ialottery blog

My Mother Kept This Old Lottery Ticket From Years Ago…

We got an interesting blast from the past this week from a woman who found an old lottery ticket while going through her mother’s things after her mom had passed away.

 

With the ticket was a note from her mom stating that it was the very first lottery ticket ever sold in Iowa. The woman wondered if it was true. We did a little research, and found out that we can’t answer her question for sure. It may have been the first ticket sold at the Indianola gas station where her mom worked at the time, but that’s as far as our review in that regard can go.    

 

The first lottery tickets sold in Iowa were in the "Scratch, Match & Win" scratch game. It was a $1 game with grey tickets featuring a hand holding a coin and scratching a ticket.
 

That game was the Iowa Lottery’s debut product on Aug. 22, 1985, the first day that lottery tickets were sold in Iowa. It was the only game sold by the Iowa Lottery at the time. And while the kick-off celebration that day was at the Iowa State Fair, lottery ticket sales got underway at the thousands of retail locations across the state that sold tickets.
 
We know that during the first week of sales, lottery players bought 6.4 million tickets in that game, and by Nov. 1 when the game ended, they had purchased 28.1 million tickets in it.

 

It’s always fun to look back and see how much things have changed in the past 35 years. Thank you to this player for a walk down memory lane!

Player Question: Why Is There A Sales Cut-Off Before A Drawing?

A player who emailed us with questions about our lotto drawings unfortunately had some conspiracy theories to share as well, so I’m addressing those here in case the same rumor has made it way to you.

The player wondered why there is a sales cut-off time before the drawings in games like Powerball® and Mega Millions®. The player said he wants people to be able to buy tickets right up until the time of the drawing, arguing that doing so would eliminate the rumored possibility he’s heard that drawing officials sometimes spray a substance on the drawing balls used in lottery drawings to keep certain numbers from being selected.

That last part isn’t true, and the sales cut-off times in the games are there for a reason. Here’s the back story:

Sales cut-off times are one of the security processes that lotteries use to ensure that everything is ready to go for a drawing. With millions – and sometimes billions – of dollars involved in our drawings, it’s obviously important that mistakes are avoided!

Before a drawing can be held, all the lotteries in that game have to verify that their sales figures balance and all plays are recorded in the system. It’s a meticulous process, and we know it’s what the public expects.

The good news is that as computer speeds and technology have improved through the years, it now requires much less time to accomplish that work. So today, our sales cut-off times here in Iowa are an hour or less before our drawings. Years ago, the sales cut-off times were often two hours before the drawing, but we’ve been able to reduce that. And we hope it’s a convenience for our players and retailers.

I would imagine there will always be some time required for balancing and verification before a drawing can happen, but perhaps in the future, the time involved can be even shorter than it is today.

The exact sales cut-off times vary from state to state, depending upon the requirements in that particular state. Check your state lottery’s website for the information that applies in your area.

And when it comes to the drawings themselves, there are multiple layers of security involved.

For example, the machines and sets of numbered balls used in the drawings are kept in double-locked and sealed vaults, and are only taken out when the drawing manager, security officer, and independent auditor are all present.

And those aren’t ping-pong balls in the machines. The drawing balls are actually made of rubber and have to meet exact specifications through testing, weighing and measuring.

Multiple sets of balls are available for the drawings along with multiple sets of machines. The exact machines and numbered balls used in each drawing are randomly selected and everything that happens with them once they’re out of the vault is recorded on audio and video.

There also are testing procedures leading up to each drawing, with the entire process carried out under the supervision of an auditor and security officials.

From A Player: I’m Mad. That Store Said I Couldn’t Use A Debit Card.

A man who recently contacted us was mad that he couldn’t use a debit card at a local store to buy lottery tickets. The answer to his question isn’t whether it’s legal to do that in Iowa, but whether the location involved wants to allow it.

Here’s the background: State law in Iowa allows lottery tickets to be purchased with cash, debit cards, checks and gift cards, but a retail location isn’t REQUIRED to accept any form of payment if it doesn’t want to do so.

Real-world details including card fees and payment verification are part of the daily picture for retailers, and at the Iowa Lottery, we understand that. Businesses have their own payment policies, so check with the store involved if you have questions.

Another important point to remember is that it is illegal in Iowa for credit cards to be used to purchase lottery tickets.

Player Comment: I Think The Lottery Pays Out Less Today …

We heard this week from a man who was unhappy with the lottery, and let us know he’s convinced our prize payouts have gone down over time.

Now, I get that he wants to win big and likely won’t ever be truly satisfied unless that happens. But in fact, the Iowa Lottery’s prize payouts have gone up over time, not down. I’m sharing the numbers with you here so you’ll have the details involved.

In fiscal year 1986, the first year that the Iowa Lottery was in operation, 46 percent of each dollar in lottery sales in Iowa went to pay prizes. (Iowa Lottery sales that year totaled a little more than $85 million and prizes totaled $39.3 million.) 

In fiscal year 2020, our latest financial year that just ended June 30, 64 cents of each $1 in Iowa Lottery sales went to prizes. (Lottery sales in FY 2020 totaled about $372 million while prizes totaled $236.3 million.)  

That’s an 18 percent increase in our prize payouts since the lottery’s first year.

People can and do win Iowa Lottery prizes every day, and everyone has the same chance of winning. But you’re gambling when you play the lottery, so winning – and not winning – are both a part of it.

And if buying lottery tickets is making you unhappy or causing you stress, then take a break or maybe decide not to do it at all. It’s your decision as a consumer.

After The Storm: Our Cedar Rapids Office Is Unable To Process Prize Claims

Aug. 18 update: Our Cedar Rapids office is now able to process prize claims again! Clean-up from last week's storms continues, but progress IS being made! Thank you to everyone who has been part of the effort.    

