ialottery blog

MONOPOLY Second-Chance Promotion From The Iowa Lottery Will Award 15 Prizes of $10,000!

Players in two Iowa Lottery games have a chance to win one of 15 cash prizes of $10,000 in a new MONOPOLY-themed promotion that opened for entries this week!

The lottery’s MONOPOLY Second-Chance Promotion opened for entries Wednesday morning. Players can enter it with eligible tickets in the MONOPOLY Game Tokens Progressive InstaPlay game or the MONOPOLY 20X scratch game. Both $5 games debuted in Iowa earlier this month.

Up for grabs in the promotion’s May 30 drawing will be 15 prizes of $10,000 each. A player can enter multiple tickets in the promotion but can win only one prize in the drawing.

To enter the promotion, Iowa Lottery players must join or already be members of the lottery’s free VIP Club. The promotion’s entry period opened this morning and runs through 9:59 a.m. on May 29.

Eligible for the promotion are any nonwinning tickets in the MONOPOLY Game Tokens Progressive InstaPlay game purchased on or after March 20; and any nonwinning MONOPOLY 20X scratch tickets. That scratch game began sales on March 5.

Good luck in the promotion, and maybe we’ll see YOUR name on the winner list from the drawing!

Giant Jackpot Run Ends In Mega Millions, Powerball Still Going

Update on March 28: The Powerball jackpot has made it through another drawing, now standing at an estimated $935 million annuity, $449.7 million lump-sum option for the game's next drawing on Saturday. That's still the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

An Iowa ticket came within 1 number of last night's jackpot! It matched 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. That ticket was purchased at Casey's, 1125 N. Hickory Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.   

  

The Mega Millions® giant jackpot run has ended, while Powerball® is still going. Three Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of last night’s Mega Millions jackpot that topped $1 billion.

The $1.13 billion jackpot in last night’s Mega Millions drawing was won with a ticket in New Jersey.

With that game’s grand prize now returning to its starting amount, the bulk of the jackpot attention turns to Powerball, where its jackpot stands at an estimated $865 million annuity, $416.1 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

This week marked the first time that the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots had simultaneously topped $800 million.

Total Prizes Won Last Night In Iowa

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 25,018 prizes in last night’s Mega Millions drawing ranging from $2 up to $20,000.

Three Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball in last night’s drawing. One of those tickets won a $10,000 prize, while two won a $20,000 prize. The players who bought the $20,000-winning tickets added the Megaplier® option to their purchase, which doubled their prize.

The $20,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Kum & Go, 165 SW Magazine Road in Ankeny and Amoco Jet Stop, 2760 Mount Pleasant St. in Burlington.

The $10,000-winning ticket was purchased at: Kwik Star, 2685 Dodge St. in Dubuque.

Those three prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

The winning numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing were: 7-11-22-29-38 and Mega Ball 4. The Megaplier number was 2.

Could One Person Win Both Jackpots?

With one of the giant jackpots being won but the other still going, this question has come up: Could one person win the jackpot in both games?

The short answer is: Yes. But the odds of that occurring are extremely long.

The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million. (Those figures are based upon the total number of combinations available to play in each game.)

To calculate the odds of winning both jackpots, you multiply 302.6 million by 292.2 million.
There are a lot of zeroes involved in the outcome! The odds of winning both jackpots are about 1 in 88.5 quadrillion (that’s 88,500,000,000,000,000).

Winning both jackpots is something fun to daydream about, but it’s perhaps the ultimate long shot. That’s why the Iowa Lottery emphasizes healthy play. Have fun playing the lottery, but remember to play with your head, not over your head.

A Note About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in a game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing was about 25 percent. The coverage estimate for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is currently about 13.5 percent.

A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.

New Threshold: First Time the Jackpots Simultaneously Hit $800 Million Or More

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots have reached another new threshold: This is the first time they’ve simultaneously been at or above $800 million.

The Powerball jackpot faces the next big test in that game’s drawing tomorrow night. The jackpot for that drawing now stands at an estimated $800 million annuity, $384.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $1.1 billion annuity, $525.8 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing on Tuesday night. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

How Have The Jackpots Grown So Large?

