ialottery blog

Pball Jackpot Nearly $1 Billion For Tonight’s Drawing

Update at 10:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31: The winning numbers in tonight's Powerball drawing are: 13-19-36-39-59 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number is 3.

Tonight's final jackpot amount ended up at $998 million annuity. We'll see in the morning how Iowa did and if anybody nationwide won the huge jackpot!  

With tonight’s drawing happening on Halloween, hope you had a very spooktacular time playing Powerball! Tonight's jackpot is the second-largest prize in the history of the game and it’s getting closer to Powerball’s record jackpot amount of $1.586 billion.

The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been this big since March 2019. It reached $768.4 million for the drawing on March 27, 2019. This time around, it’s been growing for nearly three months. The jackpot was last won on Aug. 3.

Total Prizes Won Saturday In Iowa

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 38,007 prizes in Saturday’s Powerball drawing ranging from $4 up to $150,000.

The $150,000-winning ticket, purchased at Floyd Food & Fuel, 3241 Floyd Blvd. in Sioux City, matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. But the player who bought the ticket added the Power Play option to the purchase, which multiplied the prize to $150,000.

The winning numbers in Saturday’s drawing were: 19-31-40-46-57 and Powerball 23. The Power Play number was 3.

The $150,000-winning ticket can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office.

If the winner or winners of the Sioux City prize have questions before coming forward to claim it, they can call the lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at wmaster@ialottery.com.

Iowa Sales For Saturday’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.2 million in Powerball tickets for Saturday’s drawing, including more than $1.1 million in tickets on Saturday alone. But the average Powerball purchase in the state for Saturday’s drawing remained about $6, or about three plays per ticket. The Iowa Lottery is glad to see that Iowa players are having fun playing for the jackpot and aren’t going overboard.

How Long Has Powerball Had A Monday Drawing?

In August 2021, Powerball moved from having two drawings a week to drawings on three days each week. The game now has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The change was designed to produce more winners and generate larger, faster-growing jackpots – and that has happened.

Lots Of First-Time And Occasional Players Jumping In

When the Powerball jackpot really gets up there like it is now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. Office pools and people buying group-play tickets with friends and family also see a big jump.

The Iowa Lottery keeps details on its website to help both sets of players. How-to-play details for Powerball, the game’s rules, and tables showing the prizes available in the game can be found on the Iowa Lottery website here. And, reminders to help keep lottery group play fun and hassle free can be found here.

Remember The Sales Cut-Off Time

The majority of tickets for a particular drawing are purchased on the day of the drawing. So, if you’re buying a ticket for tonight’s drawing, remember that the sales cut-off time is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

If you buy a ticket after that, you’ll still have a valid play, it will just be for a future drawing. The cut-off deadline is an automated procedure and can’t be pushed back.

Another Game’s Jackpot Also Continues To Climb

Powerball isn’t the only game right now with a headline-making jackpot. Its smaller cousin, Lotto America®, is in record jackpot territory for that game. The current Lotto America jackpot stands at an estimated $29.43 million annuity, $14.63 million lump-sum option, for that game’s drawing tonight.

Lotto America has a similar playstyle to Powerball and Mega Millions, but its jackpots are smaller and a lot easier to win.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. You’ve heard us say it many times, and it’s true: Playing smart is a lot more fun.

Pball Jackpot Raised To Est. $825 Million For Tomorrow Night’s Drawing

The Powerball® jackpot has been raised to an estimated $825 million annuity, $410.2 million cash option, for tomorrow night’s drawing. That’s up from yesterday’s figures, but it’s still the 2nd largest jackpot in the 30-year history of the Powerball game and the 5th largest lottery prize ever offered in North America.

When the jackpot reaches this level, it becomes harder to predict the grand-prize estimate for the next drawing. Stronger sales drive the jackpot higher and can lead to the revisions of the prize estimate before the next drawing, as has occurred this past week.