In the wake of the powerful storm that swept across Iowa earlier this week, our Cedar Rapids office is unable to process prize claims.

We know that emergency crews are working as quickly as possible to make repairs, but damage in eastern Iowa is extensive. There currently is not a timetable for when our Cedar Rapids office will be able to resume paying prizes. 
 
If you have a prize to claim at an Iowa Lottery office, please know that curbside claims are available at our locations in Clive, Mason City, and Storm Lake. You also can mail your prize claim to us or use our secure dropbox at lottery headquarters in Clive. We have full details on the How To Claim A Prize page of our website.
 
If the Cedar Rapids office would be the most convenient for you to visit, you can always wait until a later date to claim your prize there. Just know that we don’t yet have an estimate for when that would be possible.

Take Care of Yourself, And If It’s Causing You Stress, Don’t Play

We’re all feeling extra stress these days with worries about health and safety and just the daily occurrences of life. My team and I here at the lottery can sometimes feel that stress coming through from the folks who contact us, and for whatever reason, this past week has seemed like a hot point for some people.

We do our best to help and provide clear answers to questions. And I’ll stress a point here on the blog that we’ve made to a couple people this past week, because we mean it sincerely.

Please remember that playing the lottery is gambling, and there's no guarantee you'll win when you buy a ticket. Gambling is a form of entertainment, like buying a magazine or watching a movie. How you choose to spend your disposal income is entirely your own decision.

A lottery ticket is always an optional purchase for you as a consumer. If playing the lottery is causing you stress or you don't enjoy it, then please don't do it.

And if you have concerns about problem gambling, please know that help is available 24/7 here in Iowa by visiting YourLifeIowa.org or calling 1-800-BETSOFF.

Take care of yourself out there!

Iowa Lottery Meets Budget Targets In Latest Fiscal Year

We've released the Iowa Lottery's annual results today, with its sales, proceeds to state causes, and prizes to players all meeting budget targets for fiscal year 2020 even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s gratifying to be able to look back at the past 12 months – and particularly the months of the public health emergency – and see that we’ve been able to adapt and deliver on our promise to responsibly generate revenue for important Iowa causes.

The preliminary figures today show that the lottery generated $81.5 million in proceeds to state causes for the year. Annual lottery sales in FY 2020 were $372 million, while prizes to players totaled $236.3 million. Lottery sales commissions to the local businesses statewide that sell its tickets totaled $24.3 million.

All of those figures are understandably down a bit from the previous year’s numbers. The lottery’s FY 2020 results were largely impacted by two main factors: the COVID-19 pandemic and a relative lack of big jackpots in national lotto games.  

The jackpots in Mega Millions® and Powerball® both repeatedly climbed into the stratosphere in fiscal year 2019, with the Mega Millions grand prize in particular reaching more than $1.5 billion in October 2018, the largest jackpot in the history of that game. But in FY 2020, both games’ jackpots were won more often at lower levels ($40 million to $100 million). That meant lower overall sales in both games, and the COVID-19 emergency impacted the lotto category even more, with sales in lotto games nationwide falling during the pandemic.

But at the same time, scratch-game sales in Iowa had a strong year. Scratch games sold well throughout FY 2020, including during the months of the pandemic. Iowans who suddenly had a lot of time at home made scratch tickets part of their entertainment options along with the puzzles, board games and bicycles that have been selling at such high rates they’re now in short supply in many places.      

Scratch-ticket sales in Iowa have set annual records each year since FY 2015, and did that again in FY 2020, totaling $262.4 million. That’s an increase of $11.8 million from the previous year’s total for that product.

The lottery retailer with the highest sales in Iowa for the year was the Hy-Vee at 1843 Johnson Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids. That store sold more than $911,000 in lottery tickets in FY 2020.

The largest lottery prize won during the year in Iowa was $1 million, and two players each claimed that amount. Shane Saxen of Correctionville claimed a $1 million Powerball prize in March, and a group of five friends from Eldora calling themselves "Just Us" claimed a $1 million Mega Millions prize in December.

Curbside Prize Claims Reminder: Our Offices Are Closed Tomorrow

It’s been a very busy and successful first month of curbside prize claims at the Iowa Lottery, and we’re glad to see that our players have found the process convenient and easy to use. And hey, we’re just glad to be able to interact with people again!

We’re doing our curbside appointments with virus-mitigation procedures in place to keep everyone safe, and it’s a process that’s worked well since we began using it on June 1. If you have a prize to claim directly from us at the lottery, check out the details on our Curbside Claims page so you’ll know how and where to make an appointment.

We’re loving the photos of our winners as they claim their prizes at their curbside appointments. There’s a slice-of-life feel to the images that shows it is possible for all of us to still have fun even with the challenges from COVID-19.

As a plan-ahead reminder, our offices are closed tomorrow (Friday, July 3) for the Independence Day holiday weekend, so we’ll see you all again on Monday. Have a very happy Fourth of July, everyone!

If I Spend $1 On A Lottery Ticket, How Does That Help Iowa?

We’ve added a new page on the Iowa Lottery’s website that answers a couple of the questions we receive the most: How is the money spent on lottery tickets used in our state, and what kind of help does that mean for Iowa? 

The new page can be found under the “Lottery Gives Back” link on our homepage. It replaces the previous “Where The Money Goes” page we’d utilized for a number of years. The details on the previous page focused on the historical use of lottery proceeds since the Iowa Lottery’s start in 1985. The new page expands on that.

At the top of the new page is a breakdown of how each $1 spent on lottery tickets in Iowa is used. The figures currently listed are for fiscal year 2019, and we’ll update that with each new year’s results as we have them. The biggest share of the money in FY 2019 of course went to players, with 62 cents on the dollar going to pay prizes. The second-largest category was proceeds to state causes, with 24 cents on the dollar going directly to Iowa programs.

