A new team member has joined the Iowa Lottery, and you may have already been helped by his work.
His name is Dave and he’s a chatbot. When you visit ialottery.com, you now see a blue chat symbol in the lower right corner of the screen. The symbol tells you that the Iowa Lottery has a digital assistant available to help answer questions.
If you click on the symbol, the chatbot screen opens. Five popular search topics come up, or you can use the screen to type in your own question.
Now, Dave obviously isn’t a real person. Chatbot software uses artificial intelligence to mimic a conversation. Statistics show that nearly 70 percent of global consumers have used a chatbot in the past year, and the use of chatbots continues to rise.
Best-practice tips say that a chatbot should have a name and personality in line with the organization it represents. We wanted our chatbot to be friendly and engaging with an obvious Iowa connection.
So, you’ll notice that Dave is definitely an Iowa bot, and he’s got a happy smile.
Dave can already answer more than 200 questions about the Iowa Lottery and its products. As we see new questions being asked through the chat screen, we add in more answers.
Our goal in adding a chatbot to our website is to help you easily find information about the Iowa Lottery and its products. The bot helps us deliver customer service 24/7, even at times when our offices are closed.
So why is our chatbot named Dave? Go ahead, ask him. He can tell you. He’s got thoughts about the weather, too. But Dave's main purpose is that he knows a lot of in-depth details about the Iowa Lottery.
A quick scheduling reminder: Iowa Lottery offices will be closed until Monday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
I hope that you can take some time to relax this weekend, spend time with family and friends, and just be in the moment.
If you have a ticket winning a prize of more than $600 or need our assistance with anything else, our offices will open again for business at 8 a.m. Monday (Nov. 28).
A Forest City woman said she spent about a month after winning a $2 million Powerball® prize gathering details and making a plan before she stepped forward to claim the prize.
Tamara Sheehan said that she and her husband, Stephen, spent the time “just being very quiet, getting a lot of questions answered, specifically more on the financials and the taxes.”
Tamara said things started to feel a lot more real as they drove up to Iowa Lottery headquarters to claim the prize.
Her $2 million prize was among the millions won in Iowa during the Powerball jackpot run that culminated in the game’s Nov. 7 world-record $2.04 billion drawing.
Tamara, who works in human resources, said that it was fun hearing the buzz around Forest City as she kept quiet and made plans to claim the prize. She said it was a BIG buzz in a small town.
Tamara’s $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 1132 U.S. Highway 69 S. in Forest City. Her easy-pick ticket came within one number of winning the game’s $403.9 million jackpot in the Oct. 10 drawing.
She initially matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. But with the Power Play® option added to the purchase, the prize at the Match 5 level was multiplied to $2 million. Tamara’s ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize in the Oct. 10 drawing.
The winning numbers that night were: 3-6-11-17-22 and Powerball 11. The Power Play number was 2.
Casey’s received a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket.
Tamara says that she and her husband have plans for the winnings, including paying it forward by helping charities focused on issues near and dear to them. She said they plan to invest and will take a couple trips.
Tamara’s prize is the sixth of at least $1 million claimed in Iowa in 2022. And another $1 million prize remains unclaimed more than two months after it was won in Ames.
The $1 million unclaimed prize in Ames was won in the Sept. 6 drawing of the Mega Millions® game. It matched the first five numbers but missed the Mega Ball that night to win $1 million. It was purchased at the Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames.
When you play Lotto America® in Iowa right now, you may get a nice surprise: a free ticket.
From now through the end of the day next Friday (Nov. 25), for every fifth ticket purchased statewide in Lotto America, the lottery terminal or self-service kiosk will automatically generate a free $1 ticket in the game. You’ll hear the “Surprise, player bonus!” sound from the machine as the free play prints out.
With the Lotto America jackpot at its highest level ever -- $30.39 million for Saturday night's drawing -- this seemed like the perfect time to add some extra fun for players in the game.
Every Lotto America purchase of at least $1 counts as one ticket in the promotion, regardless of the number of plays on the ticket.
