ialottery blog

Really a Winner? Double-Check Those Details!

Artificial intelligence may be the future, but sometimes it still gets things wrong!

We heard from a VIP Club member this week who stopped by the lottery’s Clive office, excited to claim a prize she thought she’d won in one of our second-chance promotions.

The only problem? She wasn’t a winner.

So, what happened?

It turns out AI gave her some false hope. We’d sent an email to our VIP Club members letting them know the winners were announced, and encouraging them to check the list on our website. The player’s email service features an AI-powered tool to summarize messages, and it mistakenly told her: “You’ve been drawn as one of the winners of the Iowa Lottery’s latest drawing.”

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. And when she arrived at our office, we had to deliver the disappointing news. 

This was a first for us, but a reminder that even with all of the new technology out there, there’s no substitute for carefully checking the official details yourself.

As a reminder: We post all of our promotion prize winners at ialottery.com. And if you win, we’ll also contact you directly using the information in your VIP Club account.

So before you celebrate, double-check the official winner list – just to be sure!

Greatness Returns Basketball Ticket Winners Announced

Nearly 12,000 of our VIP Club members entered the Greatness Returns contest, and the two lucky winners have now been announced!

Congratulations to Sandra Hudson of Delta and Tori Perry of Cedar Rapids, who both won two tickets to the Indiana Fever vs. Brazilian National Team preseason basketball game on May 4 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena™ in Iowa City along with $222 in spending money.

As we celebrate 40 years of winning moments in Iowa, we’re just getting started. Thanks to everyone who entered, and stay tuned, because more exciting opportunities are on the way!

Get Free Powerball Tix & Enter Contest For Prize Packages At Mason City Event Today

There’s just one month left for someone to claim a $500,000 Powerball® prize won in Mason City and the Iowa Lottery will have an event there today to remind players to double-check their tickets.

The $500,000-winning ticket was sold at Kwik Star, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City. The prize will expire on Sept. 12 if it isn’t claimed by the deadline.

The lottery will be at the Kwik Star from 10-11:30 a.m. today, calling attention to the unclaimed prize, giving away free Powerball plays to store customers, and asking them to check the results of any tickets they have. We'll also hold a contest you can enter for a chance to win a scratch-ticket prize package. We hope we’ll jog the winner’s memory in time for the $500,000 prize to be claimed!

The prize wasn’t won in a regular Powerball drawing, but rather, in the Powerball Double Play® drawing on March 16. The winning Double Play numbers that night were: 9-11-13-29-69 and Double Play Powerball 12.

The Mason City ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Double Play Powerball to win a $500,000 prize.

The Double Play® option debuted in November for Powerball in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, Powerball players can add the Double Play option to their tickets.

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.

Prize Claim Details

The $500,000 prize has to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Anyone with questions about the prize or how to claim it is welcome to reach out to us at 515-725-7900 or [email protected].

Players in Iowa have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Powerball.

What Happens To Unclaimed Prize Money In Iowa?

In the last fiscal year (FY 2024), nearly $5 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

That money 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.

Player Mail: Can You Give Me More Details About The New Prize Zone?

Since our new Prize Zone launched yesterday, we’ve already heard from players entering their tickets for a chance to win the prizes up for grabs. But others have had questions about the Prize Zone, wanting to be sure they understand how it works.

So here are the details to give you the inside scoop on the new Prize Zone feature in the lottery’s VIP Club.

The Prize Zone is a new, ongoing part of our VIP Club that offers Iowa Lottery players more ways to win when they buy scratch tickets. Each month, if you’re a member of the VIP Club, you’ll be able to enter nonwinning tickets in certain scratch games into the Prize Zone for a chance to win select prizes tied only to those games.

Sometimes the prizes in the Prize Zone will be merchandise prizes, like they are now. Other times, they might be for tickets to exclusive events like concerts and sporting events. We’ll also offer cash prizes through the Prize Zone, so you’ll want to check back each month to see all the latest!