Below those details are graphics that highlight how lottery proceeds help Iowa. You’ll find direct links there that you can use to learn more about the state programs that receive funding from the Iowa Lottery.

At the bottom of the page is a list of the programs that received lottery proceeds in the past, but are no longer current recipients. We hope that by dividing out the current and past uses of lottery proceeds, we’re clearly defining how the Iowa Lottery makes a difference in Iowa.

It’s So Nice To See Our Winners’ Smiling Faces Again!

This week, we were able to start interacting with our winners in person again through curbside prize claims at our offices in Storm Lake, Mason City and Cedar Rapids. And on Monday, curbside claims will begin at lottery headquarters in Clive.

It’s another step forward as we all do our best to continue navigating safely during the COVID-19 emergency. And I have to tell you, it’s been so incredibly NICE to see our winners’ smiling faces again! We’ve interacted with winners of large and small prizes this week in a curbside claims process that is working well.

Four of our winners from this week are shown here, and to each of them I say: CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you for helping to lift our spirits this week!

Back in March as the COVID-19 emergency was deepening, we made the decision that for the health of everyone, public access to our offices would need to be restricted. For more than two months, winning tickets needed to be mailed or shipped to the Iowa Lottery or put in the secure dropbox available at lottery headquarters. (If you’ve won an Iowa Lottery prize and would prefer to use one of those prize-claim methods, you’re welcome to do so!)

But curbside claims by appointment are now available as well, and the process went really smoothly this week. We hope to see YOU as a prize winner soon!

Additional Prize-Claim Option Coming Soon

As we continue to safely find our way forward during this COVID-19 health emergency, the Iowa Lottery is continuing to restrict public access at our offices, but we’re adding an additional prize-claim option.

Beginning on Monday (June 1), we’ll offer curbside claims by appointment at our offices in Storm Lake, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids. And a week later, on June 8, curbside claims by appointment will begin at lottery headquarters in Clive.

If you’ve won a lottery prize, you also have the option of mailing or shipping your ticket to us if you’d like, and we have a secure dropbox at lottery headquarters. Some people prefer a prize-claim process with no direct human interaction right now, and we understand that. That’s why we’re making a variety of prize-claim options available.

To utilize curbside claims, call the lottery office where you want to claim your prize to make an appointment and receive other details, including the documentation you’ll need to have with you. (Remember that all prizes of more than $250,000 must be claimed at lottery headquarters in Clive.)

Here are our telephone numbers:

Clive: 515-725-7900
Cedar Rapids: 319-395-9313
Mason City: 641-424-6011
Storm Lake: 712-732-6662

(Our How To Claim A Prize page provides a list of the documentation required, including a government-issued I.D., when claiming an Iowa Lottery prize. Direct links to our prize-claim documents are also available on that page.)

Our curbside claims process will be similar to the curbside procedures we’re all using in so many places these days. When you arrive at the lottery office, you’ll park in one of the spaces designated for curbside prize claims and stay in your vehicle. You’ll call the telephone number for the office involved to let staffers know that you have arrived, since the doors to our offices are closed. Please tell the lottery staffer you speak with the number of the curbside claims spot where you’re parked.

A lottery staff member wearing gloves and a mask will then bring prize-claim documentation out to your vehicle and maintain social distance while you complete the necessary forms. The lottery staffer will review the documentation with you, then return to the lottery office to process the claim.

After printing your prize check, the lottery staffer will bring it to you in your vehicle and complete any final paperwork details with you.

New Step In the Process When You Check A Ticket Using Our Mobile App

An update being made today to our mobile app allows you to clear out the results of the previous ticket before starting to scan another one.

We’re making the change after input from some players who said this additional step could help make the process of checking tickets on the app more clear for them. This update is designed to do just that.

So now, when you check a ticket on the mobile app and have had a chance to review the results, you’ll click the “Clear Scan Results” button to remove that information from the screen. You then can proceed with checking the next ticket, and since you’ve cleared the results of the previous one, you’ll be starting with a clean slate. We hope this change will be a positive!

We debuted our app for Apple AND Android devices back in 2017, and like any technology, we’ve updated it over time. If you already have our app (it’s called the Iowa Lottery’s LotteryPlus) on your device, there’s nothing you need to do to receive this update. It happens automatically. If you don’t yet have the app, feel free to install it from the Google Play Store® or Apple iTunes Store® as applicable for your particular device.

The most popular way that people use our app is to check the results of their lottery tickets. You can check lotto, scratch and InstaPlay tickets on the app, so you don’t have to visit a store or a lottery office to see if you’ve won. Two other popular ways that people use the app is to enter their tickets into our VIP Club drawings and to check the winning numbers in recent lotto drawings.

Thank you for playing the lottery, and we hope this update makes it even easier for you to use our mobile technology!

Shout-Out To Our Pets In This Time Of Crisis: Tomorrow Is National Pet Day!

They’re hanging out with us during this time of self-distancing – often while interrupting our conference calls and video chats – and we love them for it! So it seems like perfect timing that tomorrow is National Pet Day (but the date was actually set a long time ago).

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

We all could use some lighter news to help raise our spirits right now, so tomorrow let’s remember to celebrate our pets, four-footed and otherwise! I’ve included here photos of the pets that belong to a couple of my co-workers at the lottery. (And now I’ll have to apologize to my crazy little dog for not including his picture here. But I couldn’t play favorites, now then, could I?)

The National Day Calendar folks remind us to use tomorrow as a time to do a few checks on our pets and help out those animals currently in shelters.

• Go through your pet’s toys and throw out any that are no longer safe.
• Remember to keep cords and toxins secure and away from your pets.
• Verify that your pet’s vaccinations are current and schedule an appointment when your vet’s office is open next for an update if that’s needed.
• Check your pet’s collars to ensure tags are secure and that the contact information you have on the tags is current.
• Take supplies to your local shelter for the animals there. And/Or, consider adopting a pet!