The free plays kicked in with the start of the business day this morning and will continue through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25.
Remember that it’s not every fifth ticket purchased from a specific lottery terminal or kiosk that's eligible for a free play. It’s every fifth ticket purchased statewide, so the free-play bonus will hit in stores all across Iowa during the next eight days,
So listen for the “Surprise, player bonus!” sound when you buy a Lotto America ticket!
This Veterans Day, we’re thankful for some additional help that Iowa provides to those who have served. It’s an Iowa success story that not every state has.
I’m talking about the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund (IVTF), which was created here in Iowa to provide additional help to veterans and their families beyond federal veterans benefits. It feels good to know that Iowa has a solution like this in place and we have the opportunity to be a part of it.
A portion of the proceeds raised from the sale of lottery tickets in Iowa goes to the IVTF each year. Since lottery proceeds were first dedicated to that cause in 2008, the Iowa Lottery has raised nearly $37.4 million for the IVTF.
If you’re an Iowa veteran or the family member of an Iowa veteran and you’re looking for more information about the IVTF, you can visit va.iowa.gov and click on the Trust Fund link under the Benefits tab.
There, you’ll find the categories for assistance through the fund as well as a copy of the application form. You’ll need to start an application for assistance from the Trust Fund at your local County Veterans Office. (There is a veterans office in every county in Iowa.)
While the Iowa Lottery raises money for the Veterans Trust Fund, applications for assistance through the fund are approved by the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs. Click on the video above to hear two long-time members of the commission share the story of their own service and why the IVTF matters so much to them.
The world-record jackpot drawing has been held, things have quieted down a little, and we’re stopping to simply say: Thank you.
Thank you for buying tickets, thank you for being part of this Powerball® moment, thank you for playing responsibly, thank you for having fun.
Some numbers really jumped out when I looked back at the drawings in the world-record jackpot run that just ended. Remember that the jackpot started growing in early August and kept rolling through dozens of drawings until it was finally won in the drawing for Nov. 7.
During the world-record Powerball run, Iowa Lottery players won millions of prizes, including:
1 prize of $2 million
1 prize of $1 million
1 prize of $250,000
1 prize of $200,000
2 prizes of $150,000
2 prizes of $100,000
12 prizes of $50,000.
Some of those prizes are still waiting to be claimed, so if you have a ticket, please go check it! You could be the winner of a significant prize. But no matter what, your Powerball purchases have made a difference for Iowa causes.
A California ticket has won that world-record $2.04 billion Powerball® jackpot, but 4 Iowa tickets were just one number away from having a share of the big prize.
The jackpot ended up at $2.04 billion annuity, $997.6 million cash option in last night’s Powerball drawing. Strong sales across the country lifted the final jackpot amount even higher than the latest estimates before the drawing.
The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 10-33-41-47-56 and Powerball 10. The Power Play® number was 2.
Total Prizes Won In Iowa
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 97,022 prizes in last night’s drawing ranging from $4 up to $100,000.
Four Iowa tickets matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to each win a $50,000 prize. But the players who bought two of the tickets added the Power Play option to their purchases, which multiplied their winnings to $100,000 each.
The $50,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Yesway, 1905 SE 37th St. in Grimes; and Casey’s, 2245 Karr Ave. in Early.
The $100,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Walmart, 415 Industrial Ave. in Grinnell; and Casey’s, 5505 Asbury Road in Dubuque.
Those four prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they are welcome to call the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email to: Wmaster@ialottery.com.
Last Night’s Drawing Was Delayed
One of the lotteries that sells tickets in the Powerball game needed extra time to complete the required security protocols for last night’s drawing. The delay ultimately pushed the drawing back by several hours.
At the Iowa Lottery, we’re proud that our team cleared all the security protocols for the drawing. We expected that the drawing to take place on schedule, but understand that the rigorous security procedures in Powerball and all our games exist to protect the integrity and fairness of the lottery.