To kick off the Prize Zone, we’re giving away more than $36,000 in Apple iPads, and the tickets you’ll need to enter for a chance to win are in our “9s In A Line” family of games. The size of the iPad you could win goes up along with the “size” of the 9s In A Line game that you enter!

Tickets in the $1 9s In A Line Small game can be entered for a chance to win an iPad mini. The $2 “Medium” game is tied to the iPad Air, the $5 "Large" game is tied to the iPad Pro; and the $10 "XL" game is tied to the iPad Pro.

You can enter nonwinning 9s In A Line tickets into the Prize Zone through the morning of March 17, and we’ll hold the drawing for the winners of the iPads on March 19.

We’ll always keep the details about the current prizes available in the Prize Zone as well as the next two upcoming rounds so you can see those details and plan ahead if you’d like. (Hint: You’ll want to pay attention to the “Lucky Dog” scratch game starting next month.)

Thanks again for playing the Iowa Lottery, and for asking questions about the Prize Zone. Entries started coming in as soon as it debuted yesterday, so we know the word is spreading. We wish you the very best of luck with your Prize Zone entries!

Hey, VIP Club Members: Don’t Forget To Update Your Profile!

Since this time of year brings with it spring cleaning, here’s a reminder to tidy up the details in your VIP Club profile if you’re a member of our player’s club. If anything has changed since the last time you visited it, please update your profile! Here’s an example from this month about why that’s important: One of our VIP Club members almost missed out on a prize in our social-media contest because her information was out of date.

When we initially reached out to our contest winners, our email ended up in the women’s spam folder, so she didn’t see it. So next we tried to call her. The phone number was no longer in service. Luckily, we were able to finally make contact with her so she didn’t miss out on the prize before the claim period expired. But if your information is out of date, you could end up in the same situation!

To review/update your VIP Club profile, just log into your account and click on the “Manage Profile” option on the left side of the screen. You can then verify your mailing address, phone number, email preferences and more. If you have any questions about updating your profile, feel free to email us at [email protected] and we can help you through the process.

 

 

Slight Change In How You Can Enter Our Social Media Contests

We’re making a slight change in the way you can enter our social media contests. Starting next month, you’ll be able to enter our contests from four platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Google+ will not be one of the platforms involved. Please don’t think we’re picking on that service or you if you’re a Google+ fan! We’re making the change because we’re doing our best to comply with Google+ policies.

In its terms for regulated goods and services, Google+ states that it does not allow content to be posted that facilitates the sale of a list of items, including gambling products. We work hard to follow rules and policies, and because we give away lottery tickets in our monthly contests, that may cross a line within Google+ definitions.

We’ve therefore removed Google+ as an option for entering our social media contests. But you’ll still have four other popular platforms to choose from, so not to worry. (As a reminder, our next contest starts at 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 12. Click here for the full details!)

He Asked ... And She Said YES!!!!

Wizard World^® Comic Con in Des Moines will forever be a special time for one of our VIP Club members. Steve Regan of Fairfield won Comic Con tickets in one of our pop-up contests and made BIG plans for his time at the fan convention. Click on the video above to see the happy ending!

Why Can’t I Enter Your Social Media Contests From Out Of State?

A couple folks on Facebook each sent us the same question this week about our monthly social media contests. Bob and Ve Nessa both wanted to know why they couldn’t enter our contests from out of state.

We replied to them on our wall, but it’s something others have likely wondered about as well, so I’m sharing the deets here on the blog.

The lottery holds a social media contest each month that you can enter from Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram or Google+ for a chance to win prizes. We give away different lottery tickets each month and often throw in some lottery swag (think: T-shirts, water bottles, koozies, etc.).

In the details we post about our contests, we explain that you have to reside in Iowa to participate, must be at least 21 years old to enter; and you can enter only once.

Bob and Ve Nessa both said they live in Nebraska and want to be able to enter. We totally get that and are glad they want to join in the fun with us! But there are provisions in state and federal law that mean our contests have to be restricted to Iowa-only entries.