Details About Cash vs. Annuity – And Taxes

There are misconceptions out there about cash vs. annuity and what that means. The cash option is NOT the annuity amount minus taxes. Here are the actual details involved:

If a jackpot winner were to choose the annuity option for tomorrow’s big prize (currently an estimated $825 million), they would receive 30 payments over 29 years adding up to the annuity total.

The cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities, and the winner receives payments over time. The initial amount invested plus the interest generated over time by the investment adds up to the annuity amount of the jackpot. Withholdings are applied to each payment that the winner receives. If a winner were to pass away before receiving all their payments, the money would go into their estate. The lottery would make future payments as determined by the estate or the court.

If a jackpot winner were to choose the cash option for tomorrow prize (currently an estimated $410.2 million), they would receive the lump-sum amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game. There is no interest income involved in that scenario because the money isn’t invested. Another way of putting it is that the “rest of the money” does not exist in that instance. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.

Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Withholdings are automatically applied and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover the jackpot winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that the winner would owe depends upon their financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholding is not enough, in other instances, it’s too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That’s one of the reasons the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner before they claim their prize.

Scammers Unfortunately Notice Big Jackpots, Too

Scam attempts have been at all-time highs in recent years, and while the criminals behind them run scams of all types, they turn their attention to lottery games when jackpots are high.

In the past week, the Iowa Lottery has heard from multiple Iowans who received suspicious text messages, emails, or social media contacts claiming that they were big lottery prize winners. Those contacted indeed had not won a prize – they had received a message from scammers attempting to con them.

When you win a Powerball prize, you notify the lottery that you are the winner, not the other way around. The Iowa Lottery has records about the winning ticket and where it was purchased, but the lottery does not know the winner’s identity until that person presents the ticket for payment.

The Iowa Lottery keeps security reminders as a permanent feature on its website to help consumers stay safe. You can find the lottery’s Player Security tips here.

Remember The Sales Cut-Off Time

The majority of tickets for a particular drawing are purchased on the day of the drawing. So, if you’re buying a Powerball ticket for tomorrow night s drawing, remember that there is a sales cut-off time involved. Here in Iowa, the sales cut-off is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

If you buy a ticket after that, you’ll still have a valid play, it will just be for a future drawing and you won’t be in on that night’s big money.

The cut-off deadline is an automated procedure and can’t be pushed back.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly.

Pball Jackpot Now An Estimated $800 Million, 2nd Largest In History Of Game

The Powerball® jackpot made it through last night’s drawing and is still growing! It now stands at an estimated $800 million annuity, $383.7 million cash option for Saturday’s drawing.

That’s the second highest jackpot in the history of the game and the fifth largest lottery prize ever offered in North America.

When the jackpot reaches this level, it’s harder to predict the grand-prize estimate heading into the next drawing. Stronger sales drive the jackpot up and can mean revisions of the prize estimate, as we’ve seen this past week.

The Powerball jackpot has reached its current level because it has been growing for nearly three months. It was last won on Aug. 3 with a ticket in Pennsylvania.

I’ve Heard That The Odds Change As The Jackpot Grows …

There are a lot of beliefs out there about playing the lottery, and some of them aren’t … quite accurate. When it comes to the Powerball jackpot, some people say that players have a harder time winning when the jackpot climbs because more people are buying tickets.

But if that were the case, how would we ever know the odds of winning – would they change with each ticket sold?

The odds of winning in Powerball do not change. They’re the same for every play purchased in the game.

For the Powerball jackpot specifically, the odds of winning it are about 1 in 292.2 million because that’s how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 292.2 million possibilities. Will the numbers on your ticket match?

Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers

The vast majority of tickets purchased in games like Powerball and Mega Millions® are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal assigns the numbers printed on the ticket. About 95 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa for recent drawings in the games were easy picks. 

But players also can choose their own numbers. They choose five numbers from a pool of 1 to 69 for the white balls and one number from a separate pool of 26 for the red Powerball.