I wish everyone (and their pets) a good weekend. Please be well!

Have Iowa’s Back: Participate In The 2020 Census

During the next couple months, you’ll see messages from us at the Iowa Lottery reminding everyone why it’s so important that we help our state by completing the 2020 Census.  

For the next two weeks and again for two weeks in May, the lottery will run special messages on its lotto tickets encouraging everyone to participate in the Census. We’ll also have Census messages on the display screens at our lottery terminals and self-service kiosks where you buy tickets.

If you buy a lotto ticket this week in a game like Powerball® or Mega Millions®, look at the top. We hope the message you see there is self-explanatory:

Make Iowa count! Complete the 2020
Census online or by phone or mail.

The Census is a once-in-a-decade count that gives a snapshot of our nation about who we are and where we live. The results of the Census are used to make any number of critical decisions, like where communities should build new schools, where new roads are needed, and how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding should be spent in programs including Medicaid, Head Start, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Census also determines the number of seats Iowa has in the U.S. House of Representatives and is used to draw the boundary lines for Congressional and state legislative districts.

In a nutshell, a complete and accurate Census count helps ensure that we as Iowans receive the political representation we deserve and that our taxpayer dollars are spent in a way that helps our state.

Iowa had top ranking in 2000 in getting its residents counted, with 76 percent of households in the state returning their Census forms. And in 2010, Iowa helped lead the way in the mail-in process for the Census, with 78 percent of households sending back their forms.

Earlier this month, U.S. households began receiving official Census Bureau mail with details about how you can complete the 2020 Census online, by phone or by mail. And if a count hasn’t been submitted for your household by later this year, Census staffers will visit homes from May to July to help make sure everyone is counted.

The Census Bureau is required by law to deliver its counts to the president and Congress in December.

So please take a few minutes to complete your Census form. Be counted for Iowa!   

Powerball & Mega Millions Changing, We’re Offering Free Plays For “Multi-Draw” Tickets Involved

***This blog entry has been updated to include details about changes to the Mega Millions game that were announced on Friday, April 3, and to include a direct link to the web page with the claim form for free-play requests.***

After earlier changes were announced in Powerball®, the Mega Millions® game is now making similar adjustments. The deepening COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on everyday life is behind it all.

In both Powerball and Mega Millions, the starting jackpot amount will be eliminated along with any minimum amount that the jackpot will grow between drawings. Instead, both amounts will be determined on a drawing-by-drawing basis and announced ahead of the next upcoming drawing.

The adjustments are needed to ensure that ticket sales in both games can support their jackpots and other prizes. The deepening COVID-19 public health emergency has drastically impacted life for us all and altered normal consumer behavior, including ticket purchases in Powerball and Mega Millions. Interest rates also have declined amidst the health crisis, and that in turn drives down the annuity amount of the games’ jackpots.

The timing of the changes in each game is slightly different, based upon its drawing schedule. (Mega Millions drawings are at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, while Powerball drawings are at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.)

In Mega Millions: The jackpot for tonight’s drawing remains at an estimated $121 million annuity, $96.7 million lump-sum option. If the jackpot is won tonight, it will reset to a guaranteed $20 million for Tuesday’s drawing (April 7). If there is no jackpot winner tonight, the game’s grand prize will roll to an estimated $127 million annuity for Tuesday. From that point on, the game’s starting jackpot and the rate at which the jackpot increases will be based upon sales and interest rates, with no fixed minimums.

In Powerball: The jackpot for tomorrow night’s drawing remains at an estimated $180 million annuity, $144.8 million lump-sum option. If the jackpot is won tomorrow, it will reset to a guaranteed $20 million annuity for Wednesday’s drawing (April 8). If there is no jackpot winner tomorrow, the game’s grand prize will roll to an estimated $190 million annuity for Wednesday. From that point on, the game’s starting jackpot and the rate at which the jackpot increases will be based upon sales and interest rates, with no fixed minimums.

The leadership of the Powerball Product Group and the Mega Millions Consortium, which are made of up the member-lottery directors in each game, will determine the jackpot details for it.

We know that some of our players may have used the “multi-draw” option to purchase plays in upcoming Powerball and Mega Millions drawings. Those plays, of course, are still valid, but are now impacted by the upcoming jackpot changes.

As a goodwill gesture, we’re offering those players free-play coupons for use in future drawings of the game they played. To be eligible for free-play coupons: 

• In Mega Millions, an Iowa Lottery player must have purchased a multi-draw ticket no later than 4 p.m. today (April 3) for a Mega Millions drawing held on April 7 or later. 
• In Powerball, an Iowa Lottery player must have purchased a multi-draw ticket no later than 4 p.m. yesterday (April 2) for a Powerball drawing held on April 8 or later.

Details about the free plays along with the form you’ll need to complete and send to us to request free-play coupons are available here on the lottery's website.

I’ll add in just a quick personal note to close out this blog entry: I know that these Mega Millions and Powerball changes are coming on top of the many, many other changes that we’re all experiencing. Just know that they’re not being made on a whim or at random. They're being made because the games and the prizes they offer are based upon mathematics. And there simply aren’t enough ticket sales occurring to continue the games in their previous format.

We understand that folks have much more important issues on their minds these days than purchasing lotto tickets, and in many instances, they're simply not in a position to buy them at all. Safety is what matters now, and all of us getting through this together.

But in the meantime, changes have to be made on many different fronts, including in these two games.

How You Can Claim Prizes & Contact Us

Here's a quick recap of how you can claim a prize and contact us right now. Thank you for all YOU are doing to help keep Iowa safe!  

