ialottery blog

Messages Of Help & Hope During National Problem Gambling Awareness Month

During the next week, you’ll see messages on a variety of platforms to remind us all that it’s National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Our hope is that the right information will be provided at the right time to someone who needs it.

Whether you’re watching TV, driving in the car with the radio on, surfing the web or using an audio- or video-streaming service, you’ll likely see one of the public service announcements we’ve produced in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Our 2019 campaign begins during Sunday’s 10 p.m. local newscasts, when our PSA will be aired by television stations statewide. Then throughout the coming week, our PSA messages will be shown on outdoor billboards and local broadcast and cable channels; streamed on digital audio and video platforms; and aired by radio stations statewide. While the bulk of our campaign will occur during the coming week, some messages will continue to air through the end of March.           

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and we want you to have the conversation if you have a concern about problem gambling.

Remember that problem gamblers come from any background. They can be rich or poor, young or old, male or female. Problem gambling can affect people of every race and religion, and every education and income level. The one constant is that problem gambling is treatable.

Signs of problem gambling include:

• thinking a lot about gambling, such as past gambling experiences, future gambling ventures, or ways of getting money for gambling.
• needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or with larger bets in order to get the same feeling of excitement.
• repeatedly trying to cut down or stop gambling without success.
• feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling.
• gambling to run away from problems or to get relief from feeling depressed, anxious, or bad about yourself.
• often returning after gambling losses to try to win back money.
• lying to family members, friends or others in order to hide gambling activities from them.
• losing or almost losing a significant relationship, job, or an educational or career opportunity because of gambling.
• relying on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling.

If you ever have questions or concerns about problem gambling, visit https://yourlifeiowa.org to learn about the help available by phone, in person, or through secure chat or video.

A Look Back 30+ Years For National Old Stuff Day!

We’re taking a trip down memory lane because tomorrow is National Old Stuff Day!

That’s according to the National Day Calendar™, the website that tracks unusual and unique national days and has a day for just about everything.

According to the explanation given, National Old Stuff Day is a time to acknowledge the history in our lives, but at the same time, break out of our old routines and try something new. 

So, to celebrate the history of the Iowa Lottery, we’re looking back to our very first game ever, which hit store shelves on Aug. 22, 1985, the day the lottery started. The $1 scratch game was called “Scratch, Match & Win!” and it was the only product we had at the time. More than 1.1 million tickets were sold in the lottery’s first four hours.

And below is a photo taken in the lead-up to the lottery’s start, with one of our staffers from back then posing in a “money bags” costume that was part of the start-up celebration. My, oh my, how time flies!

Fast forward to today, and the Iowa Lottery has four product lines: scratch games, lotto games, InstaPlay games and pull-tab games. We do our best to have a mix of games in the marketplace because we know that variety is the spice of life these days!

In keeping with the theme of Old Stuff Day, we’ll go on thinking about new game and prize ideas so the lottery can keep bringing you entertainment options while doing our best to raise proceeds for the state causes that benefit us all.

Celebrate Us: It’s National Iowa Day!

It’s time to celebrate everything that makes our state great, because it’s National Iowa Day!
  
That’s according to the National Day Calendar™, the website that tracks unusual and unique national days and has a day for just about everything.

So why today? It’s not Iowa’s birthday. That date is Dec. 28, when Iowa was granted statehood back in 1846. But the National Day Calendar folks have declared an official day for each U.S. state in the order they entered the union, and Iowa’s date just happens to be today.

So here are just some of the awesome things about our state:

“Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” has dubbed Burlington’s Snake Alley as the most crooked street in the world.

Iowa is the only state whose east AND west borders are formed entirely by water. Extra points if you know that it’s the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers on our western border and the Mississippi River on the east.

An Iowa native invented sliced bread. Otto Frederick Rohwedder was born and raised in Davenport. He was living in St. Joseph, Mo., when he developed a machine in 1927 that would not only slice bread, but also wrapped it. He patented his invention, and in 1932, sold his patent rights to Micro-Westco Co. of Bettendorf and joined the company. The next year, American bakeries for the first time produced more sliced than unsliced bread loaves.

More than 35 percent of Iowa’s electricity comes from wind power. That’s the result of more than 3,200 wind turbines that are at work here, the highest concentration in the country. Experts predict that wind-generated electricity could reach 40 percent in Iowa by 2020.

Fake ‘Terry Rich’ Account Shut Down

In a reminder that we all need to be vigilant and double-check the information we find online, we’ve just had a fake “Terry Rich” account shut down on Facebook. We’ve unfortunately seen this type of thing before, but the good news is that in most instances, it’s easy to report imposter pages or accounts and get them shut down.

In this latest instance, a Facebook page popped up in our feeds that appeared to be an account for Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich, but several of the details involved were wrong. The page, for example, stated that Terry lives in Washington, D.C., which obviously isn’t the case. It would be a tad difficult to live in D.C. and come to work every day at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive! 

