ialottery blog

Powerball Jackpot Climbs To Estimated $750 Million For Saturday

We’re apparently not done with this jackpot hub-bub just yet!

 

Even though the huge Mega Millions jackpot was won in Tuesday’s drawing, Powerball’s top prize continues to climb, and it also has reached an eye-popping level: It’s an estimated $750 million annuity, or $428.6 million lump-sum option, for Saturday.

 

The Powerball jackpot is now the fourth-largest lottery prize ever offered in the United States and the third-largest in the history of the game.

 

The winning numbers in last night’s $602.5 million Powerball drawing were: 3-21-45-53-56 and Powerball 22. The Power Play number was 2.

 

A total of 43,097 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes in last night’s drawing, and the other trends we have seen from other recent drawings continued to hold true. Nearly all of the plays purchased in Iowa for last night’s Powerball drawing were easy picks (91.5 percent to be exact), meaning that players let the lottery terminal randomly pick the numbers on their tickets.

 

And what about that ‘coverage’ issue you’ve heard us talking about? The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because that’s how many different ways you can combine the numbers available in the game to make a play. By looking at nationwide sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations have been purchased for a particular drawing. About 36 percent of all the possible combinations were purchased for last night’s drawing.

Player Mail: Can I Still Claim A Prize From This Old Ticket?

A couple players have come to lottery headquarters here in Clive this month with tickets that were expired – meaning the date had passed by which prizes could be claimed in those games. The players wanted to know if we could still cash the tickets anyway. The quick answer is no, and here are the details why.

One of the players had a ticket from a couple years ago and the other had a ticket older than that. In another instance earlier this year, someone sent us a ticket from one of the Iowa Lottery’s first scratch games from the 1980s and wondered if the prize from it could still be claimed.

From a record-keeping perspective, the lottery establishes end dates for its scratch and pull-tab games and the corresponding expiration dates for prizes in them. There also are deadlines for claiming prizes in our lotto games (365 days from the date of the drawing in Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Hot Lotto®, and Lucky for Life®; and 90 days from the date of the drawing in Iowa’s Pick 3 and Pick 4 games).

Technology has changed so much that our equipment today can’t check tickets from years ago. We have to keep on hand a tremendous amount of electronic data so that lottery tickets can be checked and cashed statewide. And simply from a space perspective – physical or electronic – it’s not possible to maintain decades’ worth of the detailed records necessary for a lottery prize to be claimed. Those realities dictate that there are deadlines by which lottery prizes must be claimed.

Money from unclaimed prizes here in Iowa 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.

We keep a lot of information on our website to help you track our games and the prizes in them. For our pull-tab and scratch games, we provide: 1.) details about the games currently for sale statewide; 2.) a listing of those games where ticket distribution has recently ended; 3.) the deadlines by which prizes must be claimed in games that have official end dates; 4.) and lists of those games that have ended and in which prizes can no longer be claimed.

For our lotto games, we provide details about our current games available statewide and a list of prizes of $600 or more that are still unclaimed.

Bottom line, if you have won a lottery prize, please claim it quickly so you don’t have to worry about things like games that have ended and prizes that have expired. And keep your winning ticket in a safe place, because you’ll need to present it to us to claim the prize involved!

Check It Out: Touch-Screen Kiosks Sell Lotto, Scratch & InstaPlay Tickets

 

We did a Facebook Live demo for a sneak peek of them on Monday, and now here’s a video with a more detailed look at the lottery’s new touch-screen kiosks that are being installed in Iowa right now. For the first time, you as the customer can use the self-service kiosks to buy lotto, scratch and InstaPlay tickets on your own. You also can check your tickets at the kiosks, just like you can by using the self-checkers we’ve installed in nearly all of our retail locations. 

Our very first touch-screen kiosk was installed yesterday at Hy-Vee, 1700 Valley West Drive in West Des Moines. You’ll see more of them in the field as they continue to be installed statewide over the next couple months. The kiosks will be in our very biggest, busiest locations to give players there an additional way to buy tickets.

Check out the video above for a quick overview. Here are a few other details about the kiosks, in case you’re wondering: You can use a playslip at the kiosk. The playslip reader is just below the bill acceptor where you put money into the machine (you can see it in some of the video shots). You can redeem lottery coupons at the kiosk and the machine also can read the barcode on any ePlayslips you’ve created using the Iowa Lottery’s app available for both Android and Apple.      
 
We hope you like the new look and features of the kiosks!

Player Mail: Why Didn't My Frogger Scratch Ticket Win?

We’ve fielded several calls and emails recently from players asking why they didn’t win a prize for uncovering three similar prize amounts on their Frogger scratch ticket, so we thought that we’d share the answer here on the Blog.