Time and ticket sales are why the jackpots have grown so large.

The Mega Millions jackpot now has been growing for nearly four months, last won in the drawing on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for nearly three months, last won on New Year’s Day.

The jackpots grow from drawing to drawing when there is no grand prize winner, and sales generally increase as the jackpots climb. Higher sales, in turn, push the jackpots even higher.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

Play Healthy

The Iowa Lottery reminds players to enjoy the moment but remember that you are gambling when you buy tickets and there is no guarantee that you’ll win. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works. 

Heading into the Weekend: Fast Facts About the Giant Jackpots

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are heading into their next big tests this weekend. This is just the 3rd time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $700 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $467 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 6th largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

And not to be forgotten, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night is an estimated $750 million annuity, $360.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 9th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

Lots Of First-Time & Occasional Players Jumping In

When the jackpots really get up there like they are now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. There also is a spike in office pools and people buying tickets together with friends and family.

Here’s a quick brush-up if you want to play but aren’t sure how: The simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a local store for an easy-pick play in Powerball or Mega Millions. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the ticket will be printed for you.

In most drawings, more than 90 percent of the tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays.

If you want more details about how to buy a ticket for a chance at one of the big jackpots, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos available on its website. We also have reminders about keeping lottery group play fun and hassle free.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we remind our players to enjoy the moment, but we ask everyone to set a limit and stay within it for how much they’ll spend when they're buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun – it’s not an investment and you're not guaranteed to win.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

The Latest About The Giant Jackpots

The Mega Millions® jackpot has survived its latest test and is nearing $1 billion, while the giant Powerball® jackpot will be on the line in that game’s drawing tonight.

This is just the fourth time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $600 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $461 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing on Friday. That’s the sixth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

Not to be left out, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing Wednesday night is an estimated $687 million annuity, $327.3 million lump-sum option.

Truth vs. Myth: The cash amount of the jackpot is the annuitized value minus taxes.

That’s a myth.

We’re hearing some mistaken beliefs out there about the cash vs. annuity amounts for a jackpot. The cash amount is not the annuity amount minus taxes. Nor is the cash amount a specific percentage of the annuity total.

Here are the actual details involved:

If a jackpot winner in either game chooses the annuity option, they would receive 30 payments over 29 years that add up to the annuity total.

In that instance, the cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities. That initial amount invested plus all the interest generated through the years adds up to the annuity amount of the jackpot. Withholdings would be 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 a court.

If a jackpot winner chooses the cash option, they receive a one-time payment for the amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game. There is no interest income in that scenario because the money isn’t invested. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.

Withholding Rates In Iowa

Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically applied before the prize is paid 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 a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That is one of the reasons the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer their questions.

Have Fun, But Set A Limit

The Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to enjoy the moment, but set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

You’ll find these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on the lottery’s website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how lottery games work.

Giant Jackpots Still Climbing, Mega Millions Gets Latest Bump

Status update on the giant jackpots: PowerbalI® made it through its latest test and continues to climb, while Mega Millions® will be on the line in its drawing tonight.

This is the fourth time that the huge prizes have simultaneously topped the $600 million mark.

Mega Million is currently the larger of the two, standing at an estimated $893 million annuity, $421.4 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tonight. That is the sixth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

The Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $687 million annuity, $327.3 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tomorrow night. While that amount is really up there, it is not yet in the Top 10 list of jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than three months, while the Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months.

The two games’ jackpots also simultaneously topped $600 million in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Truth vs. Myth: I Have A Lucky Store & a Lucky Day To Buy My Tickets

While that may be something fun to talk about, it’s a myth that there are lucky stores or lucky days to buy a ticket. Every ticket in Powerball or Mega Millions has the same odds of winning, no matter when or where it was purchased.

That’s because the odds in each game are based solely upon the numbers you can play.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that is how many ways the numbers in the game (five numbers from a pool of 1-70 for the white balls, one number from 1-25 for the yellow Mega Ball) can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities. So are the set of numbers in each play.

The same definition applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

Play Just For Fun

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds you to enjoy the moment, but remember to set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something to do just for fun.