So we followed Facebook’s process to report a fake page and ask that it be shut down. And we’re glad to say the process worked: That account is no longer live.

A few years ago, there also was a fake “Mary Neubauer” page out there, and it was pretty blatant in its scam attempt. Whoever had set up that page was sending direct messages on Facebook using my name. The message stated that the recipient had won a lottery jackpot and that in order to claim the prize, they needed to get a money card and then give “Mary Neubauer” the numbers on the card. (I suppose the further explanation was that the prize money would be sent to the money card. But in reality, I believe that the scammers planned to bilk the victim by cleaning out any money on the card.)
    
We also reported that page as fake at the time and got it shut down.

We've given reminders for years about the dangers of lottery scams. And, scam attempts through the years have unfortunately involved the names of several different lottery officials.

The lottery scammers are nearly impossible to trace or stop. In most instances, they operate from outside the United States using mobile operations that spoof I.P. addresses, telephone numbers and physical locations. The best thing that any of us can do is to remain vigilant and protect ourselves. NEVER send someone money who promises you a lottery prize, and NEVER share online personally-identifying information such as your Social Security number or bank account information.

We keep reminders that can help on the Player Security section of our website. Please check out those details and share them with anyone who wonders whether something they see is real or a scam.

It's Time To Go Electronic: We’re Asking To Modernize Iowa’s Lottery

Like any other business these days, the future looks more electronic for the Iowa Lottery, and we think it involves sales of our products on personal consumer electronic devices (smart phones, tablets, PCs, etc.).
 
That is the outcome from a “future-looking” discussion we had with the Iowa Lottery Board this week about how the Iowa Lottery can best position itself to continue providing the proceeds that people count on from us for state causes.

Today’s quickly evolving consumer behavior stands to have a huge impact on the Iowa Lottery as we move ahead. For that reason, we’ve filed legislation for the upcoming 2019 session that we believe will allow the lottery to modernize its operations.

Current state law already would allow the lottery to sell its lotto games online, but we have not yet taken that step. Our proposed legislation would allow the sale of any of our products on personal consumer electronic devices. We believe that for its ongoing success, the lottery must enter the world of e-commerce.  
 
Our proposal also would update the ways that people can pay for lottery tickets in Iowa to include cash, check, money order, debit card and prepaid gift card (all of which can already be used) as well as payments through electronic wallets or mobile applications. I will emphasize that credit is prohibited in the purchase of lottery tickets today in Iowa and that would remain the case under our proposal. The e-wallets would allow players to establish electronic accounts with the lottery and play lottery games online using money they put in those accounts.

This conversation isn’t unique to Iowa: Ten U.S. lotteries already sell products online, and the issue is under discussion in states all across the country.

The Iowa Lottery is currently in a very strong position. We’ve introduced new products in recent years like our InstaPlay games and we’ve enhanced and re-invigorated our long-term product lines to keep our games fresh. But without the ability to modernize our products, we anticipate that Iowa Lottery proceeds will only continue at their current levels for a few more years at most, and then we expect a downturn. The steep, ongoing decline in the use of cash, the ever-increasing trend toward e-commerce, and consumer demand for greater convenience all are factors.

A majority of Americans no longer regularly carry cash. And if they do, nearly half say they keep less than $20 on hand.

As consumers, we’re buying even everyday staples like groceries online. Many times, we don’t go to the store anymore. We have someone else get the items for us and then we want our order brought out to our car or delivered to our home. And a maximum two-day delivery is a normal that we demand for many online purchases.

Because the Iowa Lottery isn’t yet selling its games online, we’ve had to push back against illegal apps that are moving in. Those apps are re-selling lottery tickets through illegal means and there is no way for anyone to be certain that consumers are receiving the winnings they’re due. We’ve taken steps to shut down the apps or prevent them from doing business in Iowa, but they continue to multiply.

Our legislation takes into account these realities, giving the Iowa Lottery the ability to securely move into e-commerce while maintaining strong retailer involvement.
 
We know there are many ways that retailers can be part of any e-commerce system at the Iowa Lottery. For example, in Michigan, the lottery sells online game cards through its lottery terminals and self-service kiosks in retail locations. Customers can buy those game cards in increments from $10 up to $100 and use them to fund their e-wallets with the Michigan Lottery. The game cards can be eligible for bonuses, meaning that players can win an amount above and beyond what they purchased. The bonus system gives players an incentive to buy the game cards at retail locations and retailers in turn get a sales commission from the lottery. Twenty-five percent of online lottery players in Michigan have funded their accounts with a game card.

The statistics from other states and countries with long-term online lottery sales demonstrate that sales of traditional lottery products at retail increase along with the introduction of online sales. The added convenience creates an “omni-channel” approach to lottery sales.
  
