ialottery blog

Mother Goose vs. Mother Nature In Mason City

Today’s late-season snowstorm has brought a human-interest story our way that’s just too good not to share with you here on the blog. Actually, I guess it’s a bird-interest story. Read on to learn more …

A mother goose recently built a nest along the stream that runs just behind the Iowa Lottery’s regional office in Mason City. She laid her first egg on April 23 and by Monday, there were four eggs in the nest.

Our Mason City crew has been taking pics of the goose through one of our office windows when they’ve had time because she’s so close and it’s all happening just a few feet away, on the other side of the glass.

The first pic you see here, showing the area of the nest on a typical spring day, is from April 26. The close-up shot of the nest with the eggs in it is from Monday. And the final shot shows the poor mama goose this morning, with just her head sticking out of the snow.

I’m definitely pulling for Mother Goose in this one! Go, Mama Goose, go! Mother Nature’s got nothing on you, lady!

Here’s hoping there will be goslings in a few weeks …

Could There Be Internet Lottery Sales in Iowa?

With Internet lottery sales kicking off yesterday in Illinois, we're now getting questions about the possibility of Internet lottery sales here in Iowa. Here's the 411:

This is an issue we've been talking about with legislators and during general discussions for the past couple years because we knew it was on the horizon. The Iowa Lottery believes it has the authority to offer sales on the Internet, but we continue to study the issue and have no immediate plans to take that step today. We're watching what's happening around the country, including what's just started in Illinois.
 
There's been no big public outcry for Internet lottery sales here in Iowa, so we would not anticipate anything soon. As responsible public officials, we would work with state lawmakers on any details along those lines.

Internet sales are definitely a way to modernize delivery, just like what's already being done with online betting on horse racing in Iowa. We want everyone to be prepared for the issue and to have the most information possible to make the best decisions.

Whatever happens, we do think it is important that Iowa protect its borders. By that we mean that we want Iowa lawmakers and regulators to be the ones making the decisions relating to gaming in our state, and for the money raised from gaming in Iowa to stay in our state to benefit worthy causes here.

Minnesota Govt. Shutdown Sends Lottery Sales To Iowa

File this under the category of unintended consequences: It definitely looks like the state government shutdown in Minnesota is sending lottery players from that state over the border to purchase their tickets here in Iowa.

I can't speak to all Iowa locations along the Minnesota border universally, but we have checked with stores in a few different communities along the major highways that run between Iowa and Minnesota, and stores in those cities are seeing an increase in Iowa Lottery sales.

State government offices in Minnesota closed last Friday (July 1) after the governor and Legislature failed to agree on a budget. They've remained shut ever since, and that includes the shutdown of Minnesota State Lottery sales.

Folks at the Jo Stop Convenience Store along I-35 near Northwood in northern Iowa report that they're seeing lottery sales running at 2-3 times the volume the store saw before the government shutdown in Minnesota. North Star Express, another Northwood business that's a little further into town, is seeing a lottery business increase of about 25 percent following the shutdown.

A Casey's location in Estherville is seeing a 30 percent increase in instant-scratch and lotto sales since the shutdown, while a Kum & Go location in Spirit Lake is seeing about a 25 percent increase.

We'll take the sales, but we all feel for the folks in Minnesota and hope things can be resolved up there soon.

Upcoming Changes For Lottery And Amber Alerts

The Iowa Lottery’s new equipment that you see in retail locations around the state will bring some important updates to Iowa Amber Alerts to find abducted children. Specifically, the lottery for the first time will be able to display in the businesses that sell its tickets photos of the children involved in the Alerts.

When the lottery’s new system becomes fully functional July 3, the flat-screen monitors you see at lottery terminals will be able to display new graphics for Amber Alerts. The graphics will include space for detailed information about the case, including a photo. The lottery will be able to display a photo of the missing child if one is available, or depending on the specifics of the case, perhaps a photo of the suspect or vehicle involved.
 
We think the changes will be a big help in identifying the people and vehicles involved in Amber Alerts – and hopefully locating the missing child.

During Amber Alerts, the lottery also sends out retailer messages about the case to all lottery terminals in the state. The terminal rings to alert retail employees to the new message, which can be printed out and given to customers. The new system will be able to accommodate much longer messages than before, allowing the lottery to provide more details about the case.

It’s all about bringing more eyes and ears to the search for an abducted child, and we’re excited about the additional assistance we’ll be able to add to the process.

The Iowa Lottery was a founding member of Iowa’s Amber Alert program in 2003. Amber Alert plans began to be organized around the country following the 1996 kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Arlington, Texas.

The Amber Alert program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, state programs and broadcasters to activate an urgent bulletin in child abduction cases where there is a threat of serious bodily injury or death. The goal of an Amber Alert is to get the entire community to search for the child and help bring them home safe.

You Loved It, So It’s Back!

You let us know how much you liked the electronics and cash prizes up for grabs in our holiday promotion last year, and we heard ya! So, we’ve brought back the “Tech The Halls” promo this year. And this time, you can win electronics and cash prizes at every entry level. We’ve also expanded the electronics line-up this year with 250 prizes from Sony® on the line!

The first of our holiday-themed instant-scratch tickets are hitting the streets this week. There will be more to follow for a total of seven holiday games this year.

If your holiday scratch ticket doesn’t win an instant prize, you can log onto www.ialottery.com and use the serial number from your ticket to enter our Tech The Halls promotion.

You have from noon today (Oct. 4) through noon on Jan. 18 to enter the promotion. The prize drawings will be held on Thursday, Jan. 20.

Here are the tickets you can enter and the prizes up for grabs:

• $1 Tinsel Town = chance to win one of 50 Sony® Reader Touch Editions™ or one of five cash prizes of $500!
• $2 Happy Holidays and Reindeer Bingo = chance to win one of 50 Sony® Cyber-shot® cameras or one of five cash prizes of $1,000!
• $3 Stocking Stuffer Tripler = chance to win one of 50 Sony® VAIO® laptops or one of five cash prizes of $1,500!
• $5 Holiday Crossword and Silver Bells = chance to win one of 50 Sony® PlayStation® 3 packages or one of five cash prizes of $2,500!
• $10 Merry Money = chance to win one of 50 Sony® BRAVIA® 32-inch HDTVs or one of five cash prizes of $5,000!

A few requirements to keep in mind:

• You can only enter the promotion on the lottery’s website (www.ialottery.com). Hand-delivered or mailed entries will not be accepted.
• You have to use your street address when entering the promotion. Your electronics will be delivered to you if you win, so P.O. Box addresses will not be valid.
• You have to keep all the tickets you enter, as you’ll need to present your signed ticket to the lottery to claim any prize you win.
• You can use each ticket only once as an eligible entry.
• And, you can enter as many times as you wish, but you can win only one prize per category.

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