There are prohibitions against sending lottery tickets across state lines as well as limitations that allow us to offer lottery products only within the state of Iowa.

With the prizes in our social media contests being lottery tickets themselves, we need to ensure we’re following the law.

Ve Nessa posted an unhappy face to our answer, but said she understands that we have to follow the law.

No more unhappy faces! Get out there and have some fun! It’s Thursday, so that means the weekend isn’t tooooo far away.

(And if you live in Iowa, be on the look out for our next social media contest Oct. 21-23.)

 

We’re Now On Instagram & Pinterest!

We know you like to connect with us in the places you already go, so now there are two new ways you can do that: The Iowa Lottery has joined Instagram and Pinterest.

We’ve been involved in social media for eight years, proving that time really does fly! We jumped in when we started producing our own videos back in 2007 – and that counts as a couple millennia ago in the fast-changing world of social media!

But through it all, we’ve continued to gain new likes, followers and contacts, so we think (we hope) that means you like what we’re doing.

So now, in addition to our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube pages, you can find us on Instagram and Pinterest. We’re iowalottery (lowercase) on Instagram and IowaLottery (uppercase) on Pinterest.

Look for some changes coming in our monthly social media contests that we think will allow even more people to get in on the fun by entering them.

Two more ways we can say: See you there!

Here’s a BIG Hint…

You’ve seen me blog before about the lottery’s VIP Club and the benefits you get by being a member, including monthly free-play coupons, access to our latest promotions and exclusive info. about our newest games. And I can’t tell you exactly why, but starting tomorrow, there will be another reason to be a member.

If you haven’t already signed up, click here to go to the home page for the VIP Club. Click on the “New Registration” link along the left side of the page to fill out the registration form. Be sure to mark that you do want to receive communications from us as you register! Then sit back and look for an email from us tomorrow containing an invitation exclusively for club members.

It’s the start of something good, and it won’t be the last time we’ll have a surprise for the members of our VIP Club! #vippopup

CONTEST ALERT: Give Us Your Best ‘Mr. MONOPOLY’ Pose!

Contest alert! It’s time to get your cameras and smartphones ready!

We’re celebrating Sunday’s launch of the new MONOPOLY MILLIONAIRES’ CLUB lottery game by giving you the chance to win coupons for free plays in the game and a merchandise prize pack, all for sending us your best “Mr. MONOPOLY” look. You’ll need to use the top hat and mustache templates you’ll find on our website and tag your photo with #PlayMMC. Snap a selfie or have someone take a photo of you – we don’t care, just give us your best shot!

Why the top hat and mustache? They’re, of course, part of the iconic image of Mr. MONOPOLY!

The new premium $5 MONOPOLY MILLIONAIRES’ CLUB lottery game just made its debut across the country on Sunday, so we’re celebrating with “selfie social media contests” on Facebook and Twitter that you can enter. Practice your “millionaire pose” over the next couple days and get your props ready!

(Inside tip: We found it pretty easy just to tape the top hat and mustache to our faces as we posed for some practice pictures here at the lottery, but you could always put them on little sticks and hold them up to your face that way. And, do we need to give a definition here for a selfie? If so, it’s a photo that you take of yourself, typically using a smartphone or webcam.)

We’ll accept entries in our selfie Facebook and Twitter contests from noon today (Oct. 21) through noon next Tuesday (Oct. 28). Enter either contest by posting your photo to the lottery’s Facebook wall or by replying to @ialottery on Twitter. On both platforms, you’ll need to use the hashtag #PlayMMC in your post.

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, we’ll compile all the eligible photos we’ve received and randomly select a total of 10 winners from among them. There will be five winners on Facebook and five winners on Twitter. Each winner will receive $25 in coupons for free plays in the MONOPOLY MILLIONAIRES’ CLUB lottery game and a SWEET swag-bag of game merchandise, including a T-shirt, coffee mug, notes journal, pen and key-chain ticket scratcher!