We keep these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on the lottery website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

Rollin, rollin, rollin: Giant Jackpots Keep Climbing

Which one will get hit first? For now, the huge Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are both still climbing. They’ve simultaneously topped the $600 million mark for just the 4th time.

Powerball faces the next big test with its drawing tonight. The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $645 million annuity, $307.3 million lump-sum amount for the drawing. And while that’s a huge amount, it’s not yet in the Top 10 list of jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot stands at an estimated $875 million annuity, $413.5 million lump-sum amount, for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than 3 months. It was last won on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than 2 months, last being won on New Year’s Day.

The two games’ jackpots also simultaneously topped $600 million in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

$500,000 Iowa Powerball Double Play Winner On Saturday

Here in Iowa, we’re waiting to meet our latest big winner in Powerball!

A Powerball Double Play® ticket purchased at the Kwik Star convenience store, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City, won a $500,000 prize in Saturday’s drawing.

The Double Play option has been offered in Powerball since November here in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Double Play option to their Powerball tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.) The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in Saturday’s Double Play drawing to win a $500,000 prize. It was the only ticket in the country to win a $500,000 prize that night.

Truth vs. Myth: Are most tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions easy picks?

Most tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal selects the numbers on the ticket.

Years ago, about 65 to 70 percent of plays in the games were easy picks. But today, that percentage has climbed to around 90 to 95 percent. It’s a convenience factor: Players can ask for an easy-pick play at their local lottery retailer and the ticket is printed for them on demand.

Some players do choose their own numbers, and either type of play has the same odds of winning. But with 90 to 95 percent of the plays being easy picks, 90 to 95 percent of winning tickets in the games also are easy picks. It does not mean they are luckier, there are just a lot more of them.

Play Healthy

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to enjoy the moment, but please set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when you’re buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other “Play Smart, Be Informed” details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

St. Patrick's Luck in Iowa: $500,000 Powerball Double Play Prize in Mason City

St. Patrick’s Day brings news of lottery luck in Iowa: Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket with the popular new Double Play® option added to it won BIG yesterday.

A Powerball Double Play ticket purchased at the Kwik Star convenience store at 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City won a $500,000 prize last night.

The Double Play option made its Iowa debut in November in the Powerball game. For an extra $1 per play, you can add Double Play to your Powerball ticket. A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.

The numbers on your ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night. It’s possible for you to win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing on the same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in last night’s Double Play drawing to win a $500,000 prize. It was the only ticket in the country to win a $500,000 prize last night.

Here’s how Double Play works: If you've added the Double Play option, the set of numbers on your ticket is then eligible for both the Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing that same night.

Double Play has the same odds of winning as Powerball. But while Powerball has a rolling jackpot, Double Play has a set top cash prize of $10 million.

In both drawings, five winning numbers are selected from a main pool of 1-69 (in Powerball, the drawing balls are white; in Double Play, they’re black), and one red Powerball number is selected from a pool of 1-26.

To win the top prize in either drawing, your ticket needs to match all six winning numbers. But there are eight other ways to win in each drawing, starting with a prize for matching just the Powerball alone.

Last night’s winning Double Play numbers were: 9-11-13-29-69 and Double Play Powerball 12.

Kwik Star will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket.

In the Powerball game overall, its giant jackpot continues to grow. No one won the jackpot last night, so the big prize has jumped up to an estimated $645 million annuity, $307.3 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing tomorrow night.

Last night’s winning Powerball numbers were: 12-23-44-57-61 and Powerball 5. The Power Play number was 2.

Prizes of $500,000 have to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday, and appointments are strongly encouraged for those claims.

To make an appointment or contact the lottery with questions, winners are welcome to call us at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

Powerball Double Play prizes won in Iowa have to be claimed within 180 days of the drawing where they were won.

For 4th Time, Both Giant Jackpots Simultaneously At $600 Million Or Higher

For just the 4th time, the Powerball® and Mega Millions® jackpots have hit or topped the $600 million mark at the same time.

Mega Millions faces its next big test in its drawing tonight. That game’s jackpot stands at an estimated $815 million annuity, $385.1 million lump-sum amount, for tonight’s drawing. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $600 million annuity, $285.9 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tomorrow night. And while that amount is huge, it’s not yet in the Top 10 for jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than three months. It was last won on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months, last won on New Year’s Day.