Sophisticated age-gating and geo-gating technology is used by all U.S. lotteries that offer online gaming, ensuring that players are of the legal minimum purchasing age and that they’re physically located within the borders of that state in order to play.
 
We’re also impressed by the enhanced responsible gaming opportunities that online sales would bring. It’s nearly impossible to set any type of spending restrictions involving cash, but deposit limits are a standard feature for lotteries using electronic player accounts. And, players have the ability to set their own personal deposit limits that are even lower than those set by the lottery. Players also can electronically self-exclude themselves from playing online for a period of time or even permanently if they’re concerned about problem gambling.

The future will be here before we know it! So here at the lottery, we’re doing our best to be ready.

Record Sales & Prizes To Players In Lottery’s Latest Year

The results are in for our lottery’s latest year: Scratch-ticket sales set a record for the fourth year in a row as the Iowa Lottery hit record total sales in fiscal year 2018, had record prizes to players and finished with annual results in its overall Top 2.
 
Our preliminary figures for the year show that the Iowa Lottery generated $87.1 million in proceeds to state causes in FY 2018, which ended June 30. That’s the second-highest proceeds total in the lottery’s 33-year history and the fifth time that our annual proceeds have topped the $80-million mark.

Lottery players won a record $227.5 million in prizes for the year. And total annual lottery sales were a record $371 million, topping the $300-million mark for the seventh year in a row.

But those numbers aren’t the only way we judge the outcome of a year, and there were a lot of other positives during the past 12 months. We got a clean audit for FY 2017 from the State Auditor’s Office, had record exposure for play responsibly messages in March as part of our work to support National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and we won an international award for gaming compliance in the long-running jackpot investigation case. We are extremely proud to have been able to achieve success on those fronts as well.

Scratch-ticket sales in Iowa have set records each year since FY 2015, did that again this past year, reaching a grand total of $244.3 million. Powerball and Mega Millions also both saw sales increases this past year in Iowa.

I give a huge shout-out to Iowa retailers for their work in helping lottery customers and selling tickets. Local businesses across the state received $24.2 million in annual sales commissions from the lottery in FY 2018, and we’re glad to be able to make a difference for their bottom line.

Another highlight for the year was the $2.5 million that the lottery raised for the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund to help our state’s veterans and their families. We’ve now has raised nearly $25 million for the Veterans Trust Fund since we began providing proceeds to that cause in 2008.

The largest prize won by an Iowa Lottery player in FY 2018 was a $4.38 million Lotto America jackpot claimed by Chuck Anderson of Davenport on May 10. Four other Iowa  tickets won prizes of $1 million during the year, including a Powerball ticket purchased in Nevada for the April 11 drawing that's still unclaimed.
 
I know there is always a lot of interest in where people buy their lottery tickets. The Top 10 retailers for lottery sales in FY 2018 were in four different communities:

Can The Lottery Give Our Group/Cause/Team A Donation?

As the summer months have hit, we’ve gotten more requests from organizations and teams wondering if the lottery can give them a donation. There are so, so many good causes out there, and we’re always glad to hear about the way that people are helping out in their communities.

But for the Iowa Lottery specifically, state law directs that all lottery proceeds go to state causes, so it’s not possible for the lottery to provide funding to individual requests.

Today, lottery proceeds in Iowa have three main purposes: They provide support for our state’s veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund; help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund; and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions and build and repair schools.

Iowa Lottery Wins International Gaming-Compliance Award For Work In Investigation

The Iowa Lottery has won an international gaming-compliance award for its work in the long-running lottery jackpot investigation that uncovered fraud against U.S. lotteries and resulted in confessions and guilty pleas from three men.

Yesterday, GamblingCompliance named the Iowa Lottery its 2018 recipient for outstanding achievement in compliance. The organization’s annual awards that recognize excellence in 11 categories were presented in London. The lottery was one of five worldwide finalists for the gaming-compliance award.

We’re enormously proud of the work we put in and the perseverance investigators showed through the years in bringing the long-running case to a successful conclusion. We believed the case was a crucial opportunity for our lottery to pinpoint security enhancements and new technologies we could bring to our operations. I’m confident in the integrity of our games, and if anything, we’re even more aware today that we have to aggressively monitor and “trust but verify” in all areas of our operations if we’re going to stay ahead of those who would try to commit crimes.

GamblingCompliance is headquartered in London and has its U.S. hub in Washington, D.C. It provides independent legal, regulatory, and business intelligence to the global gambling industry.

The jackpot investigation case began with a lottery ticket purchased in December 2010 in Des Moines and culminated in 2017 with guilty pleas from three men who admitted they illegally claimed prizes by rigging lottery drawings in five states. Eddie Tipton, the man at the center of the investigation, installed malicious computer code that allowed him to predict winning numbers in some lottery drawings.