We’ll announce the contest winners Oct. 29 on our website and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

We'll notify the winners by direct message on social media to claim their prize. If you're one of the winners, you'll need to verify some information with us to receive your prize! Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to verify their information. We'll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

To get started, just print out the templates from our website and carefully cut them out. Then either tape the props to the appropriate spots on your face (werecommend using Scotch tape) or attach them to sticks or straws to hold them up in front of your face to achieve your best Mr. MONOPOLY look. If you don’t have a smartphone or don’t want to take your own picture, have someone take a photo of you as you pose with your top hat and mustache props. Just remember to post your photo to our Facebook wall or in reply to @ialottery on Twitter following the instructions above to be eligible!

A few other details:

• All entries have to be posted during the contest entry period – photos received before or after the posted deadlines won’t be eligible.
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You have to be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There's no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• You can only enter once on each platform. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.
• Remember to include the #PlayMMC tag so that we can easily find your submission.

And now for the fine print:

Your submission of an entry indicates your agreement to the promotion rules listed here. Only eligible entries may be selected to win prizes. Ineligible entries include: entries submitted by individuals prohibited from playing or winning Iowa Lottery prizes by operation of law, entries that infringe upon a third party’s intellectual property, or entries that are defamatory, obscene, threatening, invasive of another’s privacy, or not within the spirit of the promotion as determined in the Iowa Lottery’s sole discretion.

This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook or Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure. By entering this contest, you agree to release Facebook and Twitter of all liability arising from this contest.

Set A Reminder For This Month’s Contests!

We’ll hold our February social media contests during the next couple weeks, so set a reminder now to enter!

Our Twitter contest this month begins at 11 a.m. next Tuesday (Feb. 11), while our next Facebook contest starts at 11 a.m. on Feb. 17. You can find all the details about the contests here.

Good luck with your entries!

Mark Your Calendars For This Month’s Contests!

We’ll hold our November social media contests over the next two weeks, so set a reminder now to enter!

Our Twitter contest this month begins at 2 p.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 12), while our next Facebook contest starts at 11 a.m. on Nov. 18. You can find all the details about the contests here.

Good luck with your entries!

October Facebook Contest Results

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…THE WINNERS!

Congratulations to:

1) Judy Wass
2) Joe Lancaster
3) Stephanie Gustafson

Each of these three winners will receive $20 in Powerball® coupons!

We’ll notify the winners by email about their win. We’ll need to verify each winner’s information so we can award their prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, to verify their information with us. Thanks to everyone who entered the October Facebook contest.

Be sure to come back and enter November’s Facebook contest anytime from 11 a.m. Nov. 18 through 11 a.m. Nov. 19. We sure hope you can join us!

October Facebook Contest

It’s a spooktacular time to enter this month’s Facebook contest. Entrants will have more than a ghost’s chance at $20 in Powerball® coupons!

You can enter our October Facebook contest beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (Oct. 21) through 11 a.m. Tuesday (Oct. 22). We’ll be asking you a lottery-related question on the Iowa Lottery’s Facebook page under the “Lottery Contests” tab. Enter for your chance to win one of three sets of $20 in Powerball coupons!


We’ll pose our question on the Lottery Contests tab located under our cover photo. When the man on the Lottery Contests tab turns green and says “Enter Now!” that’s your cue to enter. Click the tab, read the question, fill in the entry form and your answer and click “submit” during the 24-hour window and you’ll be entered. Limit one entry per person. It’s just that easy!

Important Note: The question will NOT appear on our Facebook “Wall.” You’ll need to visit our Facebook page and click the Lottery Contests tab to see it! Also, if you’re viewing our Facebook page on a smart phone, you will need to use the Desktop view in order to see the Lottery Contests tab. It does not appear in the mobile application view.

We’ll select three winners from all of the eligible answers submitted. Winners will be announced in our October Facebook contest results blog, on the Lottery Contests tab on our Facebook page and we’ll link to the blog entry on Twitter and Google+.