Here’s the scenario we’re hearing about: I uncovered two Frog head symbols with a $25 prize attached and a standalone $25 prize amount, why didn’t I win $25?

As both the legend at the bottom of the playing area of the ticket, as well as the detailed rules on the back of the ticket state, you must uncover three identical symbols or prize amounts across all three Frog paths to win that prize.

To put it simply, if the three squares you are questioning do not match exactly, then unfortunately you didn’t win that prize.

In our Frogger game, the Frog head and coin are considered winning symbols and the standalone $ amounts are considered prize amounts.

You can learn more about how to play our Frogger scratch game by watching this short video.

And remember, you can double-check your Frogger tickets by scanning them using our new mobile app.

Have more questions about this or any of our other games? Let us know by commenting below or sending an email to: Wmaster@ialottery.com.

Player Mail: Can I Claim A Ticket From Another State In Iowa?

As you’re out and about traveling this summer, here’s a quick reminder about where you can claim lottery tickets.

We heard from a man in Georgia earlier this week asking if he could claim the prize he won on an Iowa Lottery scratch ticket at his local lottery retailer in that state. The quick answer is no. Here’s why:

If you buy a lottery ticket in Iowa, you’ll need to claim any prize you win from that ticket here in Iowa. And if you buy a ticket in another state, you’ll need to claim any prize won from it in that state.

There’s an enormous amount of technology that goes into running a lottery today, and each state lottery has its own computer system to track the tickets it sells. Because each state lottery individually tracks its tickets, sales and prizes, the computer systems involved are independent from each other. That means the equipment here in Iowa can’t read tickets from out of state, and vice versa. In addition, the money raised from the sale of lottery tickets in each state stays in that state to support valuable causes there.

If visiting an Iowa Lottery retail location or one of our offices just won’t work for you, remember that we always offer players the option of claiming most prizes through the mail. (There are a few exceptions to that. For example, if you win a jackpot, that prize has to be claimed in person at our headquarters location in Clive.)

Many other state lotteries also offer players the ability to claim prizes by mail. Check with the respective state lottery from which you purchased your ticket about the details in that regard.

Safe travels this summer! And good luck on any lottery tickets you buy along the way!

Now We’ve Got Apple AND Android Lottery Apps To Check Your Tickets!

 

We’ve got breaking news on the technology front today: Now we’ve got an Apple AND an Android version of our app you can use to check the outcome of your Iowa Lottery tickets and get the latest details about our games and promotions.

It’s a project we’ve been working on for months, and we’re excited that everything has gone live! Both versions of the app were published late last night/early today on iTunes and Play Store. The app is called the “Iowa Lottery’s LotteryPlus,” and here are direct links to where you can find it:

Google Play Store®, http://bit.ly/IALOT_AndroidApp_Download

Apple iTunes Store® , http://bit.ly/IALOT_AppleApp_Download

Some of you may know that we’ve had an iTunes app for a few years now, and we’ve been working on the companion technology for Android. So even if you’ve used our iTunes app before, check it out today because it’s gotten a serious update that includes a lot of new features.

Here are some of the functions in our official mobile app:

Google Play Store version supports Android 4.1 and above.

iTunes version supports iOS 8.0 and above. 

Check your tickets to see if you’re a winner using the barcode scanner.

Use the “ePlayslip” feature to design a ticket for your favorite Iowa Lottery game on the go. Pick your favorite numbers or shake your device to use the numbers generator. Saving your play generates a bar code that you can scan at any lottery retailer when you’re ready to purchase your ticket.

Get current jackpots and winning numbers for all of the Iowa Lottery’s games, including Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Hot Lotto®, Lucky For Life®, All or Nothing™, and Iowa’s Pick 3 and Iowa Pick 4.

Find an Iowa Lottery retailer close to you.

Learn about the Iowa Lottery’s latest promotions, scratch tickets and more.

Reminders About How To Redeem Winning Tickets

We got nearly identical questions from Facebook and by email from two different players asking where winning pull-tab tickets can be cashed here in Iowa. Here’s the answer in case you have wondered the same thing:

Prizes in our pull-tab games need to claimed at the retail location where you purchased your ticket, or, for pull-tab prizes of more than $600, at a lottery office. This is due to the individual accounting procedures for those games.

If you don’t remember where you bought your winning pull-tab ticket or you received the ticket as a gift, you can send us an email or call us and we can tell you where the ticket was purchased. We’ll need to know the name of the pull-tab game on your ticket as well as the ticket’s serial number, which is found on the front, right above the bar code.