The Iowa Lottery noticed that something was amiss from the group’s earliest attempt to claim the jackpot won in Des Moines, and requested that the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation open an investigation.

Tipton pleaded guilty to three felony charges in Iowa and Wisconsin and was sentenced in August 2017 to up to 25 years in prison. He had conspired with friends and family to claim lottery prizes in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin and attempt to claim a lottery jackpot in Iowa, which ultimately was not paid.

Tipton’s younger brother, Tommy Tipton, also pleaded guilty in the case, as did Tipton’s long-time friend, Robert Rhodes.

Our ‘New’ Winning Numbers Line

We’ve revamped the recorded line you can call to get the latest winning numbers in our lotto drawings. The new format just took effect yesterday, and it lets you choose the game you want without having to listen to the results for other drawings first.

The number itself has not changed – it’s still 515-323-4633, so there’s no need to reprogram your phone!  But now when you call, each of our lotto games has its own prompt. So, you push “1” for Powerball, “2” for Mega Millions, etc.

Up until now, we’ve just had one recording for all the latest results in our games. So, you might have had to listen to the winning numbers for a few other games before getting to the results you wanted. We know that time matters, and we hope that the new format can shorten the call for you.

If the voice on the line sounds familiar, that’s because you may have heard it before. It’s me reading the numbers, but the process is automated as well, so I think of the voice as Computer Mary. We’ve done our best to pace the results so you can write down the numbers as they’re announced.

The winning numbers line is just one of the ways we provide the results in our lotto drawings, but it’s a popular option, getting tens of thousands of calls each month.

Let us know what you think of the new format! I can pass your comments along to Computer Mary.

Problem Gambling Reminder: Help Is ALWAYS Available In Iowa

 

We highlight it at this time of year, but remember that help is available 24/7 here in Iowa if you ever have concerns about problem gaming.

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Over the course of the next few weeks, the public service announcement you see here will air statewide. We’re joining the Iowa Department of Public Health in reminding you to have the conversation if you have a concern about problem gambling.

Remember that problem gamblers come from many backgrounds. They can be rich or poor, young or old, male or female. Problem gambling can affect people of every race and religion, and every education and income level. The one constant is that problem gambling is treatable.

Signs of problem gambling include:
• Thinking a lot about gambling, such as past gambling experiences, future gambling ventures, or ways of getting money for gambling
• Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or with larger bets in order to get the same feeling of excitement
• Repeatedly trying to cut down or stop gambling without success
• Feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling
• Gambling to run away from problems or to get relief from feeling depressed, anxious, or bad about yourself
• Often returning after gambling losses to try to win back money
• Lying to family members, friends or others in order to hide gambling activities from them
• Losing or almost losing a significant relationship, job, or an educational or career opportunity because of gambling
• Relying on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling

If you ever have questions or concerns about problem gambling, visit https://yourlifeiowa.org/gambling to learn about the help available by phone, in person, or through secure chat or video.

We’ve received tremendous support from television stations, cable systems, radio stations and outdoor billboard companies that will run this month’s PSAs at no cost. We hope that by reaching out, we can get the right information at the right time to someone who needs it.

Iowa Lottery Named Finalist For International Gaming-Compliance Award

 

It’s a case we were involved in for more than seven years, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I share some good news to come out of that situation.

The Iowa Lottery is a finalist for an international gaming-compliance award for its work in the long-running lottery jackpot investigation that uncovered fraud against U.S. lotteries and resulted in guilty pleas from three men.
 
The Iowa Lottery is one of five finalists for the 2018 award for outstanding achievement in compliance from GamblingCompliance, which provides independent legal, regulatory, and business intelligence to the global gambling industry. GamblingCompliance presents annual awards to recognize excellence in 11 categories focused on regulatory compliance and responsible gaming. Its 2018 Global Regulatory Awards will be presented April 18 in London.

The jackpot investigation culminated last year with guilty pleas from three men who admitted they illegally claimed prizes by rigging lottery drawings in five states. Eddie Tipton, the man at the center of the investigation, installed malicious computer code that allowed him to predict winning numbers in some lottery drawings.
   
Tipton pleaded guilty to three felony charges in Iowa and Wisconsin and was sentenced in August to up to 25 years in prison. He had conspired with friends and family to claim lottery prizes in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin and attempt to claim a lottery jackpot here in Iowa, which ultimately was not paid.  

Tipton’s younger brother, Tommy Tipton, also pleaded guilty in the case, as did Tipton’s long-time friend, Robert Rhodes.

We’re Hiring For A Communications & Social Media Staffer

Here’s a quick hiring alert with the chance to join our staff here at the Iowa Lottery. We have an opening for a communications and social media specialist to work on our External Relations team at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

The official title of the job is an Information Specialist 1. The person in that position writes news releases, our employee newsletter, and other materials. That person also helps us produce audio and video materials, including radio spots, and posts information on behalf of the lottery to our social media accounts. The staffer also helps with promotional and media events around the state.