We’ll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll need to verify your information to award your prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29, to verify their information with us. We’ll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

A few other details:
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• The Powerball coupons are only redeemable for tickets, not for cash.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure. By entering this promotion, you agree to release Facebook of all liability arising from this promotion.

October Twitter Contest Results

The three lucky winners in today’s Twitter contest will each receive prize packs of $20 in our new “Winter Riches” instant-scratch game. The $1 holiday game offers top prizes of $1,000!

Players can also enter their nonwinning Winter Riches scratch tickets in the Gifts Galore promotion at ialottery.com for a chance to win one of 75 gift cards of $400 redeemable for electronics.

The three winners in today’s contest are:

@DemiFey13
@BW_O
@butterfly917x

If you’re one of the winners, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, to contact us with their information in order to claim their prize.

Thanks for participating! Our next Twitter contest is set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12. See you then!

You Could Win "Riches" in our October Twitter Contest

Some of us may not want to think about it, but winter is just around the corner! With that theme in mind this month we're giving you a chance to win "riches." Three lucky winners in our October Twitter contest will each receive $20 in "Winter Riches" scratch tickets.

The $1 holiday scratch game offers top prizes of $1,000. Plus, if you don't win a prize instantly, you can Play It Again® and enter the Gifts Galore holiday promotion with nonwinning Winter Riches scratch tickets at ialottery.com for a chance to win one of 75 gift cards of $400 redeemable for electronics.

Our Twitter contest begins at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 15, and you'll have 15 minutes to enter. Just follow us on Twitter - it's free to create an account if you don’t already have one. Then give us the correct answer to our super-easy contest question and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of the three ticket prize packs.

At 11 a.m. Tuesday, we'll pose our question on Twitter. Reply with your answer within the 15-minute time limit and you'll be entered in the contest! No late entries will be accepted. (Be sure to reply to @ialottery on Twitter. Don’t direct message us, as direct messages aren't eligible for entry.)

We'll randomly select the three winners in our contest, then blog about the results and link to that blog entry on Twitter and Facebook.

If you win, you'll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, to contact us with their information.

A few other details:
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• There's no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for the lottery’s Twitter Contest. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

September Facebook Contest Results

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…THE WINNERS!

Congratulations to:

1) Lisa Hanson
2) Chrissy Ellis
3) Daryl Schoppe

Each of these three winners will receive $10 in coupons for Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game along with some lottery swag!

We’ll notify the winners by email about their win. We’ll need to verify each winner’s information so we can award their prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, to verify their information with us. Thanks to everyone who entered the September Facebook contest.

Be sure to come back and enter October’s Facebook contest anytime from 11 a.m. Oct. 21 through 11 a.m. Oct. 22. We sure hope you can join us!

September Facebook Contest

It sure would be fun to rake up $100,000 instead of those leaves that will be falling in your yard. In this month’s Facebook contest we’re giving away free plays in Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game and some sweet lottery swag. And if everything falls into place and you win big you could hire someone to do your lawn care for you!

You can enter our September Facebook contest beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (Sept. 23) through 11 a.m. Tuesday (Sept. 24). We’ll be asking you a lottery-related question on the Iowa Lottery’s Facebook page under the “Lottery Contests” tab. Enter for your chance to win one of three sets of $10 in coupons for Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game along with some lottery swag!

We’ll pose our question on the Lottery Contests tab located under our cover photo. When the man on the Lottery Contests tab turns green and says “Enter Now!” that’s your cue to enter. Click the tab, read the question, fill in the entry form and your answer and click “submit” during the 24-hour window and you’ll be entered. Limit one entry per person. It’s just that easy!

Important Note: The question will NOT appear on our Facebook “Wall.” You’ll need to visit our Facebook page and click the Lottery Contests tab to see it! Also, if you’re viewing our Facebook page on a smart phone, you will need to use the Desktop view in order to see the Lottery Contests tab. It does not appear in the mobile application view.

