That makes it the 4th-largest jackpot in the history of the Mega Millions game and the 6th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.
The jackpot has been growing for more than three months. It was last won on April 18. The game’s drawings happen at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Latest Winning Numbers and Iowa Sales and Prizes
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 38,612 prizes in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing. The winning numbers were: 8-24-30-45-61 and Mega Ball 12. The Megaplier® number was 4.
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.1 million in Mega Millions tickets for the drawing. But the average purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about three plays, or $6 per ticket.
How Can I Check My Winning Numbers, See Past Drawings?
With first-time and occasional players jumping in for a chance at the big jackpot, here are some reminders about how you can check the results of your ticket.
- One of the most convenient is the Iowa Lottery’s mobile app, which allows you to scan your tickets from wherever you are on the go.
- A video archive of Mega Millions drawings is available on the game’s website.
- Drawing results also are available on the Iowa Lottery’s website, and tickets can be checked at any of the 2,500 retail locations in Iowa where lottery tickets are sold. You can use a self-checker in a retail location to scan ticket results on your own or have a retail employee check your tickets at the lottery terminal.
- The latest results in the Iowa Lottery’s daily drawings also are available by calling the lottery’s Winning Numbers Hotline at 515-323-4633.
Does One Person Really Need All That Money?
When the jackpot really gets up there like it is now, some folks may say that one person doesn’t need all that money. They suggest that when it gets this high, the jackpot could be split into smaller prizes.
But players vote with their pocketbooks on this issue. Sales follow the jackpot up: The bigger the jackpot gets, the higher sales go. And higher sales push the jackpot even higher.
But remember that it’s always possible for multiple tickets to match all six winning numbers in a drawing. And in that instance, the jackpot would be split.
A Few Words About Office Pools
As the jackpot climbs, more folks decide to form office pools to play together or buy tickets with friends, family and neighbors. The Iowa Lottery offers these reminders to keep your lottery pool play fun and hassle free:
- Know the rules of your pool and put them in writing. Group play details should be discussed, written and distributed to all members as the group’s official rules. Some issues you may want to cover include: If a regular playing member is not present on lottery collection day will they be included or excluded? What if a regular player has someone else put in money towards their game share, do both players receive an equal share? Can players come in and out of the group? When the rules are in writing, there is no question about how to split the funds.
- Provide everyone in your pool with photos or copies of the group’s tickets before the drawing. This should include the identifying numbers on the tickets.
- If the person buying the tickets for your pool also wants to buy tickets on their own, the two purchases should be kept separate. You may even want to consider buying the two sets of tickets at different stores so it's clear which tickets are for the group and which are for the individual.
- Put together a list of the names and telephone numbers of everyone in your pool. In particular, you should have that information for the people who are in charge of buying the tickets and the person who will hold the tickets.
Comments