All tickets in any of the Iowa Lottery’s other games can be redeemed at any lottery retailer across the state, except for prizes of more than $600. Those prizes must be claimed at a lottery office for tax-reporting purposes.

And remember the deadlines for claiming prizes. Scratch and pull-tab tickets are valid for 90 days after the announced end of the game. Tickets in Powerball^®, Mega Millions^®, Hot Lotto^®, Lucky for Life^® and All or Nothing™ are valid for 365 days from the date of the drawing. Tickets in Pick 3, Pick 4 and InstaPlay are valid 90 days from the date of the drawing.

You can find more information about claiming lottery prizes on our website, here.

Check Your Tickets: About A Month To Go For $50,000 Prize Won In Bettendorf

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There's only about a month to go until a $50,000 Powerball prize won in Bettendorf is set to expire. Double-check your tickets!

6 Months Later: $2 Million Prize Still Unclaimed In Cedar Rapids

It’s been six months since a $2 million Powerball^® prize was won in Cedar Rapids and the lucky ticket still remains unclaimed.

The $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at the Hawkeye Convenience Store, 2330 Wiley Blvd. SW in Cedar Rapids. The ticket initially matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in the July 16 drawing to win a $1 million prize, but the person who bought the ticket also added the Power Play option to the purchase, which multiplied the prize to $2 million.

While Monday will be the six-month mark for that prize, lottery offices are closed that day in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, so we’re sending out this reminder a few days early.

The winning numbers in the July 16 Powerball drawing were: 11-17-40-50-62 and Powerball 26. The Power Play number was 2. No one matched all six numbers to win that night’s $335.5 million jackpot.

Powerball prizes in Iowa expire a year from the date of the drawing in which a prize is won, so there is still about six months for the $2 million prize to be claimed. The prize will expire at the close of business on July 17, 2017, if it isn’t claimed by then.

Prizes of $2 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If the winner or winners has questions before coming forward to claim the prize, they’re welcome to call us here at the lottery at 515-725-7900.

Iowa Results Delayed For Thursday's Lucky For Life Drawing

The results of Thursday's Lucky for Life drawing are delayed on the Iowa Lottery's system statewide. The delay impacts only that lotto game and drawing for tickets purchased in Iowa; all other lottery tickets can be purchased, checked and cashed as usual at lottery terminals across the state.

We are working to address the issue and we anticipate being able to reach a resolution later today. If you have tickets from Thursday's drawing you should keep them so you can check them once the Iowa results have been finalized.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may have caused," Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said. "We are working to finalize our Iowa drawing results as quickly as we can."

$1 Million Powerball Prize Won In North Liberty

There’s big news for someone who bought a Powerball ticket at a North Liberty convenience store: The ticket won a $1 million prize in last night’s drawing!

 

The $1-million winning ticket was purchased at Kum & Go, 610 North Kansas Ave. in North Liberty. The lucky ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $80 million jackpot.

 

The ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. The North Liberty ticket was the only one in the country that won a $1 million prize in last night’s drawing.

 

The winning numbers were: 8-18-27-29-60 and Powerball 15. The Power Play number was 2. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $91 million annuity ($62.7 million cash option) for Saturday.

 

Kum & Go will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket at one of its stores.

 

Prizes of $1 million need to 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 call the lottery at 515-725-7900.

 

This is the fifth ticket in Iowa to win at least $1 million this year. A $2 million prize, won with a ticket purchased in Cedar Rapids for the Powerball drawing on July 16, remains unclaimed. Powerball prizes won in Iowa must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Player Security Tip Of The Day: Double-Check Your Tickets When You Buy Them

Just like you’d look over an item of clothing for damage or a piece of fruit for bruising, double-check your lottery tickets when you buy them. If a ticket appears to have been tampered with, please reach out to us at the lottery and ask for our Security Division.

If it’s a lotto ticket, be sure it’s for the game you want and that it contains the numbers and plays for the drawings you selected.  

If it’s an instant-scratch ticket, be sure the latex is intact and that it covers the entire play area on the ticket, including the “Scratch 2 Cash” area. If you’re buying your scratch ticket from a vending machine, be sure that you receive one ticket and not parts of two tickets. The lottery will not pay a prize for tickets damaged by the machine. If you receive parts of two tickets, take them to the retail counter right away to get a replacement ticket of the same value as the one you wanted from the machine.

If it’s a pull-tab ticket, be sure that the perforations along the paper tabs have not been broken.

And when it comes to protecting your lottery winnings, you can have the earliest impact by signing your tickets when you buy them. That identifies the tickets – and any prizes you may win – as belonging to you!

If you ever have a concern about Iowa Lottery products or operations, we want to hear from you. Two of the easiest ways to reach us are by calling 515-725-7900 or emailing us at wmaster@ialottery.com.