The Look Of The Iowa Lottery In Your Local Store Will Change Next Year

One of the biggest projects we undertake here at the Iowa Lottery reached an important milestone today, and it means that the look of the Iowa Lottery will get an update next year.

The lottery itself won’t change, and we’ll still have the products you expect on the market. But much of the equipment now used here in our state to sell and cash lottery tickets will be replaced.

The project was discussed during today’s meeting of the Iowa Lottery Board, a public meeting held via teleconference due to the ongoing public health emergency. The Board voted 5-0 to allow the lottery to proceed with contract negotiations for a new statewide gaming system with Scientific Games International (SGI), a company based near Atlanta. The company was selected following a public and months-long competitive bid process.

Like any technology, lottery equipment needs to be replaced over time. Most of the lottery equipment now in the field in Iowa has been in use since 2011.               

SGI also supplies the Iowa Lottery’s current gaming system, and the lottery’s contract for it expires in July 2021. So during the next 15 months, new equipment for Iowa will be manufactured, and then our existing system will be changed out for a new version.

We’ll flip the switch to Iowa’s new lottery gaming system on July 11, 2021. Like our current system, it will link all 2,400 retail locations in Iowa where lottery tickets are sold. The gaming system includes a central communications backbone as well as the lottery terminals, self-checkers, self-service kiosks, and lighted jackpot signs in the local businesses where you buy lottery tickets.

I’ll emphasize again that with the new system, you’ll still be able to buy lotto tickets in Powerball, Mega Millions and your other favorites. And of course we’ll still sell scratch, pull-tab and InstaPlay games. But the machines that print and cash your tickets will change next year and the lotto and InstaPlay tickets you buy will probably look a little different once the new system begins use.

We’ll have more updates as the go-live date gets closer, but now you know to be on the lookout for cool, new lottery equipment next year!

(And you may have already seen our updates about the Iowa Lottery’s efforts to protect against the spread of COVID-19 illnesses as we continue doing business with safety first, but if not, please check out our Q-and-A here.)

Q&A About Lottery Restrictions To Keep Safety First

This FAQs list was updated on Friday, May 29, to include the latest details.   

We've gotten questions about the new restrictions in place here at the Iowa Lottery as we all do our best to put safety first during this public health emergency. To provide the same details to everyone, I'm including a list of those questions and the answers to them here on the blog. 

The lottery is open for business, but we’ve made some changes to our daily operations to help achieve social distancing and slow the spread of COVID-19 illnesses.

Q: Is the Iowa Lottery closed?

A: We're open for business, but we have additional restrictions in place. Public access to lottery offices is restricted to email and telephone only. Players are welcome to mail or ship tickets to us to claim most prizes. And, beginning June 1, we’re offering curbside claims by appointment at our offices in Storm Lake, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids. Curbside claims by appointment will begin June 8 at lottery headquarters in Clive. In addition, we have a secure dropbox available at our headquarters building. 

Q: As a member of the public, how do I reach you?
A: The Iowa Lottery can be reached during its regular office hours by email at wmaster@ialottery.com, using our contact us form, or by phone at 515-725-7900. We also are available on our social media sites.

Q: If I've won a prize, how can I claim it?
A: All lottery prizes won in Iowa of more than $600 must be claimed directly from the Iowa Lottery, but players are welcome to claim a prize of any size directly from us. In most instances*, customers can mail or ship a ticket to us at:

Iowa Lottery
13001 University Ave
Clive, IA 50325-8225

In addition, beginning June 1, we’re offering curbside claims by appointment at our offices in Storm Lake, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids. Curbside claims by appointment will begin June 8 at lottery headquarters in Clive. We also have a secure dropbox available at our headquarters building in Clive.

If you want to utilize curbside claims or our dropbox, please contact us for the details involved.

*All prizes of $1 million or more as well as some special merchandise prizes must be claimed in person at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If you're the lucky winner of one of those prizes, please contact us and we'll make an appointment so you can claim it. For all other prizes, there are the claims options listed above at this time.

Q: What if I don't want to mail or ship my winning ticket to you?
A: We know this can be frustrating. What once would have been routine and fun, like meeting with our winners and celebrating their wins, now is an interaction that could threaten the health of everyone involved. We're working to best find our way safely forward, and know you are, too.

Beginning June 1, we’re offering curbside claims by appointment at our offices in Storm Lake, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids. Curbside claims by appointment will begin June 8 at lottery headquarters in Clive. We also have a secure dropbox available at our headquarters building in Clive. Prizes will not be paid immediately through the dropbox, but rather, claims will be processed in accordance with our virus-mitigation procedures. The dropbox is under 24-hour surveillance as part of our security requirements.

If you want to utilize curbside claims or the dropbox option, please contact us for the details involved.

Q: Where can I find the winner claim form?
A: Full details about claiming Iowa Lottery prizes, including links to the Iowa Lottery's Winner Claim Form and required tax documents, are available on the How To Claim A Prize page here on our website.

Q: What if I'm having difficulty with your website?
A: If someone has trouble accessing our website, they are welcome to call or email us and we will answer their questions. We can send prize-claim documentation to you if you're having difficulty downloading the information from our website.

Q: With public access restricted at lottery offices, is there a way I can check my ticket without going to a retail location?
A:  The Iowa Lottery has a mobile app you use to check the results of lotto, scratch and InstaPlay tickets from wherever you are. The app is available for both Apple and Android devices. Full details about it are available here.

Q:  How long will it take for me to receive my prize?
A: If you utilize curbside claims by appointment at our offices, your prize will be paid with a check from the lottery at that appointment.

If you mail or ship your ticket to us or utilize our secure dropbox at lottery headquarters in Clive, the time involved for you to receive your prize will be dependent upon many different factors, including how long it takes for us to get your ticket after you've sent it to us. We process all prize claims as quickly as we can, but it's reasonable to anticipate it will take several days at a minimum for you to receive your prize check in those instances.

