Talk about a winning weekend!
Three large lottery prizes were won in the past two days in Iowa. The first was a $1 million Mega Millions® prize in that game’s Friday drawing. Then came an InstaPlay jackpot of nearly $400,000 and a Powerball® prize of $2 million, both won yesterday.
The winning streak demonstrates the random nature of lottery games, and the key detail you’ve heard us at the lottery emphasize so many times: You never know when or where the next big winner will hit!
Here are the details about each of the prizes and games involved.
Powerball
The $2 million Powerball prize was won last night with a ticket purchased at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 1027 N. Quincy Ave. in Ottumwa. The ticket came within one number of last night’s $424 million jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball to initially win a $1 million prize. But whoever bought the ticket added the Power Play option to the play, which multiplied the prize at the Match 5 level to $2 million.
The Ottumwa ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize last night.
Last night’s winning Powerball numbers were: 2-38-44-50-62 and Powerball 19. The Power Play number was 3. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $440 million annuity, $230.5 million lump-sum option, for the game’s next drawing on Monday.
Hy-Vee will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million ticket.
InstaPlay
A jackpot of $390,191 was won yesterday in the Super 7s Progressive InstaPlay game with a ticket purchased at Casey’s, 717 First Ave. E. in Cascade.
Super 7s Progressive InstaPlay is a $30 game. Its jackpot starts at $50,000 and increases with each ticket sold statewide until it is won.
The Super 7s Progressive jackpot had been growing for more than two months. Before yesterday’s lucky strike, it was last won on April 4 with a ticket purchased in Marion.
The InstaPlay product combines features from instant-scratch and lotto games. InstaPlay tickets are called scratchless because they have no security coating that needs to be removed to determine the prize won.
Mega Millions
The $1 million Mega Millions prize was won Friday with a ticket purchased at Smokin’ Joe’s, 3120 Rockingham Road in Davenport. The ticket came within one number of Friday’s $320 million jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Mega Ball.
The Davenport ticket was the only one in the country to win a $1 million prize on Friday.
Friday’s winning numbers were: 13-62-65-67-69 and Mega Ball 14. The Megaplier® was 5. No one matched all six numbers to win Friday’s jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $343 million annuity, $180.1 million lump-sum option, for the game’s next drawing on Tuesday.
Smokin’ Joe’s will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.
Powerball and Mega Millions are both lotto games with jackpot prizes that have topped $1 billion. But while Powerball's drawings are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, Mega Millions drawings are on Tuesdays and Fridays.
All three big prizes from this weekend have to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Lottery offices are open Monday through Friday, and appointments are strongly encouraged for those claims.
To make an appointment or contact the lottery with questions, the winners are welcome to call the lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].