ialottery blog

Revamp of Mega Million Game Set To Debut In April 2025

Mega Millions® is getting ready for a “mega” overhaul, with a new design in the game set to debut in April 2025.

Among the enhancements that players will see:

• Improved odds of winning the jackpot
• Bigger jackpots more often
• Larger starting jackpots
• Faster-growing jackpots
• A built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X. With the built-in multiplier, players will be able to win up to $10 million for matching just the five white balls but missing the Mega Ball in a drawing.
• No break-even prizes, meaning when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of a play.

When the revamped game begins next April, tickets in it will cost $5 per play. This is only the game’s second price adjustment since the first Mega Millions ticket was sold in May 2002, and the first change since the current game design was adopted in 2017.

Mega Millions has produced winners of 6 jackpots topping $1 billion. The game’s largest prize to date was a $1.6 billion jackpot won in August 2023 with a ticket in Florida.

Mega Millions tickets have been sold in Iowa since January 2010. During that time, Iowa Lottery players have won 18 prizes in the game of at least $1 million.

How Are The Jackpot Amounts Determined In InstaPlay Progressive Games?

A man reached out to us this week with a question about the jackpot amounts in our progressive InstaPlay games, and I’m sharing our answer here in case you’ve wondered the same thing.

The man specifically asked how the jackpot amount is determined in the Super 7s Progressive InstaPlay game. But the same process applies to the jackpots in any of our progressive InstaPlay games. You may already know this, but those games are called progressive because their jackpots have a starting amount (just like the jackpots Powerball® and Mega Millions®) and grow progressively larger with each ticket sold statewide until they’re won.

The Details Of The Jackpot

In the case of Super 7s Progressive, its jackpot starts at $50,000 and grows from there, increasing by $3 with each ticket sold statewide in the game.

InstaPlay games are like scratch games, but their plays are left in electronic form rather than having a pre-printed supply of tickets. An electronic file of plays exists in an InstaPlay game, and winning tickets are randomly distributed throughout that file. When you buy an InstaPlay ticket, you get the next available play at the top of the file.

The exact amount involved when the jackpot is won in a progressive InstaPlay game depends upon where the jackpot-winning ticket is within the electronic file. Some jackpots won in the game will be larger, based upon where that particular jackpot-winning ticket falls within the file, and some will be smaller, for the same reason.

As a security feature, not even those of us who work at the lottery know where the winning tickets are within our games, so no one can predict when or where the next big winner will hit.

The jackpot in Super 7s Progressive is therefore a combination of the game’s starting jackpot amount and the number of tickets purchased up until that particular jackpot is won.

And remember that as with any of our games, the top prize is just one of the prize levels available. For example, in addition to the jackpot players can win prizes in Super 7s Progressive ranging from $30 to $10,000, so a big percentage of the money spent on tickets in the game goes to pay prizes.

The Details For Each Progressive Game

Here are the jackpot details in all of the Iowa Lottery’s progressive InstaPlay games:

• In the $30 Super 7s Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $50,000 and grows by $3 with each ticket sold statewide until it is won.
• In the $20 Extreme Green Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $20,000 and grows by $2 with each ticket sold.
• In the $10 JACKPOT PARTY® Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $10,000 and grows by $1 with each ticket sold.
• In the $5 MONOPOLY™ Game Tokens Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $5,000 and grows by 35 cents with each ticket sold.
• In the $5 Jumbo Bucks Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $5,000 and grows by 35 cents with each ticket sold.
• In the $2 Cherry Twist Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $2,000 and grows by 15 cents with each ticket sold.
• In the $1 Loose Change Progressive game, the jackpot starts at $650 and grows by 8 cents with each ticket sold.

Those amounts are programmed into the prize structure of the game itself, and the lottery does not adjust the prize structure once it has been implemented.

2023 ® & © Light & Wonder, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries.
MONOPOLY TM, ® & © 1935, 2024 Hasbro

Newton Firefighter Claims $1 Million Powerball Prize During Total Eclipse

Iowa’s newest Powerball® millionaire claimed his prize today as the total eclipse of the sun was reaching its zenith in the Midwest. He says he knows the timing of it all is something to be remembered!

Trent Baker said he’d been joking that there was a lot going on in the last few days: an earthquake in New York, a total eclipse of the sun, and he won the lottery. He says he maybe shouldn’t ask what’s going to happen next!

Baker, 37, a firefighter, claimed his $1 million Powerball prize this afternoon at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive with a ticket he’d bought for Saturday’s drawing.

While Saturday’s $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot was won in Oregon, Baker’s ticket was one of seven across the country that were just one number away from having a share of the giant prize. Those $1 million-winning tickets each matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win at the game’s second prize level.