We’ll select three winners from all of the eligible answers submitted. Winners will be announced in our September Facebook contest results blog, on the Lottery Contests tab on our Facebook page and we’ll link to the blog entry on Twitter.

We’ll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll need to verify your information to award your prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1, to verify their information with us. We’ll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

A few other details:
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• The coupons for Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game are only redeemable for tickets, not for cash.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure. By entering this promotion, you agree to release Facebook of all liability arising from this promotion.

“Tail Gator” Could Be Your Ticket to the Game!

We’re calling this month’s Twitter contest is a real game changer! We’re celebrating football season by giving our Twitter contest participants an opportunity to score big with our newest $1 instant-scratch game – “Tail Gator” and our Tail Gator promotion. Three lucky winners in our September Twitter contest will each receive $20 in Tail Gator scratch tickets.

The scratch game offers 16 top prizes of $2,000 and thousands of other prizes between $1 and $100. Plus, if you don’t win a prize instantly, you can Play it Again® and enter the Tail Gator promotion with nonwinning Tail Gator scratch tickets at ialottery.com for a chance to win one of nine unique college football game experience packages later this fall at Iowa State University, The University of Iowa or The University of Northern Iowa.

Our Twitter contest begins at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17, and you’ll have 15 minutes to enter. Just follow us on Twitter – it’s free to create an account if you don’t already have one. Then give us the correct answer to our super-easy contest question and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of the three ticket prize packs.

At 2 p.m. next Tuesday, we’ll pose our question on Twitter. Reply with your answer within the 15-minute time limit and you’ll be entered in the contest! No late entries will be accepted. (Be sure to reply to @ialottery on Twitter. Don’t direct message us, as direct messages aren’t eligible for entry.)

We’ll randomly select the three winners in our contest, then blog about the results and link to that blog entry on Twitter and Facebook.

If you win, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24, to contact us with their information.

A few other details:
•    You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
•    You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
•    There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win!
•    You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for the lottery’s Twitter Contest. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

August Facebook Contest Results

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…THE WINNERS!

Congratulations to:

1) Brittany Sanderson
2) Darles Busching
3) Ginger Langrehr

Each of these three winners will receive $20 in Mega Millions® coupons!

We’ll notify the winners by email about their win. We’ll need to verify each winner’s information so we can award their prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, to verify their information with us. Thanks to everyone who entered the August Facebook contest.

Be sure to come back and enter September’s Facebook contest anytime from 11 a.m. Sept. 23 through 11 a.m. Sept. 24. We sure hope you can join us!

August Facebook Contest

The 2013 Iowa State Fair has ended but nothing compares to the chance to win a big jackpot. We’re giving you that very chance in this month’s Facebook contest as we giveaway free plays in Mega Millions®. Fingers crossed, your numbers could come up and you could be laughing all the way to the bank!

You can enter August’s Facebook contest beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (Aug. 26) through 11 a.m. Tuesday (Aug. 27). We’ll be asking you a lottery-related question on the Iowa Lottery’s Facebook page under the “Lottery Contests” tab. Enter for your chance to win one of three sets of $20 in Mega Millions coupons!

We’ll pose our question on the Lottery Contests tab located under our cover photo. When the man on the Lottery Contests tab turns green and says “Enter Now!” that’s your cue to enter. Click the tab, read the question, fill in the entry form and your answer and click “submit” during the 24-hour window and you’ll be entered. Limit one entry per person. It’s just that easy!

Important Note: The question will NOT appear on our Facebook “Wall.” You’ll need to visit our Facebook page and click the Lottery Contests tab to see it! Also, if you’re viewing our Facebook page on a smart phone, you will need to use the Desktop view in order to see the Lottery Contests tab. It does not appear in the mobile application view.

We’ll select three winners from all of the eligible answers submitted. Winners will be announced in our August Facebook contest results blog, on the Lottery Contests tab on our Facebook page and we’ll link to the blog entry on Twitter.