During this COVID-19 emergency, some people prefer a prize-claim process with no direct human interaction, and we understand that. That is why we are making a variety of prize-claim options available to our players.

Q:  If I’m a retailer, how can I reach you?  
A: Lottery retailers are welcome to call the Iowa Lottery regional office that serves your area. Here are the phone numbers for our regional offices:
            Cedar Rapids: 319-395-9313
            Mason City: 641-424-6011
            Clive: 515-725-7884
            Storm Lake: 712-732-6662            

Q: How long do you anticipate the lottery restrictions will remain in place?
A: We anticipate our social-distancing restrictions will remain in place for the immediate future.

Q:  If I have a COVID-19 question that's not lottery related, where can I find information?
A: The state of Iowa has established a website to answer COVID-19 questions, and a direct link to it is here. The Iowa Department of Public Health also has expert resources concerning COVID-19 on its website. If you have difficulty navigating the Internet, the statewide telephone number you can call with COVID-19 questions is 211.

Safety First: Public Access To Iowa Lottery Offices Limited To Email & Telephone

The Iowa Lottery is now limiting public access to its offices to email and telephone as we do our best to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 illnesses. We anticipate this will continue until April 16.

We took this step in keeping with the State of Public Health Disaster Emergency that Gov. Kim Reynolds issued yesterday.

If you want to reach us during our regular office hours, our email address is wmaster@ialottery.com and our phone number is 515-725-7900.

If you have an Iowa Lottery prize to claim, in most instances you can mail or ship the ticket to us. We have full details including a link to our Winner Claim Form on the How To Claim A Prize page of our website. If you can’t reach our website, you’re welcome to contact us and we’ll send prize-claim documentation to you. 

All lottery prizes won in Iowa of more than $600 must be claimed directly from us at the Iowa Lottery, but you can claim a prize of any amount directly from us. If you decide to mail or ship your ticket to us, for your peace of mind you may want to send it with tracking and delivery notification enabled.

I’ll note that all prizes of $1 million or more as well as some special merchandise prizes have to be claimed in person at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If you’re the lucky winner of one of those prizes, please contact us and we’ll make an appointment with you so you can claim it.

Be safe, be well, and let’s keep looking out for each other. We’re all in this together!

Our Weird Week: Spring Forward, A Full Moon & Friday the 13th

This week will likely give us all the opportunity to pause and remember to be kind, even if it’s hard sometimes!

By Friday, we’ll have experienced three different events that each can tend to kick up stress levels. This weekend, we moved our clocks ahead one hour for daylight savings time. Tonight brings us a full moon. And this coming Friday will be Friday the 13th.

Our yearly process of “springing ahead” throws our internal clocks off for a time, and that can take a toll on our overall mood. And we’ve all likely experienced the difference that a full moon can make on humans’ levels of insistence/enthusiasm/noise. Add in Friday the 13th and the beliefs surrounding that particular date, and we’ve got a really interesting week ahead.

So if it seems like your patience is being tried this week, remember that the calendar and Mother Nature are just having their way! Use the moment to remind yourself that you alone control your reactions and emotions. And then choose to be kind.

We’re all in this together, after all, and hopefully others will follow your lead.

And maybe this weird week will end up making YOU a lottery winner. You never know!

Player Question: Can I Win A Jackpot In Iowa If I Don’t Live There?

A man who lives in another Midwestern state recently contacted us to ask if he could win a jackpot in Iowa even if he doesn’t live here. The short answer is yes. Keep reading for further details.

It’s perfectly OK for people from other states and countries to play – and win – the Iowa Lottery. The requirements for them are the same as those for everybody else: They have to be at least 21 years old to buy a ticket and the ticket must be purchased at a lottery retailer here in Iowa.

If you win an Iowa Lottery prize and you’re not a resident of the United States, you may pay a higher amount in withholding than a U.S. citizen would, but you definitely can play and win!

If you’re from another state, you’ll still pay the Iowa withholding rate that applies to your prize, then you’ll file that tax paperwork back in your home state to see if any adjustments should be made due to a difference in the tax rates between the two states.

Our prize winners through the years have of course included lots of Iowans, but also folks from other states and countries. Sometimes we’ll hear grousing that only Iowans should win in Iowa Lottery games, but I would guess the same folks who make that argument also want the chance to play the lottery in other states when they’re traveling. So on that point, as that old saying goes: Turnabout is fair play!

Happy playing to everyone who buys tickets in our games, and we hope to see YOU as a big winner soon.

This Month & All Year, Remember: Help Is Available 24/7 In Iowa

Throughout the month of March, you’ll see messages from the lottery on a variety of platforms to remind us all that it’s National Problem Gambling Awareness Month. We hope that by highlighting this issue, we’ll get the right information at the right time to help someone who needs it.

Whether you’re watching TV, listening to the radio, surfing the web or using a streaming service, you’ll likely soon see one of the public service announcements we produced with the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation earlier this week recognizing March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Iowa. And during Sunday’s 10 p.m. local newscasts, our PSA will be shown by television stations statewide. Then the bulk of our messages will run throughout the following week on outdoor billboards, radio stations statewide, local broadcast and cable channels; and digital audio and video platforms. Some messages will continue to air through the end of March.          

Problem gamblers can 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 reach the help available by phone, in person, or through secure chat or video.

Iowa Lottery Winner Will Be On HGTV Show Tonight

A central Iowa man who won big on an Iowa Lottery scratch ticket will be on the HGTV show tonight that features winners looking for their dream home.

Jon Moss of Altoona won the top prize of $300,000 playing the “$300,000 Platinum Cash” game. He claimed his prize a little more than a year ago, on Jan. 7, 2019.