We’re a pretty fun bunch here at the lottery! The details about the job are on the State of Iowa Employment website, so check out the listing to learn more. The deadline to apply is Feb. 22.

 

Dueling Jackpots Top $400 Million At Same Time To Start Off New Year!

For the first time ever, the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions have topped the $400 million mark at the same time. The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $445 million annuity ($277.6 million cash option) for Friday, while Powerball’s big prize is an estimated $550 million annuity ($347.9 million cash option) for Saturday. Both jackpots now rank in the Top 15 overall for record U.S. lottery prizes!

In August, both games saw jackpots that topped the $300 million mark simultaneously, but this time around both prizes have climbed even higher at the same time. That speaks to the unpredictable factor of lottery jackpots: You just never know when the next big winner will hit!

We're still on the look-out for a $1 million winner in central Iowa.

While the jackpots in both games have been climbing since October, there have been winners at other prize levels across the country, including a $1 million winner in Iowa. Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in central Iowa won a $1 million prize in the final drawing of 2017. The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at the Kum & Go convenience store at 1200 N. Walnut St. in Colfax. It came within one number of having at least a share of Saturday’s $390.1 million Powerball jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball.

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

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.

Here's a few historic facts about these dueling jackpots: 

Powerball’s big prize now ranks at No. 8 overall on the list of record U.S. lottery jackpots, while the Mega Millions jackpot is currently ranked No. 12.

And while the bigger games are a big run, the Lotto America jackpot also is really getting up there. Lotto America is a smaller regional game played by Iowa and 12 other lotteries. The jackpot in that game is at an estimated $17.58 million for Saturday’s drawing.

Some may wonder, would it be possible for one person to win the jackpots in both Mega Millions and Powerball? The short answer is: Yes, but …

It takes long odds to produce big jackpots. The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million. (The odds are based upon the total number of combinations available to play in each game.) To calculate the odds of winning both jackpots, you multiply 302.6 million by 292.2 million. The answer involves a lot of zeroes: about 1 in 88 quadrillion (that’s 88,000,000,000,000,000).

“Winning both jackpots is something fun to daydream about, but it’s probably the ultimate long shot,” Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said. “That’s why we emphasize responsible play. Have fun playing the lottery, but remember that it’s just for entertainment. There is no guarantee you will win.”

So what’s behind the these giant numbers? Prior to January 2010, Mega Millions and Powerball were sold by separate groups of lotteries. U.S. lottery directors reached an agreement back then that allowed both games to be sold by all states. With more states selling a particular game, there is a bigger population base playing it, which produces higher sales overall and helps the jackpot climb higher.

The jackpots in both games have been growing for some time now. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in the drawing on Oct. 13, split by two tickets purchased in Michigan and Rhode Island. It’s been growing since that time to hit its current level. Players can buy tickets in Iowa for the next Mega Millions drawing up until 8:59 p.m. Friday.

The Powerball jackpot was last won on Oct. 25 with a ticket purchased in Louisiana. Players can buy tickets here in Iowa for Saturday’s Powerball jackpot up until 8:59 p.m. that day.

It is true that both games have seen bigger jackpots, but not at the same time! Mega Millions and Powerball have both seen jackpots much larger than their current amounts, but not at the same time. Powerball currently has the world record lottery jackpot: a prize of nearly $1.6 billion that was split in January 2016 by three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee. The largest Mega Millions jackpot to date is a $656 million prize won in March 2012 by three tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

Here's a little compare and contrast for you:

Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and grow until they’re won. You choose five numbers from a pool of 69 and another number – the Powerball – from a separate pool of 26. If you match all six numbers, you win the jackpot, and there also are eight other prize levels you can win. Plays cost $2 and drawings are at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Mega Millions jackpots also start at $40 million and grow until they’re won. Players in the game choose five numbers from a pool of 70 and another number – the Mega Ball – from a separate pool of 25 numbers. If you match all six numbers, you win the jackpot, and there are eight other prize levels you can win. Tickets cost $2 and drawings are at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Both games have a multiplier feature that costs an extra $1 per play and multiplies any non-jackpot prize won. Jackpot winners in both games can choose to receive their prize in annuitized payments over time or in a one-time, lump-sum payment.

‘Tiny Home, Big Wins!’ Promotion: Your Chance To Join The Trend!

We’ve got a chance for you to be part of the tiny-home movement.

Whatever you call it – a tiny home, a small house or a not-so-big house – there’s no doubt that this trend has taken root all across the country. We’ve had fun brainstorming ways to give our players a chance to join in, and that led to today’s debut of a promotion that offers a custom-built tiny home as the grand prize.