The three previous times that the jackpots have simultaneously reached $600 million or higher were in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

Truth vs. Myth: Do The Odds Get Longer As the Jackpot Grows?

Here’s a truth or myth question we get a lot at the lottery: Are the odds of winning tougher when the jackpot is high and more people are buying tickets?

The answer: No. That’s a myth.

The odds of winning in Powerball and Mega Millions do not change. They’re based upon the numbers you can play in the game, not how many tickets have been purchased.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that is how many ways the numbers available to play in the game can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities.

The same definition applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

Play Healthy

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Have fun playing, but set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend. Playing the lottery is something to do just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website. Whether you play the lottery or not, we want everyone to have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works!

10 PRIZES FROM $10,000 TO $2 MILLION SET TO EXPIRE WITHIN 4 MONTHS

Ten lottery prizes won in Iowa ranging from $10,000 up to $2 million will expire within the next 4 months if they’re not claimed in time. At the Iowa Lottery, we’re reminding our players to double-check their tickets!

The unclaimed prizes on the list with the earliest dates are set to expire in April, while the others would all expire by July 1.

The largest prize on the list is a $2 million Powerball® prize won in Clinton that will expire May 23 if it’s not claimed in time.

Here are details about the 10 lottery prizes of at least $10,000 in Iowa that are unclaimed and set by expire by July 1 (prizes listed by expiration date):

Game	Drawing or Purchase Date	Amount Won	Retailer	Expiration
Powerball	Oct. 2, 2023	$50,000	Kum & Go, Adel	April 1, 2024
Mega Millions	April 14, 2023	$10,000	QuikTrip, Urbandale	April 15, 2024
InstaPlay	Jan. 18, 2024	$10,000	Casey's, Waukee	April 17, 2024
Powerball	Nov. 25, 2023	$2 million	Clinton Liquor, Clinton	May 23, 2024
Pick 4	March 5, 2024	$30,000	Hy-Vee, Muscatine	June 3, 2024
Pick 4	March 5, 2024	$15,000	Hy-Vee, Muscatine	June 3, 2024
Powerball	Dec. 9, 2023	$50,000	Git N Go,              Des Moines	June 6, 2024
Pick 4	March 8, 2024	$18,000	Git N Go,              Des Moines	June 6, 2024
Powerball	Dec. 16, 2023	$50,000	Casey's,              Des Moines	June 13, 2024
Mega Millions	Jan. 2, 2024	$10,000	Kampen Foods, West Bend	July 1, 2024

All of the prizes need to be claimed at an Iowa Lottery office, while the $2 million prize in particular has to be claimed at lottery headquarters in Clive. Prize-claim hours at lottery offices are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, with offices closed on state holidays.

If someone who thinks they may be a prize winner has questions, they’re welcome to reach out to us at the lottery at 515-725-7900 or [email protected].

In the last fiscal year (FY 2023), more than $1.7 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

Players in Iowa now have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Powerball, Mega Millions®, Lucky for Life® and Lotto America®, and up to 90 days from the drawing date to claim prizes in Pick 3 and Pick 4. They have up to 90 days from the date of purchase to claim prizes in InstaPlay games.

The claim period prior to April 2023 in the four multi-state lotto games (Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life and Lotto America) was 365 days. So the current unclaimed prize list shows prizes with both claim periods and will continue to do so through April of this year.

If a prize expiration date falls on a weekend or holiday when lottery offices are closed, the winner has until the close of business on the next business day to turn in the ticket.

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.

Truth or Myth: With overall odds of 1 in 3.67, if I buy 4 tickets I'm guaranteed to win.

Last month, we asked our first Truth or Myth question to have everyone put their thinking caps on. Now we’re back for another round. This is a good one, and we hear it a lot.

Truth or Myth: If the overall odds of winning in a game are 1 in 3.67, if you buy 4 tickets in a row, 1 of them is guaranteed to win a prize.

That’s a myth.