It's vital the game that the security steps are followed by every lottery, even if that means a delay.
The Powerball drawing is occasionally delayed as lotteries complete their security procedures. Last night’s drawing just drew huge attention because of the jackpot that was on the line.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $5.5 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $4.4 million in tickets that day alone.
But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $7, or about four plays per ticket. It’s nice to see that Iowans had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.
Update at 8:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8:The Powerball jackpot drawing has now been held! Click on the video above to see the drawing for Nov. 7, which was delayed.
The winning numbers for Nov. 7 are: 10-33-41-47-56 and Powerball 10. The Power Play number was 2.
The huge jackpot ended up at a world-record $2.04 billion annuity. We'll see later today how Iowa did and if anyone nationwide matched all six numbers to win the jackpot!
Thank you for playing Powerball and being part of this unprecedented moment. We also appreciate you bearing with the drawing delay.
One of the 48 lotteries that sell Powerball tickets needed extra time to complete the required security protocols for the drawing. The delay ultimately lasted for several hours, and the drawing was held this morning.
We know you were eager for that work to be finished, and we were, too!
We're proud that our team here at the Iowa Lottery had cleared all the security protocols for the drawing.
We expected that the drawing would be held on schedule, but the rigorous security procedures in Powerball and all our games exist to protect the integrity and fairness of the lottery. It's imperative that the security steps be followed in every jurisdiction, even if that means a delay.
(The remainder of this blog entry contains details originally posted on Sunday, Nov. 6.)
Three Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 101,223 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, including three tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the giant jackpot.
Two of those tickets each won a $50,000 prize while the other won $150,000.
The three tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. But the person who bought one of the tickets also added the Power Play option to their play, which multiplied their winnings to $150,000.
The $50,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Kwik Star, 911 S. 14th St. in Clinton; and K&J Hop-N-Shop, 416 Broad St. in Sabula.
The $150,000-winning ticket was purchased at: Hy-Vee C-Store, 1999 Park St. in Sheldon.
The three prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they are welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at wmaster@ialottery.com.
Last night’s winning numbers were: 28-45-53-56-69 and Powerball 20. The Power Play® number was 3.
Retail Locations Setting Up Powerball-Specific Lines
With Powerball sales remaining strong in Iowa and across the country, some retail locations are setting up customer-service lines specifically for lottery sales. That keeps Powerball transactions moving quickly and allows customers with other needs to be helped in a different line.
Sales in the past week demonstrate what has always been the case: Iowa Lottery players buy tickets where they’re already running other errands. And, stores with high customer traffic counts sell a lot of lottery tickets and all sorts of other products.
Here are the Top 10 retailers for Iowa Lottery sales in the past week (Oct. 30-Nov. 5). 1. Hy-Vee, 1843 Johnson Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids 2. Hy-Vee, 5050 Edgewood Road NE in Cedar Rapids 3. Hy-Vee, 1823 E. Kimberly Road in Davenport 4. Hy-Vee, 20 Wilson Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids 5. Hy-Vee, 2323 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs 6. Hy-Vee, 1725 Jordan Creek Pkwy. in West Des Moines 7. Hy-Vee, 3600 U.S. Highway 151 in Marion 8. Kwik Star, 1001 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Cedar Rapids 9. Hy-Vee, 2510 SW State St. in Ankeny 10. Hy-Vee, 3221 SE 14th St. in Des Moines.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $5.9 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $3.1 million in tickets yesterday alone.
But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for last night’s drawing remained about $7, or about four plays per ticket. It’s good to see that a lot of people are having fun playing and they haven’t gone overboard.
Yes, The Next Drawing Is Tomorrow
Powerball’s next drawing is tomorrow. That is not a typo. Some people in recent days have questioned it when they heard that Powerball has drawings on Mondays.
Monday drawings have been part of the game for more than a year.
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 occurred.
The Difference These Powerball Sales Will Make For State Causes
The final details won’t be available until later, but the impact of this month’s strong Powerball sales will mean more help for meaningful state causes in Iowa. Powerball players will have played a big part in helping our state.