How He Found Out He Won

Baker said he was up early for work yesterday when he decided to use the Iowa Lottery app on his mobile phone to check the results of the five Powerball tickets he’d bought the night before. His phone dinged on the second ticket he checked, indicating that it was a winner.

He said he saw a 1 and a bunch of zeroes and wasn’t sure what it meant – if he’d won $1 million or $1 billion.

Baker said he couldn’t report for a shift at the fire station without having another verification of his win, so he took his easy-pick ticket to a local convenience store and had it checked on the lottery terminal there. The clerk at the store confirmed it was a $1 million winner.

Baker said he made it to work on time and shared the news with his co-workers at the fire station. But after working for a few hours and worrying that his scattered thoughts could cause him to make a critical error, he took the rest of his shift off, using the time to research his next steps.

His Plans For The Future, Including Ice Cream

By the time he claimed his prize this afternoon, he’d already spoken with a financial planner, identified the total he needed to pay off his student loans, and made plans to invest the bulk of his winnings. He said he knows that winning the lottery is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and he wants to make his winnings last as long as possible.

Baker bought his lucky ticket at Hy-Vee, 1501 First Ave. E. in Newton. Hy-Vee will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.

And while Baker has made long-term plans for his winnings, he also knows he has an immediate purchase in his future that’s a tradition at his fire station. He says that he and his fellow firefighters have an unwritten rule that if they end up in pictures or video in the media, they owe the department ice cream.

And he says he’s going to owe a lot of ice cream now!

$1 Million Powerball Prize Won In Newton

The jackpot hub-bub is over for now – until the next big one comes along!

While the jackpot in last night’s $1.326 billion Powerball® drawing was won in Oregon, an Iowa ticket was just one number away from having a share of the grand prize. That Iowa ticket, purchased in Newton, won a $1 million prize.

The Powerball jackpot had climbed for more than 3 months and tied the game’s record for the longest string of consecutive drawings without a winner before it was won last night. The jackpot had been won on New Year’s Day, then rolled for 41 drawings in a row without a winner. That had only occurred twice before, in 2021 and 2022.

Last night’s jackpot was the 4th-largest Powerball prize and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery prize. The jackpot now returns to $20 million annuity, $9.4 million lump-sum option, for Powerball’s next drawing tomorrow night.

Iowa Sales and Total Prizes Won

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 45,721 Powerball prizes last night ranging from $4 up to $1 million. A total of about $2.4 million in Powerball tickets for last night were purchased in Iowa.

One Iowa ticket was just 1 number away from having a share of last night’s jackpot, matching the first 5 numbers but missing the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. That winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee, 1501 First Ave. E. in Newton.

It was one of 7 tickets across the country to win a $1 million prize in last night's drawing.

Last night's winning Powerball numbers were: 22-27-44-52-69 and Powerball 9. The Power Play number was 3.

The $1 million prize must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If the winner or winners have questions before claiming the prize, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

Details About ‘Coverage’ & Easy Picks

Two details get a lot of attention in Powerball drawings: the coverage estimate and the percentage of easy picks.

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for last night’s Powerball drawing was about 31.1 percent. A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it’s not a definite.

Sales details also show how many of the tickets purchased are easy picks, meaning that the lottery terminal randomly selected the numbers printed on the ticket, as compared to manual plays, where the player selected their own numbers.

Nearly 92 percent of the tickets purchased in Iowa for last night’s Powerball drawing were easy-pick tickets.

With that huge percentage of tickets purchased being easy picks, more of the winners will come from easy-pick tickets as well. That does not mean those tickets are luckier, it just means there are a lot more of them.

Powerball Jackpot Climbs To $1.3 Billion, Iowa Ticket Was 1 Number Away Last Night

Update on April 5: Strong sales in Iowa and across the country have pushed the Powerball jackpot even higher for Saturday's drawing! The jackpot for Saturday now stands at an estimated $1.3 billion annuity, $608.9 million lump-sum value.   

Powerball® has tied the game’s record for the most drawings in a row without a grand-prize winner.

The jackpot was last won on New Year’s Day. Saturday’s drawing will be the 41st in the current jackpot run. The Powerball jackpot has only ever rolled this long without a winner twice before, in 2021 and 2022.

The current jackpot is the 4th-largest Powerball prize and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

Total Iowa Prizes Won In Last Night’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 30,704 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing ranging from $4 up to $150,000.

One Iowa ticket was just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. But the player who bought the ticket added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which tripled the winnings to $150,000.

The $150,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 916 E. Main St. In Marshalltown.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 11-38-41-62-65 and Powerball 15. The Power Play number was 3.

