players will notice that the available prizes increase along with the new supply of tickets being released. The tickets currently available in Cherry Twist Progressive are actually the third re-order in that game. I anticipate that the fourth round of tickets in the game will hit the market in the near future.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | March 11, 2021 at 10:14 AM
On the remaining prizes list it says there are three remaining on the Cherry Twist Progressive game. What happens after it's won three more times?
Posted by: Billy G | March 10, 2021 at 08:23 PM
Hi, John. Great question, and the answer is rooted in what an unusual handful of months we have seen amidst the COVID-19 crisis. With so many people unexpectedly at home with time on their hands, they have been looking for entertainment options and have included scratch tickets in their hard-copy choices. Lottery scratch-game sales in Iowa have been extremely strong, especially at the $10 price point. We have modified some of our game schedules to ensure we would continue to have supplies of popular games in the marketplace. The "$100,000 Mega Crossword" is an extremely popular product, and we're doing our best to estimate supply and demand for that game. So, while the new game started today, the older version of it is not being pulled from the market. You'll be able to buy tickets in both, and by releasing the new game today, we'll have at least one version of it for sale in the weeks ahead.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | March 01, 2021 at 03:43 PM
I have a question. What is the purpose of starting a new $100,000 Mega Crossword puzzle when there are 6 top prizes remaining in the current game. That is almost 1/3 of the remaining top prizes. I don't understand the logic.
Posted by: John Webber | March 01, 2021 at 01:35 PM
Jemella: Thank you for making us smile today! I think there may be some other folks who join you in wanting those prizes. :)
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | February 19, 2021 at 02:39 PM