Neither option is luckier. The odds of winning are the same for every ticket purchased in the game. There are more winners from easy-pick tickets simply because the majority of tickets purchased are easy picks.

A player wins the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a Powerball drawing. However, there are a total of nine prize levels in Powerball ranging from $4 up to the jackpot, so the Iowa Lottery reminds its players to be sure to check their tickets for all the prizes they may have won.

Reminders About Group Play

When a jackpot reaches into the stratosphere, group play increases, with many lottery players buying tickets in office pools or with family and friends. The Iowa Lottery keeps group play reminders on its website to help players keep lottery pool play fun and hassle free.

Among the suggestions: Keep an accurate list of everyone who puts in money for a particular drawing and how much they contribute. And, provide everyone in your pool with photos or copies of the group’s tickets before the drawing.

And Hey, Another Jackpot Also Is Making News!

Powerball isn’t the only game at the moment with a headline-making jackpot.

Its smaller cousin, Lotto America®, is in record jackpot territory for that game. The current Lotto America jackpot stands at an estimated $29.38 million annuity, $14.09 million lump-sum option, for that game’s Saturday drawing.

The Lotto America jackpot has been climbing since July 2021. Before this latest run, the previous record jackpot in Lotto America was a $22.82 million prize won in March 2018. Lotto America costs $1 to play and has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The game has a similar design to Powerball and Mega Millions, but its jackpots are smaller and a lot easier to win.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly.

Big Powerball Jackpot Keeps Growing!

The giant Powerball^® jackpot for tonight has climbed to an estimated $700 million annuity, $335.7 million cash option!

The jackpot is now the fifth highest in the history of the Powerball game. It’s been growing for nearly three months and was last won on Aug. 3 with a ticket purchased in Pennsylvania.

Here in Iowa, three tickets came oh, so close to at least a share of the giant prize in Monday’s drawing. All matched five of six numbers and were just one number away from winning that night’s $680 million jackpot. The three tickets each won $50,000, and were purchased at:

• QC Mart, 3545 Eastern Ave. in Davenport.
• Kwik Shop, 309 N. Locust St. in Glenwood.
• Fareway, 214 N. Magnolia Drive in Cedar Falls.

But Powerball isn’t the only game with a lofty jackpot. Its smaller cousin, Lotto America^®, is in record jackpot territory for that game. The current Lotto America jackpot stands at an estimated $29.11 million annuity, $13.96 million lump sum for tonight’s drawing.

Lotto America costs $1 to play and has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The game has a similar design to Powerball and Mega Millions^®, but its jackpots are smaller and a lot easier to win. 

While we’re all having fun with these large jackpots, the Iowa Lottery reminds its players to please play responsibly. It only takes one ticket to have a shot at a prize.

Trip To The Store For Ice Leads To Lottery Win Of $25,000 a Year for Davenport Man

A Davenport man was just running to the store for some ice when he decided to buy some lottery plays. Fast forward to that night, and he won a prize of $25,000 a year for life in the Lucky for Life® game.

Steve Allen, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, claimed his prize today at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. He admitted he had a lot of trouble sleeping after realizing he’d won big. He said he was excited and pretty much in shock!

Steve said he was helping a friend with a remodeling project on Saturday in Buffalo, the small Scott County community where he grew up. The friend asked him to run to the store for a bag of ice. After making that purchase, Allen decided to use his leftover change to buy some easy-pick plays for Saturday’s drawing in the Lucky for Life game.

He said they got back to work after that and he didn’t think about his lottery plays again until he was about to fall asleep Saturday night. Then he checked the Lucky for Life drawing results and realized he matched the first five numbers but missed the Lucky Ball to win the game’s second prize of $25,000 a year for life.

He admits he didn’t sleep much after that, and then had his sister drive him to claim his prize today, thinking he’d accidentally end up in Seattle if he tried to drive by himself!