 

 

  

Can Stores Adjust That ‘You’re A Winner’ Sound?

My blog entry last week about self-checkers and lottery terminals prompted a reader to ask a great question that I’ll share with you here, along with my answer!
 
A man named Mike wondered if store personnel can turn down the volume on lottery terminals so no one will hear the “You’re a winner!” audio that plays when a winning ticket is scanned. Mike wrote: “While waiting for the clerk to check my tickets, I always listen for that. Then I thought, ‘What if it's turned down, or off?’”

As I shared with Mike, retail locations can’t adjust the sound. The volume level on our terminals is set by the lottery and it’s not possible for retail employees to adjust it. That’s a security feature in place so you’ll hear the “You're a winner!” message if you have a winning ticket scanned at a lottery terminal.

As Mike noted in his comment, it’s a good verification step to help you as a player realize you’ve won a prize.  

 

Do the Lottery Terminal and Self-Checker Give the Same Results?

A player just sent us an interesting question about the lottery equipment in retail locations across the state: Does the lottery terminal give the same results as a self-checker? The quick answer is yes, and that’s a good security feature to keep in mind.

In nearly all locations where lottery tickets are sold in Iowa, there are two pieces of equipment that can be used to scan lottery tickets. One of the devices allows you to check your tickets on your own. It’s called a self-checker and it’s usually installed in an area away from the main cash register so you can be out of the busy store traffic when you use it.

The other device is the lottery terminal where you buy tickets in lotto games like Powerball® and Mega Millions® and can check the results of your tickets.

You can use either device to scan the "Scratch 2 Cash" area on an instant-scratch ticket or the bar code on a lotto ticket to see if it's won a prize. The self-checker will display a message on its screen with the results of your ticket, and if it's a winner, you can then go to the terminal to cash the ticket or decide to claim the prize at a later time. The lottery terminal will cash the ticket if it has won a prize.  

The results of a lottery ticket are imbedded on the ticket itself, so any lottery device will give the same result for that ticket. If for some reason you think you’ve received a different answer about your ticket from one device to another, take some extra time to verify the information you’ve received.  And if you have further questions, you’re always welcome to send your ticket to us here at the lottery and we can double-check it for you.

The Mega Millions Jackpot For Tomorrow Has Been Raised

 

July 7 update: Strong sales in Iowa and across the country have pushed the Mega Millions jackpot even higher for tomorrow night's drawing. The jackpot now stands at an estimated $540 million annuity, $380 million lump-sum option. It remains at No. 3 on the list of the largest Mega Millions jackpots and No. 7 among the largest jackpots in North America.      

The Mega Millions jackpot just keeps climbing and climbing in what has become the longest jackpot run in the history of the game. The jackpot now stands at an estimated $508 million annuity, $357.7 million lump-sum option for Friday’s drawing. That puts it at No. 3 on the list of the largest Mega Millions jackpots of all time and No. 7 among the largest jackpots in North America.

THE GAME’S LONGEST RUN

The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in the drawing on March 8 with a ticket purchased in the state of Washington. So the big prize started growing with the drawing on Friday, March 11, and has continued to roll through a total of 34 draws thus far without a winner. Friday’s drawing will be the 35th in the run. The game has proven once again that you never know when the next big winner is going to hit.

THE BIGGEST MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT IN 2½ YEARS

It’s been some time since the Mega Millions jackpot has been this high. The jackpot in the game last climbed to this level back in 2013, when a $648 million jackpot was split in the drawing on Dec. 17, 2013, by two tickets purchased in California and Georgia. 
 
STILL LOOKING FOR $1 MILLION WINNER IN IOWA

A $1 million Mega Millions prize won in Iowa is still unclaimed more than a month after it was won and the Iowa Lottery is reminding players to double-check their tickets!

The lucky ticket, purchased at the Kum & Go, 5967 Ashworth Road in West Des Moines, came close to winning at least a share of the $187 million jackpot in the May 20 drawing, matching the first five numbers but missing the Mega Ball. The winning numbers that night were: 19-24-26-40-68 and Mega Ball 8. The Megaplier® number was 2.

Kum & Go received a $1,000 bonus from the lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket. It was the third ticket purchased in Iowa to win a prize of at least $1 million in 2016.

Prizes of $1 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If the winner or winners need information before coming forward to claim the prize, they are invited to call the lottery at 515-725-7900.

INTERESTING TAKE ON CALENDAR DATES …

The Mega Millions jackpot has been won only twice so far in 2016, both times on calendar dates of eight: Jan. 8 with a ticket purchased in New York, and March 8 with a ticket purchased in the state of Washington. The next drawing is in two days on Friday, July 8. Will lightning strike on Friday?

