A man who contacted us this week shared details that are a new reminder about the importance of signing the lottery tickets you buy.
The man said he’d found a ticket in a parking lot that had won a $10 prize. He wanted to know if he could claim the money. We asked if the ticket was signed, as that would identify it – and the prize involved – as belonging to that person. He said it was not signed, so we asked if he could share an image of the ticket with us so we could check our records regarding lost or stolen tickets.
The information in the image confirmed that the ticket was indeed a $10 winner, no one had signed it, and a check of our records showed that no one had contacted us to report it as lost or stolen.
A lottery ticket without a signature in legal terms is known as a bearer instrument, meaning that the person who bears it is its owner. We shared with the man that based upon the details he provided, he could claim the prize at a local lottery retailer.
When it comes to protecting your lottery winnings, you can have the earliest impact by signing your tickets when you buy them. It’s an easy way to help keep your lottery play fun and safe.
We keep Player Security tips as a permanent feature on our website to help you learn more, so check them to brush up on those details.
Sure, Mark. I'll send you the details. You can only choose from the number of advance drawings on the screen, which is 1-10 drawings in advance. I'll send you an email as well.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | July 23, 2021 at 10:58 AM
Hi Mary,
On the Lucky For Life Multi-Draw scenario that Elmer was talking about- Could you please email me the info also? We tried to figure it out this morning, and found that you could directly enter the number of plays, but not the number of draws. (This was on the new equipment)
Thanks!
Mark Chandler, Lotologist
Posted by: Mark Chandler | July 20, 2021 at 05:52 AM
Hi, Elmer. We will be replacing our Lucky for Life play slips here in Iowa to reflect a wider range of choices when it comes to advance plays in the game, but that won't happen until this fall. The Iowa Lottery's central gaming system, which links all our lottery terminals across the state, is being replaced this summer, and the play slip update will have to wait until after that occurs. But please know that there is a current option that allows you to purchase plays for up to 10 drawings in advance in Lucky for Life (including the seven drawings you have referenced). You can tell a clerk at a local lottery retailer that you want to buy Lucky for Life tickets for the specified number of drawings in advance that you prefer. The clerk can key in the number of drawings for which you want to purchase plays and the numbers you want to play. I will send you an email with an image that I hope can walk you through the process.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | July 14, 2021 at 02:49 PM
Is the new lucky for life ticket going to have a 7 drawings box to check? The current ones have a 6 or 8 choice but not a 7. I would like a 28 choice so i can play ahead when im in Arizona.
Posted by: elmer beckler | July 12, 2021 at 12:59 PM
That's exactly right, Dusty. The app is a huge convenience, and a security feature because you don't have to give your ticket to anyone else to have it checked -- you can scan it yourself using the app. And signing your winning tickets when you've checked them on your mobile app will identify the prizes involved as belonging to you. (For those who haven't downloaded the app to their mobile device, here is a direct link to the page on our website where you can learn about it: https://www.ialottery.com/Pages/Games/MobileApp.aspx
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | July 12, 2021 at 09:17 AM