Steve is Iowa’s 16th big winner in the Lucky for Life game since its January 2016 debut in our state. And, his ticket was the third purchased in 2022 in Iowa to win at the $25,000 a year for life prize level.

He bought his winning ticket at the Express Lane Gas & Food Mart, 1102 W. Front St. in Buffalo.

The winning numbers in Saturday’s Lucky for Life drawing were: 1-10-32-37-41 and Lucky Ball 8. The Express Lane Gas & Food Mart will receive a $500 bonus from the lottery for selling Steve his winning ticket.

Steve says he plans to pay off his mortgage and his car, then invest the rest of his winnings for retirement.

Scott County Ticket Wins Prize Of $25,000 A Year For Life In Lucky For Life Game

Someone who bought a lottery ticket at a Scott County convenience store won a prize of $25,000 a year for life in last night’s drawing of the Lucky for Life® game.

It’s Iowa’s 16th big win in Lucky for Life since the game’s January 2016 debut in our state. It’s also the 3rd Iowa ticket purchased in 2022 to win at that prize level in the game.

The Scott County ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Lucky Ball in last night’s Lucky for Life drawing to win the game’s second prize of $25,000 a year for life. The winning ticket was purchased at the Express Lane Gas & Food Mart, 1102 W. Front St. in Buffalo.

The winning numbers in the drawing were: 1-10-32-37-41 and Lucky Ball 8. Express Lane Gas & Food Mart will receive a $500 bonus from the lottery for selling the winning ticket.

Lucky for Life is a $2 game with drawings each night. 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’s a lump-sum option for players who want that rather than lifetime annuity payments.

Prizes at the top two levels in Lucky for Life need to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If the winner or winners of the Buffalo ticket have questions before coming forward to claim the prize, they’re welcome to give us a shout at the lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us wmaster@ialottery.com.

Players in Lucky for Life have up to 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes won in Iowa.

After Recent Health Scares, NW Iowa Man Wins $1 Million In Powerball

So far this year, he’s survived a heart attack and another major health scare. And now, he’s won $1 million in Powerball®. So, does this northwest Iowa guy consider himself lucky?

Daryl Ingram of Mapleton puts it this way: “Unlucky or lucky, one of the two, I don’t know!”’

Daryl claimed his $1 million prize today at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. He said his lottery luck started when he won $11 in last Saturday’s Powerball drawing. He used some of his winnings from that night to buy plays for Powerball’s next drawing on Monday. And one of those easy-pick plays won $1 million.

Daryl said he popped awake in the early hours on Tuesday and something told him to check his Powerball ticket. So he did, but in the process, he misread one of the numbers and thought he’d only won $100. He said that was definitely better than nothing.

But the next day when he went to the local convenience store where he bought his ticket to have it checked, the clerk told him he’d actually won $1 million. He says that got him pretty pumped up.

Daryl is 62 and has retired from trucking but still works in farming. He plans to use his winnings to pay off his home, invest for the future, and likely take another trip with his girlfriend, Joan Ford. They enjoy travel and said they take several trips each year.

Daryl bought his winning Powerball ticket at KCK’s Food and Fuel, 503 Iowa Highway 175 in Danbury, a community of about 320 in Woodbury County. His ticket came within one number of having at least a share of Monday’s $485 million jackpot.

His ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. Monday’s winning numbers were: 19-30-36-46-60 and Powerball 25. The Power Play® number was 3.

KCK’s Food and Fuel will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.

Five lottery prizes of at least $1 million have been claimed so far in 2022 in Iowa. Two more Iowa prizes at that level are still unclaimed. Here are details about them:

Game	Prize Drawing	Amount Won	Retailer	Expiration Date
Powerball	Oct. 10, 2022	$2 million	Casey’s, Forest City	Oct. 10, 2023
Mega Millions	Sept. 6, 2022	$1 million	Gateway Expresse, Ames	Sept. 6, 2023

Fly With Cy Winners In Texas!

