Here’s the background we shared with a player this month who claimed a sizeable prize and wondered why they needed to come to Lottery headquarters for their winnings as opposed to one of our regional offices in Cedar Rapids, Mason City or Storm Lake.
The quick answer is that there are more security protocols involved when larger prizes are claimed.
But here are the additional details about where you can claim lottery prizes of different amounts:
Prizes of more than $600 have to be claimed directly from the Iowa 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 of up to $600, but not all stores keep that amount of cash on hand, and we understand the reasons why. Safety is a top priority at retail locations for 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 it 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 at the Iowa Lottery 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 have with you, on our website’s How To Claim A Prize page.
Good luck as you play your lottery tickets and we hope to meet you as a winner soon!
Hi, Rose. Here in Iowa, state law requires that lottery winners information is public.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | February 27, 2022 at 12:24 PM
Hi, Candice. In general, lottery winnings follow the state's population bases. In areas where there are higher populations, you will see more lottery winners. It doesn't mean that those spots are luckier than others, it simply means that with more people living there, there are more people buying lottery tickets there, and more winners based upon volume. Southwest Iowa definitely has lottery winners, but its population is not as large as other areas of the state.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | February 27, 2022 at 12:23 PM
I still don't understand why the lottery has to broadcasts a winner's name. These days, it just makes the winner a big target.
Posted by: Rose Keller | February 25, 2022 at 07:31 PM
Why I want to know, is why most top prizes are eastern Iowa not many winners in southwest Iowa.
Posted by: Candice Armstrong | February 25, 2022 at 10:32 AM