THERE IS A DEADLINE FOR BUYING A TICKET

One of the biggest questions the Iowa Lottery is fielding this week is how late players can buy tickets for Friday’s drawing. Mega Millions drawings are at 10 p.m. central time on Tuesdays and Fridays. Here in Iowa, you can buy a ticket for Friday’s drawing up until 8:59 p.m. that day. If you buy a ticket after that time, it will be for a later drawing.
       
Lottery tickets in Iowa are sold at about 2,400 locations. Players in Mega Millions choose their first five numbers from a pool of 75, and another number - called the Mega Ball - from a separate pool of 15. The Megaplier option, which multiplies any prize except the jackpot, is available for an extra $1 per play.
       
PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY

With the jackpot climbing, the Iowa Lottery continues to urge the public to play responsibly. You’ve seen the lottery say this many times, and we really mean it: It only takes one ticket to win. Have fun playing, but play within your means and don’t get in over your head. The fun of our games is that you can do a lot of dreaming for just a few dollars.

Have You Checked Your Powerball® Tickets?

There’s a $40,000 prize and a $10,000 prize, both in the Powerball game, which will expire in March if the tickets aren’t turned in. Last week we held a news conference at Casey’s in Manly, where the $10,000-winning ticket was sold, to help bring awareness to the situation. We hope players are hearing this message and are scouring their homes and vehicles to find and check their Powerball tickets before time runs out!

$50,000 In Unclaimed Prizes Expire In March!

We have two sizeable Powerball^® prizes here in Iowa that will expire next month if they’re not claimed in time. Here’s a video that tells you what you need to know about them. So if you’ve got a ticket that you haven’t checked yet, please get it out and check it!

Another 23-Year-Old Iowan Wins A Big Powerball Prize!

For the second time this week, someone who is 23 years old from Iowa has won a big Powerball prize!

The latest winner is Bryon Stewart from Onawa in western Iowa. He won a $2 million prize in Wednesday's world-record Powerball jackpot drawing. Click on the video above to see Bryon tell his story about winning big.

Earlier this week, 23-year-old Joel Dominguez of Sioux City claimed a $1 million Powerball prize he'd won in last Saturday's drawing.

It's been a wild and very fun week. Thank you to everyone for playing. And here's to many, many more Iowa winners!

 

All The Iowa Details From The World-Record Drawing

 

We’ve got all the details now about Iowa’s results in last night’s world-record Powerball jackpot drawing! Iowa Lottery players won nearly 225,000 prizes in last night’s drawing, including a $2 million prize in Onawa in western Iowa. The game’s jackpot was even higher than the final estimates leading into the drawing, and the giant top prize was split by three tickets purchased in California, Florida and Tennessee.

Strong sales nationwide pushed last night’s jackpot to a world-record of nearly $1.6 billion annuity, or $983.5 million cash option. The winning numbers were: 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10. The Power Play number was 2. A total of 224,656 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes ranging from $4 up to $2 million.

IOWA’S BIG WINNERS 

Seven tickets purchased in Iowa came within one number of having at least a share of the jackpot. One of those tickets won a $2 million prize. It was purchased at Casey’s, 706 10th St. in Onawa. The ticket initially matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize, but the person who bought the ticket also added the Power Play option to the purchase, which multiplied the prize to $2 million. The Onawa ticket was one of eight across that country to win a $2 million prize in last night’s drawing.

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

Six other Iowa tickets also were one number away from the jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. Three of those tickets each won a $100,000 prize while the three others each won a $50,000 prize. The difference again was the Power Play option, with the $100,000-winning tickets having the Power Play added to them. Here are the locations where those winning tickets were sold:     

THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE FUN!

Over the past several days, it really has felt like we were all part of one big conversation. At the lottery, we extend huge thanks to our players and retailers for being part of this shared moment. It’s been a busy time, but we’ve all had fun and our joint efforts have made a difference right here at home by raising additional lottery proceeds for state causes.     

IOWA POWERBALL SALES LEADING UP TO DRAWING
 
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $12 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $6.2 million in tickets yesterday alone. During yesterday’s busiest stretch from about 5-6 p.m., Powerball tickets were selling at nearly $13,800 per minute in Iowa. However, the average Iowa Powerball purchase yesterday was about $7, or three to four plays per ticket. We’re happy to see that Iowans had fun playing the game and didn’t go overboard.