Each year, 100 percent of Iowa Lottery proceeds go to support state causes. In its latest financial year, the Iowa Lottery raised more than $101.7 million for state programs that help everything from veterans and law enforcement to education, parks and conservation, agriculture, and human services.
Since its start in 1985, the Iowa Lottery has raised more than $2.2 billion for state programs. More details are here.
Where Can I Watch The Drawing?
The Powerball drawing is livestreamed on the Iowa Lottery website as it occurs at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Video of the latest drawing then remains on the site until the next drawing occurs.
The livestream is on the Powerball page of the lottery’s website here.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The Iowa Lottery keeps “Play Smart, Be Informed” details here.
Update at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5: The winning numbers in tonight's huge Powerball drawing are: 28-45-53-56-69 and Powerball 20. The Power Play number is 3.
Tonight's jackpot ended up at a world-record $1.657 billion annuity. We'll see in the morning how Iowa did and if anybody nationwide won the truly GRAND prize! Thank you to everyone who played and was part of this moment. Good luck on your tickets!
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 93 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa for tonight’s drawing 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 your tickets for all the prizes you may have won.
What Does ‘Coverage’ Mean & Why Does It Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate heading into tonight’s Powerball drawing was about 60 percent.
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it’s not a definite.
Two Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 68,008 prizes in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, including two tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the big jackpot.
The two tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. In an interesting twist, they were purchased at the same store: the Kwik Star at 1800 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Hiawatha.
A group of 21 co-workers at a Hiawatha engineering firm claimed one of the $50,000 prizes on Thursday. And a group of 10 co-workers at a Hiawatha manufacturer claimed the other $50,000 prize yesterday.
The members of both groups pitched in money at work for office-pool tickets, agreeing to split any winnings.
The co-workers who claimed their prize Thursday call themselves Hallin’ Cash. They’re all employees at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. in Hiawatha.
The group that claimed its prize yesterday calls itself “One Link Short.” All of its members work at RUD Chain in Hiawatha, a company that produces chains for tires.
Wednesday’s winning numbers were: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play® number was 2.
While each group’s winning easy-pick tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball, the numbers on their tickets were slightly different. The Hallin’ Cash ticket missed white ball 22, while One Link Short’s ticket missed white ball 35.
Where Can You See The Drawing?
The Powerball drawing is livestreamed on the Iowa Lottery website as it occurs at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Video of the latest drawing then remains on the site until the next drawing occurs. The livestream is on the Powerball page of the lottery’s website here.
As the drawing time approaches, a countdown clock will show in the video box on the page.
How Has The Jackpot Grown By So Much?
As the Powerball jackpot has continued to climb, the amounts by which it has increased between drawings have grown larger. The Iowa Lottery has gotten questions from players wondering how it can jump up by so much.
Sales are a driving factor behind the jackpot amount. And sales follow the jackpot up. As the jackpot climbs, sales increase. And that in turn causes the jackpot to climb even higher.
When the jackpot is in the stratosphere like it is now, it can increase by millions of dollars between drawings. That huge increases show just how many people are playing the game across the country in the 48 jurisdictions that sell Powerball tickets.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The mantra that applies: Playing smart is a lot more fun.
The Powerball® jackpot is now in world-record territory, with strong sales in Iowa and across the country pushing the giant prize even higher for tomorrow night’s drawing. The jackpot is now at an estimated $1.6 billion annuity, $782.4 million cash option.
The latest estimate was bumped up this morning after lottery officials reviewed sales figures nationwide.
The previous record Powerball jackpot was a prize of $1.586 billion won in the drawing on Jan. 13, 2016.
Two Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 68,008 prizes in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, including two tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the big jackpot.
The two tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. In an interesting twist, they were purchased at the same store: the Kwik Star at 1800 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Hiawatha.
A group of 21 co-workers at a Hiawatha engineering firm claimed one of the $50,000 prizes yesterday. And a group of 10 co-workers at a Hiawatha manufacturer claimed the other $50,000 prize today.