A $5 instant-scratch game called “Tiny Home, Big Wins!” it hitting stores today. And we’re also opening the entry period for a promotion with the same name. Tickets in the scratch game feature an image of a tiny home in the woods and offer players the chance to win prizes from $5 up to $50,000.

Players who don’t win an instant prize can use nonwinning tickets in the game to enter the promotion from today through Aug. 29. The promotion will feature seven prize drawings, or about one a month. The first six drawings will each offer 20 prizes of $500 Home Depot® gift cards.

The promotion’s grand-prize drawing on Aug. 31 will be for a $60,000 gift certificate from Wind River Tiny Homes of Chattanooga, Tenn., for a custom-built tiny home, along with two Home Depot gift cards of $500 for the winner. (State and federal withholding taxes for the grand-prize package also will be paid.)

To enter the promotion, you’ll need to join or already be a member of our free VIP Club. You can enter tickets into the promotion through the lottery’s website or the Iowa Lottery’s LotteryPlus app available through iTunes® and Google Play®.

*Entries not selected as a winner in a previous Tiny Home, Big Wins! promotion drawing are automatically entered into the Tiny Home, Big Wins! grand prize drawing.

Iowa Lottery is not affiliated with The Home Depot®. The Home Depot is not a sponsor of this promotion. The Home Depot is a registered trademark of Home Depot Product Authority, LLC.

© 2018 Wind River Tiny Homes.

How Many People Work At The Lottery? Can YOU Play?

A couple people have asked me this recently, so it must be coming up in conversation: How many people work at the Iowa Lottery, and can we as employees play the lottery?

The lottery has about 115 employees, many of whom are out and about each week visiting our 2,400 retail locations.

As Iowa Lottery employees, it’s against the law for us to buy tickets in Iowa or claim a lottery prize in this state. It makes sense that we shouldn’t be playing, since we know the ins and outs of the lottery and its games.

But it’s perfectly fine for Iowa Lottery employees to the play the lottery outside of Iowa because we don’t work for the lotteries in those other states. And I confess that reverse psychology works on me in instance. Since I can’t play in Iowa, I almost always stop to buy lottery tickets when I’m out of state. Hey, I want to win, too!

Why Has This Place Been #1 For So Long?

 

For years here in Iowa, one store has sold more lottery tickets than any other: the Hy-Vee on Wilson Avenue in Cedar Rapids. So we went there to check it out. Click on the video above to see what we learned!

We’ll Be Walking! Will YOU?!

We are officially throwin’ down today by challenging you to #GetYourWalkOn!

Here at the lottery, we’ll be part of the 7th annual Healthiest State Walk on Oct. 4. The goal of Walk organizers is to have a walk registered in all 99 Iowa counties. It looks like the state is almost filled in, but there are a few counties left to go, so register your group to put your area on the map!

The Annual Walk is a great way to promote our state’s well-being and for the past several years, hundreds of thousands of Iowans have taken part. Last year, Iowans were encouraged to step it up and walk 30 minutes. This year, the Healthiest State Initiative wants you to walk not only on Oct. 4, but every day. Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich is a co-chair of this year’s walk and we’ll be lacing up our shoes to join him!

Remember, walking is one of the best ways to stay healthy and connect with others. Choosing to walk or engage in other exercise every day shows our dedication to the long-term goal of making healthy choices.

We’re Hiring For A Drawing Staffer

 

Here’s a quick hiring alert as we head into the holiday weekend. It is the Labor Day holiday after all, so it seems appropriate to talk about jobs! 
 
The Iowa Lottery has an opening for a part-time staffer to work our lotto-game drawings. All of the details are on the State of Iowa Employment website, so check out the listing to learn more.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 13.

 

Maximum Prison Sentence For Man At Center Of Jackpot Investigation

 

Eddie Tipton, the man at the center of the long-running lottery jackpot investigation, was sentenced today to up to 25 years in prison. He received the maximum sentence for the felony charge of ongoing criminal conduct to which he'd pleaded guilty here in Iowa.

While in court in Des Moines, Eddie Tipton said he regretted his actions in rigging lottery drawings, said he knew what he did was wrong, and that he was sorry for hurting so many people.

In handing down the maximum sentence, the judge said he was sending a strong message of deterrence. Tipton was taken into custody at the end of the sentencing hearing.   

Here at the Iowa Lottery, we appreciate the judge’s work and respect the court’s decision. This moment has been years in coming and provides certainty and closure after all this time.

Assistant Attorney General Rob Sand and Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich answered questions from the media after today’s hearing. Click on the video above for a front-row seat to their Q-and-A session.

How Are We Doing? The Results Are In For Our Latest Year

We have the early numbers for our latest fiscal year, and it will be in our Top 4 overall. Record sales of scratch tickets led the way in fiscal year 2017 and the Iowa Lottery finished the year well ahead of budget projections.