How do the sales figures for yesterday’s drawing compare to those for Saturday’s drawing, when the jackpot was already a U.S. record of $947.9 million? Iowa Lottery players bought more than $8.6 million in Powerball tickets for Saturday’s drawing, including more than $4.4 million in tickets that day alone. Sales peaked at about $7,900 per minute on Saturday. So, total sales for yesterday’s world-record Powerball drawing were nearly 40 percent higher than those for the drawing just four days earlier. 

A NOTE ABOUT ‘COVERAGE’

The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because there are about 292.2 million ways you can combine the numbers in the game to make a play. By tracking nationwide sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations have been purchased – or covered – for a particular drawing. Nearly 89 percent of all the possible combinations were covered in last night’s drawing.

Time Running Out For $10,000 Powerball Prize Won In Des Moines

 

There’s only about a month to go until the expiration deadline for a $10,000 Powerball prize won in Des Moines. Click on the video above to learn all about it. And double-check your tickets!

 

 

Dear Lottery: I Got Invalid Numbers On My Ticket ...

Some updates have been made in the Powerball^® game, and from some of the player emails and posts on our social media pages this week, we think a reminder is in the works about what’s new in the game. So here goes …

The numbers available to play in Powerball changed this past Sunday, and Wednesday (Oct. 7) was the first drawing with the new features. Both pools of numbers played in the game got a remake, with the choices for the first five balls increasing to 69 (previously 59), and the pool for the Powerball decreasing to 26 (previously 35).

Some folks have said they were surprised by the numbers on their tickets with the game’s new format. They wondered if they’d received a fraudulent ticket because they didn’t think that the numbers on their Powerball tickets just possible.

The short answer is: The tickets aren’t fraudulent and there’s nothing wrong. Powerball has been redesigned, so the numbers you see on your tickets may look a little different than you’ve seen in the past.

And here are the other changes in Powerball: There are now better overall odds of winning any prize in the game; the game’s third prize level (for matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball) made a big jump up to $50,000; and players now have a chance to multiply most winnings by up to 10 times with the Power Play^® option when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Thanks for playing Powerball and good luck!

Yes, You Can Check Your Ticket Yourself!

I just got off the phone with a man who didn’t know until he called that he could check his lottery tickets himself at his local store. 

The device involved is called a self-checker and you can use it to scan the barcode on your lottery ticket to see if you’ve won a prize. We’ve had self-checkers available here in Iowa for about four years now, and they’ve proven to be a big convenience for players and retailers alike.

The man who called lives in eastern Iowa and said he has several lottery tickets he wants to have checked to see if he’s won a prize, but he feels badly if he holds up the line at the local store where he buys his tickets. I explained that we’ve installed self-checkers for that very reason. We locate them away from the cash register so you can use them when it’s convenient for you to check your own tickets.

We have the devices in nearly all of our retail locations here in Iowa, but there are a few places where it just wasn’t possible to install one, either from a space perspective or a wiring issue.

So if you haven’t tried a self-checker yet, give it a shot the next time you see one. Consider it a self-empowering moment!    

 

Are You Sitting On A Big Prize-Winning Ticket?

Some people find it hard to believe, but each year more than $1 million in Iowa Lottery prizes expire without being claimed.

This money goes into future prize pools, so it will be used to pay prizes, just not the particular prizes that have expired. For example the unclaimed Hot Lotto jackpot in 2010, which totaled nearly $10.8 million in cash, was returned to the lotteries in the Hot Lotto game in proportion to the sales from each jurisdiction. The Iowa Lottery received about $1.4 million back and gave the money away in a special summer promotion called “Mystery Millionaire” in 2012.

We keep a list of unclaimed prizes of $9,000 or more on our website and this list is updated daily. This page shows the game, amount won, retailer where the ticket was purchased, drawing when the prize was won and expiration date of the prize. Remember, there are deadlines to claim prizes in each of our lotto games. Powerball^®, Mega Millions^®, Hot Lotto^® and All or Nothing tickets are valid for 365 days after the drawing in which the prize was won. Pick 3 and Pick 4 tickets are valid for 90 days after the drawing.

At the lottery, we do all we can to help spread the word about unclaimed prizes, from sending out news releases to the media, posting videos with expiring ticket details and putting up signs in the stores that sold the winning tickets to posting information and reminders about unclaimed prizes on our social media pages, as well as our website.

So if you have a lotto ticket still sitting around at home or folded up in your wallet, get it out and check it today! You may have a big prize waiting!

Whew! He Saw The Sign And Claimed His Prize!

We’re doing a happy dance of our own today because one of our players in eastern Iowa saw a reminder that prompted him to check his tickets after several months’ time and claim his $10,000 prize! 