From enjoying a rooftop pre-party (with tacos, of course!), to seeing a football game in one of the world’s biggest stadiums and getting to explore the city, our Fly with Cy winners officially took in the sights and sounds of Austin. Click on the video above to hear them talk about their trip and see them in Texas!

#FlyWithCy #WooHooForYou #Cyclones #IowaStateFootball 

NW IA Ticket Wins $1 Million In Powerball! It’s Iowa’s 3rd Big Win In 2 Months

For the third time in the past two months, someone in Iowa has won a lottery prize of at least $1 million! The latest big win happened last night in Powerball®.

Someone who bought a Powerball ticket at a convenience store in Danbury, a community of 320 in Woodbury County, won a $1 million prize in the game’s drawing last night.

The Danbury ticket was one of only two across the country that won a $1 million prize in the drawing, with the other in Wisconsin. A Kentucky ticket won a $2 million prize last night.

Iowa’s $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at KCK’s Food and Fuel, 503 Iowa Highway 175 in Danbury. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $485 million jackpot.

The Danbury ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. Last night’s winning numbers were: 19-30-36-46-60 and Powerball 25. The Power Play® number was 3.

No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $508 million annuity, $256.3 million lump-sum option, for Wednesday.

KCK’s Food and Fuel will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.

Four lottery prizes of at least $1 million have been claimed so far in 2022 in Iowa. Three prizes at that level, including the Danbury ticket, are currently unclaimed. The other two big unclaimed prizes are in the Powerball and Mega Millions® games. Here are details about them:

Game	Prize Drawing	Amount Won	Retailer	Expiration Date
Powerball	Oct. 10, 2022	$2 million	Casey’s, Forest City	Oct. 10, 2023
Mega Millions	Sept. 6, 2022	$1 million	Gateway Expresse, Ames	Sept. 6, 2023

Prizes won in Iowa of more than $250,000 must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday. If the winner or winners need information before coming forward to claim the prize, they’re welcome to give us a shout at 515-725-7900 or email us at wmaster@ialottery.com.

Powerball players in Iowa have 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.

‘Holiday Cash Bash’ Promo: 91 Prizes On The Line, Including Top Prize of $100,000

Dozens of prizes ranging from $1,000 up to $100,000 are up for grabs in the lottery’s “Holiday Cash Bash” promotion that just opened for entries today.

Last year, we mixed things up and offered warehouse dash shopping trips as well as cash prizes in our holiday promotion. This year, we’re returning to all cash prizes.

The Holiday Cash Bash promotion features 91 cash prizes totaling $355,000, including a grand prize of $100,000. We’re applying the “max bet” concept in the promotion, meaning that the size of the prize you can win increases along with the purchase price of the scratch ticket you’ve entered.

Players could start making entries in the Holiday Cash Bash at 10 a.m. today, and the promotion runs through early January, with its final drawing date on Jan. 12. You can enter tickets on the lottery website or by using our mobile app.

Players can enter the promotion using nonwinning tickets in the 13 holiday-themed scratch games we’ll have available this year. Tickets in 11 of those games are already available in stores. Our final two holiday games for the year will hit the market on Nov. 1.

On each of the promotion’s three initial draw dates, 30 prizes will be awarded. Each time, there will be 10 prizes of $1,000 from among the $1 and $2 entries; 10 prizes of $2,500 from among the $3 and $5 entries; and 10 prizes of $5,000 from among the $10 and $20 entries.

The initial drawings will be on Nov. 17, Dec. 15 and Jan 12. The $100,000 grand-prize drawing also will be on Jan. 12.

Entries will not carry over from one drawing to the next, except for the grand-prize drawing. All entries submitted over the course of the promotion that are not selected as a winner in one of the initial drawings will automatically be eligible for the grand-prize drawing.

Powerball Ticket Purchased in Northern Iowa Wins $2 Million Prize

A Powerball ticket purchased in northern Iowa won $2 Million in Monday's drawing.