We’ll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll need to verify your information to award your prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3, to verify their information with us. We’ll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

A few other details:
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• The Mega Millions coupons are only redeemable for tickets, not for cash.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

August Twitter Contest Results

The three lucky winners in today’s Twitter contest will each receive prize packs of $20 in our new $2 "Triple Payout" instant-scratch game. The game offers top prizes of $5,000!

The three winners in today's contest are:

@indyatheart
@Chas_Blakemore
@danadashoop

If you're one of the winners, you'll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, to contact us with their information in order to claim their prize.

Thanks for participating! Our next Twitter contest is set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17. See you then!

August Twitter Contest is “Triple” the Fun

This month’s Twitter contest is “Triple” the fun. Three lucky contest winners will each receive $20 in tickets in our newest $2 instant-scratch game – “Triple Payout.”

Our Twitter contest begins at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, and you’ll have 15 minutes to enter. Just follow us on Twitter – it’s free to create an account if you don’t already have one. Then answer our super-easy contest question and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of the three ticket prize packs.

At 11 a.m. next Tuesday, we’ll pose our question on Twitter. Reply with your answer within the 15-minute time limit and you’ll be entered in the contest! No late entries will be accepted. (Be sure to reply to @ialottery on Twitter. Don’t direct message us, as direct messages aren’t eligible for entry.)

We’ll select the three winners in our contest, then blog about the results and link to that blog entry on Twitter and Facebook.

If you win, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, to contact us with their information.

A few other details:
•    You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
•    You must currently reside in Iowa to participate.
•    There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win!
•    You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for the lottery’s Twitter Contest. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

July Facebook Contest Results

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…THE WINNERS!

Congratulations to:

1) Jeff Hinrichs
2) Donna Dorothy
3) Sylvia Funnell

Each of these three winners will receive $10 in Powerball coupons and lottery swag!

We’ll notify the winners by email about their win. We’ll need to verify each winner’s information so we can award their prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, to verify their information with us. Thanks to everyone who entered the July Facebook contest.

Be sure to come back and enter August’s Facebook contest anytime from 11 a.m. Aug. 26 through 11 a.m. Aug. 27. We sure hope you can join us!

July Facebook Contest

The real fireworks in the sky may be over this month, but we’re giving you the chance at a big celebration of your own! Enter our Facebook contest this month for a chance to win free plays in Powerball. And who knows? You might take home a jackpot!

You can enter July’s Facebook contest beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (July 22) through 11 a.m. Tuesday (July 23). We’ll be asking you a lottery-related question on the Iowa Lottery’s Facebook page under the “Lottery Contests” tab. Enter for your chance to win one of three sets of $10 in Powerball coupons and some lottery swag!

We’ll pose our question on the Lottery Contests tab located under our cover photo. When the man on the Lottery Contests tab turns green and says “Enter Now!” that’s your cue to enter. Click the tab, read the question, fill in the entry form and your answer and click “submit” during the 24-hour window and you’ll be entered. Limit one entry per person. It’s just that easy!

Important Note: The question will NOT appear on our Facebook “Wall.” You’ll need to visit our Facebook page and click the Lottery Contests tab to see it! Also, if you’re viewing our Facebook page on a smart phone, you will need to use the Desktop view in order to see the Lottery Contests tab. It does not appear in the mobile application view.

We’ll select three winners from all of the eligible answers submitted. Winners will be announced in our July Facebook contest results blog, on the Lottery Contests tab on our Facebook page and we’ll link to the blog entry on Twitter.

We’ll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll need to verify your information to award your prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, to verify their information with us. We’ll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

A few other details:
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• The Powerball coupons are only redeemable for tickets, not for cash.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

July Twitter Contest Results

The three lucky winners in today’s Twitter contest will each receive prize packs of $20 in our new $1 “Red, White & Moo!” instant-scratch game. The game offers top prizes of $2,000! And, proceeds from this game go to support Iowa veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund!