Lyle Brehm of Dysart admits he let his Powerball^® tickets accumulate in his wallet for nearly five months before he checked them. He said he was filling up his vehicle with gas at a local store when a sign near the cash register caught his attention. The sign said that someone who bought a ticket winning a $10,000 Powerball prize at that location back in February still hadn’t claimed the winnings.

Lyle said he had a good feeling when he saw that message and when he checked his tickets, sure enough: He was the $10,000 winner from John’s Quik Stop in Dysart. Lyle says he’s an occasional Powerball player and usually only plays when the jackpot is really big. He also admits he regularly carries tickets around in his wallet that he hasn’t checked yet.

Lyle won his $10,000 prize in the Powerball drawing on Feb. 7, when the jackpot was $394.9 million. He was just one number away from winning at least a share of the big prize, matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. No one won the jackpot that night, so it continued to grow until it hit $564.1 million on Feb. 11 and was split by three tickets purchased in North Carolina, Texas and Puerto Rico.

Lyle says if he would have won the jackpot, he wouldn’t have waited to claim his prize. He says he’s sure he would have looked at that ticket a little quicker!

Congrats on your win, Lyle! Glad to know the information reached you in time for you to claim your prize.

Tons Of Winner News Today!

We have so much winner news to talk about today! Over the holiday weekend, someone who bought a ticket in Ankeny won the $100,000 top prize in All or Nothing™. But the expiration date is coming up for two Powerball® prizes in Council Bluffs and Waukon.  

The top prize in All or Nothing was won in Sunday’s evening drawing with a ticket that didn’t match any of the numbers that night. The lucky ticket was purchased at Mills Fleet Farm, 4275 S.E. Delaware Ave. in Ankeny.

The winning numbers in that night’s drawing were: 1-3-6-7-9-10-11-12-17-18-21-24. The lucky winner or winners can claim the prize at one of the Iowa Lottery’s offices – either at its headquarters in Clive or one of its regional offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Mason City or Storm Lake.

The two Powerball prizes that are nearing expiration are for $10,000 and $20,000. They’ll expire next month if they’re not claimed in time.

The $10,000 prize was won in Council Bluffs in the Powerball drawing on June 18, 2014, with a ticket purchased at Casey’s, 1030 Veterans Memorial Highway. It came close to winning that night’s $50 million jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $10,000 prize. The winning numbers were: 6-9-29-52-59 and Powerball 7. The Power Play® number was 3.

The winner or winners of that prize have until the close of business at 4 p.m. on June 18 to claim the prize at a lottery office.

The $20,000 prize was won in Waukon in the Powerball drawing on June 28, 2014, with a ticket purchased at Quillin’s Food Ranch, 9 Ninth St. S.W. That ticket also matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. But whoever bought the ticket also added the Power Play, which multiplied the prize to $20,000. The winning numbers in that night’s $80 million jackpot drawing were: 8-12-34-43-56 and Powerball 9. The Power Play was 2.     The winner or winners of that prize have until the close of business at 4 p.m. on June 29 to claim the prize at a lottery office.

In our last fiscal year, nearly $1.4 million in prizes expired without being claimed in Iowa lotto games. The money from unclaimed prizes in Iowa goes into our prize pools for future games and promotions, so it will be used to pay prizes, just not those prizes that have expired

Another $1 Million Powerball Winner For Iowa!

There’s good news for someone who made a Powerball purchase at a Des Moines supermarket: The ticket won a $1 million prize in Saturday night’s drawing!

The lucky ticket, purchased at Cash Saver, 4121 Fleur Dr. in Des Moines, came close to winning at least a share of Saturday’s $110 million jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot that night, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $121 million annuity ($75.7 million cash option) for Wednesday.  

Saturday’s winning numbers were: 24-29-38-48-52 and Powerball 32. The Power Play® number was 2. The Des Moines ticket was one of four across the country that each won a $1 million prize in Saturday’s drawing.

Prizes of $1 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are closed on the weekend, so today is the first opportunity the winner or winners will have to claim the big prize. If you have the winning ticket and you need information before coming forward to claim the prize, please feel free to give us a call at 515-725-7900.

The last $1 million-winning Powerball ticket sold in Iowa hit on New Year’s Eve. A Johnston couple claimed that big prize on Jan. 23.

Talk About Good Luck On Friday The 13th!

Who said Friday the 13th is unlucky? Someone who bought a ticket in northwest Iowa ended up winning a $100,000 prize today in a lotto drawing.

It happened in the midday All or Nothing drawing. A ticket purchased at Casey’s, 101 Fifth Ave. SW in Le Mars, matched all 12 numbers to win the game’s top prize of $100,000. The winning numbers in the drawing were: 1-5-7-8-9-14-15-16-17-20-21-23.

