Here are the details we shared with a player about where winning tickets can be cashed, as the same information applies to anyone who’s won an Iowa Lottery prize. A woman who reached out to us said she’d tried to cash a $150-winning ticket at a local store and was told that the location didn’t have the money on hand to pay the prize.
She said the clerk told her she’d need to claim her winnings at the lottery. The woman wondered if that was right. Luckily, there are other options for her, and they’ll also work for you.
Only prizes of more than $600 have to be claimed directly from the lottery. Our offices can provide greater security when you’re claiming a larger amount of money, and there are tax forms you’ll need to fill out when you’re claiming a prize of that size.
The lottery requires that its retailers pay prizes of up to $100. We ask that they pay prizes up to $600, but not all stores keep that amount of cash on hand. Safety is a top priority at retail locations for their staff and customers, and available cash routinely is kept at a minimum, especially during business hours after dark.
If the retail location you've visited isn't able to pay your prize, you have a couple options: You can try to claim the prize at a larger store that sells lottery tickets, such as a supermarket. Or, you can visit one of our offices or send the ticket to us so we can validate it. (Our very biggest prizes, meaning those of more than $250,000, as well as some merchandise prizes, have to be claimed in person at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.)
We keep all the details about the claims process, including the documentation you'll need to provide, on our website’s How To Claim A Prize page. Good luck on your lottery tickets and we hope to meet you as a winner soon!
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