The overall odds of winning a prize in a scratch, InstaPlay or pull-tab game apply to each ticket purchased in that game, not a series of tickets. So, if a game has overall odds of winning of about 1:4, that doesn't mean that if you buy 4 tickets, 1 of them is guaranteed to win. It means that if you were to buy all of the tickets available in that game, approximately 1 in 4 of them would win a prize.

Winning tickets are distributed randomly in our games, so no one, not even those of us at the lottery or the retailers who sell our tickets, know when or where the next win will hit. That’s an important part of our lottery security procedures.

Think of the random distribution of winning tickets like a deck of cards that’s been shuffled. Within the shuffled deck, there could be three hearts or clubs in a
row and then several cards in a row after that in other suits. It’s the same thing in our games. There could be three winning tickets in a row, and then several nonwinning tickets in a row after that.

It’s our job to ensure that everyone has the same fair shot at winning. The bottom line is, big winners happen all over the state. And, higher ticket sales in a particular area will mean more winners there. It doesn’t mean those tickets are luckier. It just means there were more tickets sold in that area, so there will be more winners there as well, simply based on volume.

We keep a list of all winners of $600 or more in the past year on our website along with the remaining prizes of $50 or more in our scratch and InstaPlay games. We also have a list of unclaimed prizes of $600 or more in our lotto games.

Those lists are part of our efforts to be as transparent as we can about the details in our games. So is this Truth or Myth series.

Whether you play the lottery or not, we want everyone to have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

Player Question: Tell Me Again About Double Play?

With our new promotion that’s open for entries for race-ticket packages, we’re getting questions from players who have just heard about the Double Play® option in Powerball®. They want to know how it works and what they can win if they add the Double Play option to their Powerball ticket.

Powerball Double Play tickets are what you’ll need to enter the promotion, so now is a good time for a refresher!

The Double Play option has been part of the Powerball game for 4 months here in Iowa. It gives you the chance to play and win with the same set of numbers in two drawings rather than just one.

For an extra $1 per play, you can add Double Play to your tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with the Double Play option added, a ticket costs $3.) You’ll still only have one set of numbers. But you can win twice with them – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million.

You could win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing AND the Double Play drawing on the same night!

Here’s how Double Play works: If you add Double Play to your ticket, your numbers will be good for the Powerball drawing and that same night’s Double Play drawing.

Double Play has the same odds of winning as Powerball. But while Powerball has a rolling jackpot, Double Play has a fixed top cash prize of $10 million.

In both drawings, five winning numbers are selected from the main pool of 1-69. In Powerball, the drawing balls for those first five numbers are white. In Double Play, they’re black. And in both drawings, one red Powerball is selected from a pool of 1-26.

To win the top prize in either drawing, your ticket has to match all six winning numbers. But there are eight other ways to win in each drawing, starting with a prize for matching just the Powerball alone.

The Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

And for Power Play® fans: It’s still part of the Powerball game, and it hasn’t changed. You can add both the Power Play and Double Play options to your ticket, and if you do that, your Powerball play will cost $4.

While Power Play multiplies Powerball winnings at all prize levels except the jackpot, it does not apply to Double Play winnings.

Gambling Affects People In Different Ways. Help Is Available 24/7 In Iowa If You Have Questions.

This month, we’re highlighting an issue that can affect people at any time. Help is available 24/7 in Iowa if you have questions.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. During the next few weeks, you’ll see our reminders about it across the state. Whether you’re in a store, driving by an outdoor billboard, watching TV, listening to the radio, using a streaming service or going online, you’ll likely see one of the public service announcements we produced along with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

At the Iowa Lottery, we hope that by providing this information, we’ll get the right message at the right time to someone looking for answers.

Remember that people with gambling disorders can come from any background and live anywhere. A gambling disorder can have periods where symptoms subside, and times where it’s more severe.

The universal truth is that gambling disorders are treatable.

If you have questions about problem gambling, free and confidential help is available 24/7 in Iowa by visiting yourlifeiowa.org or calling 1-800-BETS OFF. You can reach someone who cares through text, secure chat, email, telephone or in person.

The hashtag you’ll see this month is #PGAM2024, with messages from health officials and treatment experts across the country. We’re emphasizing that every story matters as we work to build support and understanding within our communities. Together we can amplify awareness!