The lucky winner or winners can claim the prize at one of the Iowa Lottery’s offices – either at its headquarters in Clive or one of its regional offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Mason City or Storm Lake.

This is the second time in less than a month that Iowa has had a top prize winner in the joint Iowa-Minnesota lotto game. Douglas Whitney of Mount Vernon won All or Nothing’s $100,000 top prize in the Feb. 18 midday drawing by matching all 12 numbers drawn.

Since the game’s debut in January last year, there have been eight $100,000 top prize winners overall, including five in Iowa.

PLAYER MAIL: My Dog Ate My Lottery Ticket!

“Hey, Iowa Lottery, my dog ate my scratch ticket.”

It may sound like the oldest excuse in the book, but it actually happened recently to a lottery player from Waterloo.

That player, Emily Dunlay, reached out to us on Facebook and by email to ask if her scratch ticket was still valid, or if her dog, Addy, (adorably shown at right) had destroyed her chance of winning by chewing up her ticket.  

“I’m just worried she may have eaten a big winner and just want to make sure it’s not,” Emily wrote in her email to us.

After seeing a photo of the remains of the ticket (below), it became pretty clear something had left Emily’s scratch ticket in several pieces.

Emily was able to tape the mangled ticket back together, and although some of it was missing, our security team was able to help her determine that she had indeed won a prize. And we were then able to help her redeem her $5 in winnings

As for Addy, we’ll bet she’s still fond of paper – but her owner has definitely caught on to her!

All The Iowa Details From Last Night’s Powerball Drawing

We now have the complete details of the Iowa results in last night’s Powerball^® drawing, including the locations where the biggest winning tickets were sold.

The official results show that Iowa Lottery players won more than 67,000 prizes in last night’s drawing, including six winning tickets that came within one number of having at least a share of the giant jackpot.

Strong sales here in Iowa and across the country pushed last night’s Powerball jackpot to $564.1 million annuity or $381.1 million for the cash option. It was split by three tickets purchased in North Carolina, Texas and Puerto Rico.

Here in our state, a total of 67,320 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes ranging from $4 up to $30,000. Four tickets matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $10,000 prize each. They were purchased at: Hy-Vee Gas, 1025 E. Hickman Road in Waukee; Hy-Vee Gas, 4701 Fleur Drive in Des Moines; Casey’s, 20 Miller Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids; and Casey’s, 323 Iowa Highway 30 W. in Mount Vernon.

Two more tickets also matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball, but also had the Power Play^® option added to them, which multiplied their prize to $30,000. They were purchased at: Casey’s, 1018 First Ave. E. in Newton; and Huba Huba, 9 Ninth St. SW in Waukon.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball jackpot drawing were: 11-13-25-39-54 and Powerball 19. The Power Play number was 3. The final jackpot amount surged well above the $500 million annuity estimate heading into the drawing. The Powerball jackpot returns to its starting amount of $40 million annuity ($22.8 million cash option) for Saturday’s drawing.

So, How Did Iowa Do Tonight?

The early results show that Iowa Lottery players won more than 67,000 prizes in tonight’s Powerball^® jackpot drawing, and the giant top prize ended up being even higher than the latest estimates.

The Iowa winners included six tickets that came within one number of having at least a share of the jackpot. Strong sales nationwide pushed tonight’s jackpot to $564.1 million annuity, or $381.1 million cash option. It still ranks as the third-largest jackpot in Powerball history and No. 5 on the list of the largest lottery prizes ever offered in North America.  

Full details, including the locations where the big winning tickets were sold in Iowa and whether there was a jackpot winner nationwide, will be available tomorrow morning.

A total of 67,320 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes ranging from $4 up to $30,000 in tonight’s drawing. Four tickets purchased in Iowa matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win prizes of $10,000 each. Two more also matched those same numbers, but had the Power Play option added to them, so they each won a prize of $30,000.

The winning numbers in tonight’s $564.1 million Powerball jackpot drawing were: 11-13-25-39-54 and Powerball 19. The Power Play number was 3.

Iowa Lottery players bought nearly $4.7 million in Powerball tickets for tonight’s drawing, including nearly $3 million in tickets today alone. During today’s busiest stretch from about 5-6 p.m., Powerball tickets were selling at more than $6,100 per minute in Iowa. But the average Iowa Powerball purchase today remained just $6, or three plays per ticket. We’re glad to see that our players are having fun with the jackpot hub-bub, but didn’t go overboard.
        
The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 175.2 million because there are about 175.2 million ways you can combine the numbers in the game to make a play. By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of the possible combinations have been purchased for a particular drawing. About 66 percent of all the possible combinations were purchased in tonight’s drawing.