The three winners in today’s contest are:

@brittneyfreed
@TattooedJuggalo
@JessieFluke

If you’re one of the winners, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, to contact us with their information in order to claim their prize.

Thanks for participating! Our next Twitter contest is set for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20. See you then!

July Twitter Contest

We’re celebrating July by giving our Twitter contest a a patriotic theme this month! Three lucky contest winners will each receive $20 in tickets in our newest $1 instant-scratch game – “Red, White & Moo!”

If the adorable cow on those tickets isn’t enough to get your attention, we’ll also let you know that Red White & Moo is our newest game that benefits the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. So, be in the look-out for tickets in that game at your local lottery retailer!  

Our Twitter contest begins at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, and you’ll have 15 minutes to enter. Just follow us on Twitter – it’s free to create an account if you don’t already have one. Then give us the correct answer to our super-easy contest question and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of the three ticket prize packs.

At 2 p.m. next Tuesday, we’ll pose our question on Twitter. Reply with your answer within the 15-minute time limit and you’ll be entered in the contest! No late entries will be accepted. (Be sure to reply to @ialottery on Twitter. Don’t direct message us, as direct messages aren’t eligible for entry.)

We’ll select the three winners in our contest, then blog about the results and link to that blog entry on Twitter and Facebook.

If you win, you’ll need to contact us with your name, date of birth and mailing address so we can send out your tickets. Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, to contact us with their information.

A few other details:
•    You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
•    You must currently reside in Iowa to participate.
•    There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win!
•    You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Twitter. The information you provide will only be used for the lottery’s Twitter Contest. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.

June Facebook Contest Results

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for…THE WINNERS!

Congratulations to:

1) Charles Blakemore
2) Heather Butrick
3) Ashley Goodwin

Each of these three winners will receive $20 in coupons for Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game!

We’ll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. We’ll need to verify each winner’s information so we can award their prize packs!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, to verify their information with us. Thanks to everyone who entered the June Facebook contest.

Be sure to come back and enter July’s Facebook contest anytime from 11 a.m. July 22 through 11 a.m. July 23. We sure hope you can join us!

June Facebook Contest

We’ve got 100,000 reasons for you to enter our next Facebook contest! This time, you can enter for a chance to win free plays in Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game!

You can enter June’s Facebook contest beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (June 17) through 11 a.m. Tuesday (June 18). We’ll be asking you a lottery-related question on the Iowa Lottery’s Facebook page under the “Lottery Contests” tab. Enter for your chance to win one of three sets of $20 in coupons for Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game!

We’ll pose our question on the Lottery Contests tab located under our cover photo. When the man on the Lottery Contests tab turns green and says “Enter Now!” that’s your cue to enter. Click the tab, read the question, fill in the entry form and your answer and click “submit” during the 24-hour window and you’ll be entered. Limit one entry per person. It’s just that easy!

Important Note: The question will NOT appear on our Facebook “Wall.” You’ll need to visit our Facebook page and click the Lottery Contests tab to see it! Also, if you’re viewing our Facebook page on a smart phone, you will need to use the Desktop view in order to see the Lottery Contests tab. It does not appear in the mobile application view.

We’ll select three winners from the correct eligible answers submitted, so be sure to double-check your answer before you hit the submit button. Winners will be announced in our June Facebook contest results blog, on the Lottery Contests tab on our Facebook page and we’ll link to the blog entry on Twitter.

We’ll notify the winners by email to claim their prize. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll need to verify your information to award your prize pack!

Winners will have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, to verify their information with us. We’ll also select alternates in case any of the winners are ineligible.

A few other details:
• You must currently be residing in Iowa to participate.
• You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
• There’s no purchase necessary to enter or win.
• The $100,000 Cash Game coupons are only redeemable for tickets, not for cash.
• You can only enter once. If you try to enter more than once, only your first entry will be accepted.

And now for the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the Iowa Lottery and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for lottery purposes. The risk of loss for electronic misdelivery, late delivery or failure of receipt for information entered electronically remains with entrant regardless of the cause of the transmission failure.