The lucky ticket was purchased at Casey's, 1132 Highway 69 S. in Forest City and came within one number of winning last night's $403.9 million jackpot. It matched all five white balls but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. But whoever bought the ticket also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplies the prize at the Match 5 level to $2 million.

The Forest City ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize in Monday’s drawing.

Monday’s winning numbers were: 3-6-11-17-22 and Powerball 11. The Power Play number was 2. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $420 million annuity ($215.2 million lump-sum option) for Wednesday.

Casey’s will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket.

Prizes of $2 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday, and prize claims are currently available by appointment. The winner or winners of the Forest City prize can call the lottery at 515-725-7900 to make an appointment to claim it.

 

 

 

InstaPlay Games: Standard And Progressive-Jackpots At All Price Points, From $1 to $30

Here’s a quick recap of the lottery’s line-up of InstaPlay games, with standard and progressive-jackpot games available at all price points.

Iowa’s newest InstaPlay games just debuted last weekend, with the $30 Hit the Jackpot and Super 7s Progressive InstaPlay games beginning sales on Sunday. There are now 12 InstaPlay games available in Iowa ranging in price from $1 up to $30, the same price range for Iowa Lottery scratch games.

If you aren’t familiar with InstaPlay games, here’s the background about them: Their tickets borrow features from both scratch and lotto games. InstaPlay tickets are called "scratchless" because they don’t have a coating that needs to be removed to determine the prize won. And rather than having supplies of tickets printed in advance like scratch and pull-tab games, InstaPlay tickets are printed on demand from the lottery terminal, just like tickets in lotto games like Powerball® and Mega Millions®.

In standard InstaPlay games, several set prize levels are available. The prize levels involved don’t change.

Progressive-jackpot InstaPlay games have that name because the top prize grows with each ticket sold statewide in that particular game. (In other words, the jackpot gets progressively larger.) Some InstaPlay progressive jackpots have climbed into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and players definitely have fun playing for them as they climb!

InstaPlay games have been offered in Iowa since 2016. You can buy tickets in them at any lottery terminal or self-service kiosk.

Lotto America Jackpot Is Now In Record Territory For That Game

Update on Tuesday, Oct. 11:

The Lotto America jackpot is still climbing. No one hit the big prize in last night's drawing, so the jackpot climbs to an estimated $26.1 million annuity, $13.37 million cash option for Wednesday's drawing.  Here are the winning numbers from Monday night's Lotto America drawing: 4-8-14-32-44 and Star Ball 4. The All Star Bonus number was 4. Good luck on your tickets!

Its bigger cousins may get more attention, but Lotto America® is making news of its own. The Lotto America jackpot is in record territory for that game, at an estimated $24.69 million annuity, $12.98 million cash option for tonight’s drawing.

Lotto America also is in the midst of its longest jackpot run ever. The game’s jackpot has been climbing since July 2021. It was last won in the drawing on July 14, 2021. A ticket purchased in Oklahoma won that night’s $8.04 million jackpot.

This isn’t the first time that Lotto America has gone on a long jackpot run. (A run is the period of time that the jackpot grows before it’s won). The game’s jackpot grew for a little more than 14 months from May 2018 to July 2019 before it was won in the drawing on July 10 that year. A Minnesota ticket won that $21.6 million prize.

Before the current jackpot amount, the previous record jackpot in Lotto America was a $22.82 million prize won in the game in March 2018.

Has an Iowan won a Lotto America jackpot? Yes! A Davenport man won a $4.38 million prize in the game in May 2018.

So how high will the current jackpot climb? Only time will tell. One thing is certain: Someone WILL win it, we just don’t know when.

Lotto America costs $1 to play and it has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The game has a similar design to Powerball® and Mega Millions®, but its jackpots are smaller and a lot easier to win. Lotto America players choose five numbers from a pool of 52 and another number, called the Star Ball®, from a pool of 10. Players who match all six numbers selected in a drawing win the game’s jackpot.