The biggest difference from 2016’s record results came in the sales total for Powerball®, which saw a world-record jackpot of nearly $1.6 billion in January 2016 and had enormous sales in Iowa and across the country. There won’t be a world-record jackpot every year! We understand that lottery results can and do fluctuate over time, which is why we budget conservatively.

The preliminary results show that the Iowa Lottery generated nearly $81 million in proceeds to state causes in FY 2017, which ended June 30. It’s the fourth time that annual proceeds have topped the $80-million mark in the lottery’s 32-year history. Annual lottery sales were $352.2 million, exceeding the $300 million mark for the sixth year in a row. Prizes to players totaled $215.6 million, while lottery sales commissions to local businesses across the state totaled nearly $23 million.

In general, the particular type of lottery product that sells best in a given time period has a big impact on overall lottery results. For example, scratch games have a smaller profit margin than do lotto games like Powerball and Mega Millions. So in a year like FY 2017 when scratch tickets sell particularly well, lottery profits will likely be a smaller percentage of total sales simply because scratch games have a smaller profit margin overall. In a year when lotto tickets sell particularly well as they did in FY 2016, lottery profit margins will likely be higher.

Scratch games achieved record results in FY 2017 for a third straight year, with sales totaling $237.6 million. That’s an increase of nearly $4 million from the previous record that had just been set in FY 2016.

We always remember that lottery products are an optional purchase. We’ll do our best to take care of the behind-the-scenes work so you as our customers can just have fun playing.

So who were Iowa’s biggest lottery winners in FY 2017? Four Iowa Lottery players claimed prizes of at least $1 million during the year:

          Winner                      City                       Game               Prize              Claimed  
          Jeff Wolf                    Iowa City               Powerball         $2 million       April 27, 2017
          Karl Krumbholz         Cedar Rapids        Powerball         $2 million       March 17, 2017
          Jeff Tomlinson Jr.     Coralville               Powerball          $1 million       Oct. 7, 2016
          Rick Breuss Jr.         West Des Moines  Mega Millions    $1 million       July 18, 2016

 

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!

Player Mail: Are Pball & MM Tickets Still Being Sold In Iowa?

July 7 Update: Powerball and Mega Millions sales have resumed today in Illinois. The Illinois Legislature approved a state budget yesterday, and that step has in turn allowed the Illinois Lottery to pay prizes at all levels. That was the issue that had caused sales in the two big-jackpot games to be suspended in Illinois last week. 

Original July 5 entry: With the state budget impasse continuing in Illinois, we’re fielding calls from players on both sides of Iowa’s eastern border, asking if Powerball® and Mega Millions® continue to be sold here in our state. The quick answer is: Yes.

Here’s the backstory:

State lawmakers in Illinois have been unable to reach a state budget agreement even though the new fiscal year began on Saturday. The lack of a state budget there has left the Illinois Lottery unable to pay prizes of more than $25,000. And that, in turn, has led to Powerball and Mega Millions sales being suspended in Illinois until a state budget is in place and all lottery prize payments can resume.

We’re now receiving inquiries from players in both Iowa and Illinois, asking if sales in the two big-jackpot games are continuing here in Iowa. They are. And many of the players who have contacted us from Illinois said they planned to come to Iowa to buy their tickets. So, our retail locations along the Mississippi River likely will see a jump in sales if the situation continues.

Many of the folks contacting us from Illinois are asking if the Iowa Lottery sells its products on the Internet, as does the Illinois Lottery. We have not taken that step, but even if that were to be the case, folks still wouldn’t be able to buy Iowa Lottery products online from out of state. In any U.S. states where lottery products are sold online, Internet lottery purchases can only be conducted within that state’s borders.      
 
Back in 2015, Illinois also saw a state budget impasse. The situation back then went on for months and left the Illinois Lottery unable to pay prizes during that time. (The difference between then and now is that Powerball and Mega Millions sales continued in Illinois in 2015.)

During the 2015 situation, Iowa Lottery sales in several of our counties along the Illinois border saw increases that were well above the statewide average. And when we dove further into the numbers, we could see that Iowa stores near the major bridges that span the Mississippi River between Illinois and Iowa had hefty lottery sales increases.

The situation this time around has only been underway for a handful of days, so it will take more time for sales trends to become clear. But if the chatter is any indication, folks are definitely paying attention.

Lottery Statement Regarding Plea Agreement In Long-Running Jackpot Investigation

You may have heard that an agreement was reached today with Eddie Tipton and Tommy Tipton in the long-running jackpot investigation.

Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich released the following statement regarding today’s court proceedings:

“We’re pleased with the agreement that has been reached in the Tipton cases.  We understand that this agreement, if approved by a judge in Iowa, will resolve the pending criminal court proceedings relating to the attempt to claim the 2010 Hot Lotto jackpot prize in Iowa, as well as to the other lottery prizes paid in Wisconsin, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado.