The members of both groups pitched in money at work for office-pool tickets, agreeing to split any winnings.
The co-workers who claimed their prize yesterday call themselves Hallin’ Cash. They’re all employees at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. in Hiawatha.
The group that claimed its prize today calls itself “One Link Short.” All of its members work at RUD Chain in Hiawatha, a company that produces chains for tires.
Wednesday’s winning numbers were: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play® number was 2.
While each group’s winning easy-pick tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball, the numbers on their tickets were slightly different.
The Hallin’ Cash ticket missed white ball 22, while One Link Short’s ticket missed white ball 35.
Where Can You Watch The Drawing?
The Powerball drawing is livestreamed on the Iowa Lottery website as it occurs at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Video of the latest drawing then remains on the site until the next drawing occurs. The livestream is on the Powerball page of the lottery’s website here.
As the drawing time approaches, a countdown clock will show in the video box on the page.
How Is The Jackpot Growing By So Much?
As the Powerball jackpot has continued to climb, the amounts by which it has increased between drawings have grown larger. The Iowa Lottery has gotten questions from players this week who wondered how it can jump up by so much.
Sales are a driving factor behind the jackpot amount. And sales follow the jackpot up. As the jackpot climbs, sales increase. And that in turn causes the jackpot to climb even higher.
When the jackpot is in the stratosphere like it is now, it can increase by millions of dollars between drawings. That huge increases show just how many people are playing the game across the country in the 48 jurisdictions that sell Powerball tickets.
Why Does ‘Coverage’ Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate for tomorrow night’s Powerball drawing is now about 60 percent.
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.
I Don’t Know How To Buy A Ticket …
When the Powerball jackpot really gets up there like now, lots of first-time players want to jump in. Some of them have reached out to us at the lottery, saying they don’t know how to play and don’t want to look silly.
We’ve shared with them that the simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a store for an easy-pick Powerball play. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the lottery terminal will print out the ticket. Nearly 93 percent of the tickets purchased for last night’s drawing were easy-pick plays.
In addition to first-time players, we’re hearing from a lot of people who are dreaming about winning and what they would do if they win. There are specifics to consider, and to help, check out our video called: You Won! Now What?
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The mantra that applies: Playing smart is a lot more fun.
The Powerball® jackpot continues to climb into the stratosphere, now at an estimated $1.5 billion annuity, $745.9 million cash option, for Saturday’s drawing. That’s getting close to the record in the Powerball game, which also is the largest lottery prize ever offered in North America.
The record Powerball jackpot was a prize of $1.586 billion won in the drawing on Jan. 13, 2016. Will Saturday’s jackpot end up topping the record? We will see what the next couple days bring! Strong sales across the country pushed last night’s jackpot past the latest estimates heading into that drawing.
Two Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 68,008 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, including two tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the big jackpot.
The two tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. In an interesting twist, they both were purchased at the same store: the Kwik Star at 1800 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Hiawatha.
A group of 21 co-workers at a Hiawatha engineering firm claimed one of the $50,000 prizes this morning! But the group does not have the other $50,000- winning ticket, so we will wait to see who claims that prize.
The co-workers call themselves Hallin’ Cash and all are employees at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. Hiawatha.
Last night’s winning numbers were: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play® number was 2.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Strong sales in Iowa and across the country pushed last night’s jackpot past the estimates heading into the drawing. The jackpot ended up at $1.248 billion annuity, $620.4 million lump-sum option.
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $3.9 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $2.9 million in tickets yesterday alone. But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing was about $7, or about four plays per ticket. We're glad that a lot of people are having fun playing and haven't gone overboard.
Why Does ‘Coverage’ Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it’s not a definite.
The coverage estimate for last night’s drawing was about 46 percent. The estimate for Saturday’s drawing is about 49 percent.
I Don’t Know How To Buy A Ticket …
When the Powerball jackpot really gets up there, lots of first-time players want to jump in. Some of them have reached out to us at the lottery, saying they don’t know how to play and don’t want to look silly.
