So much focus was on the $1 million prize that expired earlier this month in Ames that two other sizeable unclaimed prizes in Iowa haven’t gotten as much attention. It’s time to change that!
The one-month mark is approaching for two Powerball® prizes of $150,000. They both were won at locations in northwest Iowa, and we hope that we can jog someone’s memory in time for the winnings to be claimed! Maybe a player will discover a ticket they initially set aside and end up with an unexpected windfall!
The first of the unclaimed $150,000 prizes was won in the Powerball drawing on Oct. 29, 2022. It was purchased at Floyd Food & Fuel, 3241 Floyd Blvd. in Sioux City. That prize will expire at the close of business on Oct. 30 of this year if it isn’t claimed in time.
The other unclaimed prize of $150,000 was won in the Powerball drawing on Nov. 5, 2022. It was purchased at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh at 1999 Park St. in Sheldon. That prize will expire at the close of business on Nov. 6 of this year if it isn’t claimed in time.
In both instances, the ticket involved initially matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. But whoever bought the ticket added the Power Play® option to their ticket, which multiplied their winnings to $150,000.
Either prize can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If you think you might be the winner and have questions about the prize-claim process, we’re happy to help. Please feel free to reach us by email at [email protected] or give us a shout at 515-725-7900.
The prizes both were won in the lead-up to the world-record Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion won in the game’s drawing on Nov. 7, 2022. When the jackpot climbs into the stratosphere like that, the player base in the game expands, with more first-time and occasional players jumping in to buy tickets.
These unclaimed prizes are a real-world reminder of the message we stress to check your ticket for any prize you may have won, not just the jackpot.
In the last fiscal year, more than $1.7 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.
Time appears to be a factor. The Iowa Lottery reviewed plays from a sampling of recent lotto drawings and found that the vast majority of prize claims occurred within six months of the drawing date. Less than 3 percent of prizes from those drawings were claimed after that point.
The money from lottery prizes that expire in Iowa without being claimed goes into the lottery's prize pools for future games and promotions, so it will be used to pay prizes, just not those prizes that have expired.
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