We’re thankful for the extensive work in this nationwide lottery investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and authorities from around the country. We’re also grateful for the support of former Governor Terry Branstad and Governor Kim Reynolds, for the priority that they have placed on protecting the integrity of the lottery system here in Iowa.

As these cases reach conclusion, we look forward to the process to help answer any remaining questions about exactly what occurred. This information will be valuable to the Iowa Lottery and the lottery industry as a whole to help us safeguard our games and protect our players.

We have said all along that the Iowa Lottery will follow the facts of this investigation wherever they may lead. I am pleased to say we are one step closer to the end of that road today.

I continue to have confidence that Iowa Lottery games offered today are fair. Our lottery has strong layers of security in place to protect lottery players, lottery games and lottery prizes. We will continue to enhance the layers of security to protect the integrity of our lottery games.”

More information about today’s court proceedings and the long-running jackpot investigation can be found on our website, here.

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.

Player Mail: Hey, Can YOU Play The Lottery?

Here’s a question that seems to have come up in conversation for all of us who work at the Iowa Lottery: Can we play?

The short answer is: no. As Iowa Lottery employees, it’s against the law for us to buy tickets in Iowa or claim a lottery prize here. And that’s as it should be – we know the ins and outs of the lottery and its games, so it makes sense that we shouldn’t be playing. I always tell people that we have to live vicariously through them on this point!

But it’s perfectly fine for Iowa Lottery employees to the play the lottery outside of Iowa because we don’t work for the lotteries in those other states. And I confess that I definitely understand reverse psychology on this point, because now that I can’t play in Iowa, I almost always stop to buy tickets when I’m out of state. Hey, I want to win, too!

So what’s the most I’ve ever won? I won $100 once on a scratch ticket! You would have thought that I hit a multi-million-dollar jackpot, I was so excited! It was fun! I look at lottery tickets as a chance to daydream about what would happen if I ever were to win big.

Maybe someday it will happen. But as long as I work here, there’s one thing for sure: It won’t be in Iowa.

IA Powerball Mystery Is Over: $2 Million Prize Claimed After 9 Months

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The winner of that $2 million Powerball® prize sitting unclaimed in Cedar Rapids for the past nine months has come forward! Jeff Wolf of Iowa City claimed the prize today. He said he’s known since shortly after the July 16 drawing that he’d won a big prize, but he took his time in claiming it while he thought through what to do with the money. Click on the video above to see Jeff’s story!

 

 

Spring Cuteness To Wrap Up The Work Week

The geese that made their nest outside lottery headquarters last year returned to visit us again this spring, and after keeping a close eye on us as we watched them for the past few weeks, they’ve given us a dose of cuteness!  

They hatched four goslings last year and went one better this time around! Five little goslings made their appearance yesterday.

And just like last year, the family cleared out right away. We were lucky to get some quick pics of Mom, Dad and the five kids before they were off on their travels.

Here’s a shot to give you a smile for the weekend!

Iowa Senate Unanimously Confirms Terry Rich As Lottery CEO

Terry Rich’s re-appointment as CEO of the Iowa Lottery has been completed and he will continue to lead our organization for another four years.

The Iowa Senate voted 50-0 last night to confirm Terry’s re-appointment. His current term as CEO ends April 30 and he now will serve another four-year term that begins May 1. Gov. Terry Branstad had nominated Terry for re-appointment on March 1, sending his nomination to the state Senate for its vote.

Terry has served as CEO of the Iowa Lottery since February 2009. During his first two terms at the lottery, he also served as president of the important industry group the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) in 2014-2015. NASPL represents 52 lotteries in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

 

Remember That Help Is ALWAYS Available Here In Iowa For Problem Gambling

This is the time of year when we highlight it, but remember that help is always available – 24/7 here in Iowa – if you have concerns about problem gaming.

March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. You’ll see public service announcements this month from us here at the Lottery along with the Iowa Department of Public Health reminding folks to have the conversation about problem gambling. The goal is to provide awareness about the warning signs of problem gambling and the help you can find here in Iowa.

If you have questions or concerns about problem gambling, visit www.1800betsoff.org to learn more. Start the conversation with someone who cares by clicking on the website’s live chat feature or by calling 1-800-BETSOFF. It’s something you can do anytime.

We’ve received tremendous support from television stations, cable systems, radio stations and outdoor billboard companies that will be running this month’s PSAs at no cost. We hope that by reaching out, we can get the right information at the right time to someone who needs it.

Thanks For The Shout-Out, Idaho!

 Idaho? Iowa? So hard to tell the difference! :) Many thanks to our friends at the IDAHO Lottery for having fun with the confusion some people seem to have with our states.