We’ve shared that the simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a store for an easy-pick Powerball play. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the lottery terminal will print out the ticket. Nearly 93 percent of the tickets purchased for last night’s drawing were easy-pick plays.
In addition to first-time players, we’re hearing from lots of folks who are dreaming about winning and what they would do if they win. There are specifics to consider, and to help, check out our video called: You Won! Now What?
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The mantra that applies: Playing smart is a lot more fun.
Update at 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2: The winning numbers in tonight's Powerball drawing are: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play number is 2.
Tonight's final jackpot amount ended up at $1.248 billion annuity. We'll see in the morning how Iowa did and if anybody nationwide won the huge jackpot! Thank you to everyone who played and was part of the fun. Good luck on your tickets!
Tonight’s jackpot is the second-largest prize ever offered in Powerball 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. This time around, it’s been growing for nearly three months. The jackpot was last won on Aug. 3.
What Does ‘Coverage’ Mean & Why Does It Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate for tonight's drawing was about 46 percent.
(The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play. The winning numbers selected will be one of those combinations. Will your ticket match?)
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 got suspicious text messages, emails, or social media contacts that promised they were big lottery prize winners. The people contacted in fact had not won a prize – scammers were attempting to con them.
When you win a Powerball prize, you notify the lottery that you’re 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.
Total Prizes Won In Iowa In Powerball’s Last Drawing
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 46,268 prizes in the latest Powerball drawing, and it turns out that 13 was a lucky number that night!
The winning numbers in Monday’s drawing were: 13-19-36-39-59 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number was 3.
So The Powerball Can Be The Same As …
With so many first-time and occasional players buying tickets now, lots of folks were curious about the repeat number in Monday’s drawing. The Powerball was 13 -- the same number as one of the first five white balls.
That definitely can occur and it’s exactly how the game is designed to work.
Remember that there are two separate sets of numbers involved in Powerball drawings. Players choose five numbers from a pool of 69 for the white balls and one number from a different pool of 26 for the red Powerball. It’s always possible for the Powerball to be the same number as one of the five white balls.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. Follow the mantra that “Playing smart is a lot more fun.”
For just the second time in the game’s 30-year history, the Powerball® jackpot has topped the $1 billion mark.
The jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.2 billion annuity, $596.7 million cash option, for tomorrow night’s drawing. That’s 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. This time around, it’s been growing for nearly three months. The jackpot was last won on Aug. 3.
Total Prizes Won Last Night In Iowa
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 46,268 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, and it turns out that 13 was a lucky number!
The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 13-19-36-39-59 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number was 3.
So The Powerball Can Be The Same As …
With so many first-time and occasional players buying tickets now, lots of folks were curious about the repeat number in last night’s drawing. The Powerball was 13 -- the same number as one of the first five white balls.
That definitely can occur and it’s exactly how the game is designed to work.
Remember that there are two separate sets of numbers involved in Powerball drawings. Players choose five numbers from a pool of 69 for the white balls and one number from a different pool of 26 for the red Powerball. It’s always possible for the Powerball to be the same number as one of the five white balls.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.6 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $2.1 million in tickets yesterday alone. But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $6, or about three plays per ticket. We’re glad to see that a lot of folks are having fun playing Powerball, and Iowans are not going overboard.
Wait, Powerball Has A Monday Drawing?
Another question in past few days has come from those who thought the lottery was mistaken about Powerball having a Monday drawing. That drawing has been part of the game for more than a year.
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.
Remember The Deadline To Buy Tickets
The majority of tickets for a particular drawing are always 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 at 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. Follow the mantra that “Playing smart is a lot more fun.”
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As the lottery’s vice president of external relations, I’m a member of the senior management team at the Iowa Lottery, where I’ve worked since 1999. I’ve spent my years at the lottery learning as much as I can about all the ins and outs of the lottery industry. I’ll put that knowledge to work here so I can share the behind-the-scenes details with you!