Jon said that in the months since then, he and his wife, Victoria, decided to invest his winnings in a new home. And that’s where there’s a connection with HGTV.

The couple will be featured on the network’s show called “My Lottery Dream Home.” In each episode, designer and host David Bromstad helps lottery winners find a house they want to buy.

The episode featuring Jon and Victoria is called “More Space to Grow.” It airs for the first time tonight at 8 p.m. (central time) on HGTV, then again at 11 p.m.

Hello, Guvna! (Hey, I Think We Know That Powerball Winner)

When the front desk here at lottery headquarters called up to my department today to tell us that a big winner was in the lobby, we thought they’d gotten the name wrong. But they hadn’t!

Tom Vilsack, former mayor of Mount Pleasant, state senator, Iowa governor, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, is now also a big Powerball® winner. He admits he never thought he’d see that title.

Vilsack claimed a $150,000 Powerball prize this morning. He said he occasionally plays when the game’s jackpot really gets up there because he likes to dream, just like everyone else. And he said that if he doesn’t win, he knows that his money goes to help the state through the lottery’s proceeds.

Vilsack, who now lives in Waukee, won his prize in the Powerball drawing on Jan. 22, when the jackpot had grown to an estimated $347 million. But he didn’t check his ticket for several days. He said he got up 10 days later and realized he should check how he did.

He found the ticket in his briefcase and checked his numbers on the Iowa Lottery’s website. He said he was initially glad to see that he’d matched the Powerball on one of his plays. But he quickly realized he ultimately was just one number away from winning that night’s jackpot, matching four of the five white balls and the Powerball.

Vilsack said he remembered that when he bought his easy-pick ticket, the store clerk had asked if he wanted to add the Power Play® option for an extra $1 per play, so he did. That option multiplies most prizes in the game by the Power Play number selected in the drawing. The Power Play number was three the night that Vilsack won his prize.
 
After realizing he’d won, he said he shared the news with his wife, Christie, who didn’t believe him.    

“I said, ‘Geez, honey, actually I won $150,000,’” Vilsack recalled. “She said, ‘No you didn’t!’ I said, ‘No, look at this.’ And I gave her the ticket. She looked at the numbers and she said, ‘Go next door to Jess (the couple’s eldest son) and have him read the numbers and make sure you’re looking at this right.’ I said, ‘I put it in the system here! It’s telling me I won $150,000!’”

Jess ultimately confirmed that his dad had won big – and so did we when he came to the lottery this morning.

Vilsack has specific plans for his winnings.

“The church is going to get a little bit of it, St. Boniface, I’m going to send that check out today,” he said. “And the kids are going to get a little bit because you always try to help your kids out. And then the rest is going to go to my banker. And he’s going to be very pleased to get it. Because we still have an outstanding mortgage from many years ago and this will help pay it down to the point where retirement can be a little bit more comfortable than it might have otherwise been.”

Vilsack bought his winning ticket at Hy-Vee, 1005 E. Hickman Road in Waukee. He had some advice for other lottery players, knowing that he almost forgot to check his ticket.

“Sort of a word to the wise: Check your numbers. It matters,” he said. “There are different ways to win. I didn’t realize that. I honestly didn’t realize you could win by not having all of the numbers. And so people sometimes walk away from some resources and some money when they don’t check their ticket.”

As he claimed his prize, Vilsack also took a moment to reflect on the lottery and why he plays.

“I know that this lottery is really important to the state and it’s certainly important to the state budget,” he said. “It’s something that I certainly understand from my experience as a state senator and as a governor and I think it’s great. And as you say, you don’t win if you don’t play.

“Obviously, the whole issue of gaming has been somewhat controversial in every state,” he said. “But as long as we are providing assistance to those who over-extend themselves, which is unfortunate and tragic, and as long as we use these resources in a way to build our state and make it stronger and better, then I think it’s a good thing.”

Two Different Looks At Some Of Iowa’s Latest Big Winners

As we worked on our latest map of the biggest lottery prize claims in Iowa, we decided to look at the details two different ways to dig deeper into a question we often consider: Should lottery winnings be tracked by the retail location where the ticket was purchased, or by the place where the winner lives?

We know a lot of people buy lottery tickets while they’re out running errands or on their lunch hour, so the place where they make their purchases likely isn’t where they live. It’s a real-life factor when it comes to lottery tickets, so we made two different versions of our winner map for December.

One shows prizes by the spot where the winning ticket was purchased, the other shows the same list by the city where the winner lives. As you can see, that difference comes through in the dots on the map!

Our December images wrap up our mapping project for calendar year 2019. Iowa Lottery players claimed 444 prizes of $600 or more in December, making that the highest monthly prize total for the year.

And our players claimed a grand total of 4,478 prizes of $600 or more in 2019!

As you can see from the patterns involved, something that we’ve often said about prize wins holds true: In bigger cities, more people are buying tickets and winning prizes. That’s not a matter of luck, it’s a matter of population.

Another way of putting it is that if 5 percent of lottery tickets are sold in a particular area, you'll expect to find about 5 percent of the overall winners there. Everyone has the same chance of winning, but there will be more winners in places where more tickets are sold.

There are links for both versions of the December map. Click here for the map by retailer in an interactive format, and click here for the map by winner location. 

And as always, remember that our maps only show those big prizes that have been claimed. They don’t include those prizes that have been won but aren’t claimed yet.

What You’ve Asked For: Join the VIP Club & Change Your Password From The App

You’ve been asking about it, and we’re excited to share this update today: Now you can join the lottery’s VIP Club and change the password for your VIP account password from our mobile app.

We all live a lot of our lives on mobile devices these days, and these changes will make it easier for you to access the lottery info. you need while you’re on the go.   

We debuted our app for both Apple AND Android devices back in 2017, and like any technology, we’ve updated it over time. If you already have our app (it’s called the Iowa Lottery’s LotteryPlus) on your device, there’s nothing you need to do to receive this update. It happens automatically, so you already have the new feature available. If you don’t yet have the app, feel free to install it from the Google Play Store® or Apple iTunes Store® as applicable for your particular device.

The most popular way that people use our app is to check the results of their lottery tickets. You can check lotto, scratch and InstaPlay tickets on the app, so you don’t have to visit a store or a lottery office to see if you’ve won. Two other popular ways that people use the app is to enter their tickets into our VIP Club drawings and to check the winning numbers in recent lotto drawings.

Thank you for playing the lottery, and we hope this update makes it even easier for you to reach us!

We'll Mail 2019 Tax Forms To Winners By The End Of This Month

If you claimed an Iowa Lottery prize of more than $600 in calendar year 2019, check your mailbox in the next couple weeks for a form you’ll need as you file your income taxes.

The document is called a W-2G form and it lists the total prize amount as well as any federal and state withholdings from your prize. If you claimed multiple Iowa Lottery prizes of more than $600 in 2019, you’ll receive multiple W-2G forms from us, one for each prize claimed. (And congratulations on your wins, by the way!)

We’re required to mail all W-2G forms by Jan. 31, but we always do our best to have them processed before that date if possible.

In the image here, you can see the envelopes we’ll use to send the tax forms, so check your mailbox for them.

If you think you should have received a W-2G form from us for calendar year 2019 and you've moved since you claimed your prize, please let us know your new address as soon as possible, or your form may end up at your old address. You can contact us at 515-725-7900 or email us at wmaster@ialottery.com.

Be sure to include your name, old address, new address, and phone number in case we need to contact you.

Post-Holiday Question: Can I Use A Gift Card To Buy Lottery Tix In Iowa?

Now that holiday celebrations are winding down for a lot of us, we’re hearing from folks asking if they can use gift cards to buy lottery tickets in Iowa. The quick answer is: Yes. But there are more details involved, so please keep reading. 

From a legal perspective, a gift card is the same as cash, so under Iowa law, it can be used to purchase lottery tickets.

But some retail locations may have policies that bar the use of gift cards for lottery purchases, just as they may ban personal checks for any purchase. Stores can and do develop their own policies for what’s allowed in their place of business, and we understand that.

The same thing applies to the use of debit cards to buy lottery tickets. While it’s legal for debit cards to be used to buy lottery products in Iowa, some stores may have policies against that. To be sure, please check with the business involved.

(Here are some further notes about the use of debit cards: In Iowa, state law prohibits the use of credit when making a lottery purchase. But a debit transaction is always tied to available funds, so as long as the card says DEBIT on the front, it’s OK to use it for a lottery transaction so long as the store involved allows that. If it’s a CREDIT card, it’s illegal to use it to buy lottery tickets in Iowa.

When you’re using a DEBIT card, even if it’s run on the credit setting, the money involved is still coming from available funds, so it is still a DEBIT transaction. A debit card never involves anything other than available funds, meaning cash. We had wondered about that particular detail ourselves, so we checked with the network folks who process the transactions. They confirmed that DEBIT always = available cash.)

Player Mail: Hey! They Carded Me!

With the holiday rush underway, I’m sharing a conversation here on the blog that we had with a player in case you encounter the same thing while you’re out shopping and running errands.

The player reached out to us after being carded at a convenience store as he was buying lottery tickets.

“They made me show my I.D,” he wrote. “The clerk said anyone who looks under 40 must show I.D. I’ve been buying lottery tickets there for several years and never heard this before. I am 55 years old. Is this a thing?”

Now, some people might interpret that situation as a huge compliment to their youthful good looks (insert smile emoji here), but the fact that stores ask customers to verify their age before buying certain products is a reality, and it’s a step they take to protect their business.

Lottery tickets are an age-controlled product, meaning that you must be a certain age before you can purchase them. Here in Iowa, the minimum purchasing age for lottery tickets is 21.

Retail locations receive licenses to sell age-controlled products, and one of the ways they can violate the terms of their lottery license is by selling tickets to those who are too young to legally purchase them. The business’ license will be suspended or even revoked if that happens, so we explained to the player that some stores have adopted the policy that they will I.D. anyone, not just those they think may be under 21.

We understand the businesses' concerns and support our retailers’ decisions to ensure that laws and regulations are being followed.

So if you’re asked for an I.D. when you buy lottery tickets, know that the store is doing the right thing. (And if you suspect that you definitely do not look 21, maybe choose to have fun in that moment!)

(Literally) Mapping Out Iowa’s Big Winners

It’s time for the latest map in our project this year to track the spots where the biggest lottery prizes have been won in Iowa!

Iowa Lottery players claimed 316 prizes of $600 or more in November, bringing the grand total so far to 4,034 for calendar year 2019.

As you can see from the patterns involved, something that we’ve often said about prize wins holds true: In bigger cities, more people are buying tickets and winning prizes. That’s not a matter of luck, it’s a matter of population.

Another way of putting it is that if 5 percent of lottery tickets are sold in a particular area, you'll expect to find about 5 percent of the overall winners there. Everyone has the same chance of winning, but there will be more winners in places where more tickets are sold.

Click here for a direct link to this map in an interactive format where you can see the details involved. Each dot shows the retail location where the winning ticket was purchased, the prize won, the game involved, and the date the prize was claimed.

The dots are in different colors for the four types of lottery games here in Iowa: scratch games, lotto games, InstaPlay games and pull-tab games. Scratch tickets have always been the Iowa Lottery’s leading product and they’re represented on the map by red dots, so there are a lot of them!

And as always, remember that our maps only show those big prizes that have been claimed. They don’t include those prizes that have been won but aren’t claimed yet.