The $150,000 prize can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winner has questions before claiming the prize, they’re welcome to call the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

A Note About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in a game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for last night’s Powerball drawing was about 22.6 percent. The coverage estimate for Saturday’s drawing is currently about 25.5 percent and could climb higher as ticket sales increase.

A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we ask our players to remember that you are gambling when you buy a ticket -- there’s no guarantee you’ll win. Please be sure that playing the lottery is something you do just for fun. Set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend as you play.

Powerball Jackpot At Est. $1.09 Billion For Tomorrow Night’s Drawing

The Powerball® jackpot continues to climb, making it through its latest drawing and becoming the 2nd U.S. lottery prize in a week to top the $1 billion mark.

The jackpot for Powerball’s next drawing tomorrow night now stands at an estimated $1.09 billion annuity, $527.3 million lump-sum option.

It follows a Mega Millions® jackpot of $1.13 billion won in that game’s March 26 drawing.

While the current Powerball jackpot is huge, it has room to grow before approaching record territory. Powerball holds the world record for a lottery jackpot, a $2.04 billion prize won in November 2022.

The current jackpot is the 4th-largest Powerball prize and the 9th-largest U.S. lottery prize.

Total Prizes Won in Iowa in Last Night’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 20,995 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing ranging from $4 up to $100,000.

Two Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball. One of those tickets won a $50,000 prize, while the other won a $100,000 prize. The player who bought the $100,000-winning ticket added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which doubled the prize.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 19-24-40-42-56 and Powerball 23. The Power Play number was 2.

The $50,000-winning ticket was purchased at Kimmes Carroll Country Store, 422 W. Sixth St. in Carroll.

The $100,000-winning ticket was purchased at Kwik Star, 111 E. Donald St. in Waterloo.

Those two prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions beforehand, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we offer this reminder amid the giant jackpots: You are gambling when you buy tickets and there’s no guarantee you'll win. Playing the lottery is something you do just for fun.

Powerball Jackpot Becomes 2nd In A Week To Reach $1 Billion

This is no April Fool’s joke: For the 2nd time in a week, a lottery jackpot of $1 billion is on the line.

This time, it’s in Powerball®, where the jackpot for that game’s drawing tonight now stands at an estimated $1 billion annuity, $483.8 million lump-sum option. It follows a Mega Millions® jackpot of $1.13 billion won in that game’s March 26 drawing.

The two jackpots climbed together for nearly three months, simultaneously topping $800 million for the first time in late March.

With Mega Millions being won, the bulk of the jackpot attention is now on Powerball as it continues to grow. The Powerball jackpot was last won on New Year’s Day. And while the jackpot is huge, it has a lot of room to go before it would hit record territory. Powerball holds the world record for a lottery jackpot, a $2.04 billion prize won in November 2022.

Withholding Rates In Iowa For A Jackpot Prize

At the Iowa Lottery, we’ve been fielding tax-related questions about the giant jackpots. We can answer some of them, but others would need to be addressed by a tax expert. That’s just one of the reasons we always encourage our winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help them put together a plan for their winnings.

Here are the specifics the lottery can provide: For any jackpot prize claimed in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically deducted before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover a prize winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year.

Scammers Unfortunately Notice Big Jackpots, Too

Scam attempts have been at all-time highs in recent years, and while the criminals behind them run cons of all types, they turn their attention to impersonating lotteries when jackpots are high.

Scammers have fraudulently used the names and logos of lotteries and well-known lottery games, along with the names of lottery winners and lottery officials in an attempt to steal people’s money.

The scams can involve persistent telephone calls and official-looking emails, text messages, social media postings and letters. They promise big prizes and will try to lure you into thinking you’ve won. But it’s a scam. A common thread is that the unsuspecting “winner” is asked to pay money up front for things like taxes, processing fees or delivery charges.

The scammers can sound really convincing. But it’s important to remember this simple truth: There is never a fee to claim a real lottery prize. If you’re asked to pay money up front, it’s a scam.

When you win a prize in a game like Powerball or Mega Millions, you notify the lottery that you’re the winner, not the other way around. The Iowa Lottery has records about the winning ticket and where it was purchased, but we don’t know the winner’s identity until that person comes forward to claim the prize.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other security reminders as a permanent feature on its website to help consumers stay safe.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we want our players to enjoy the moment when it comes to big-jackpot fun, but remember that you are gambling when you buy tickets. There is no guarantee you'll win. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

Giant Jackpot Run Ends In Mega Millions, Powerball Still Going

Update on March 28: The Powerball jackpot has made it through another drawing, now standing at an estimated $935 million annuity, $449.7 million lump-sum option for the game's next drawing on Saturday. That's still the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

An Iowa ticket came within 1 number of last night's jackpot! It matched 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. That ticket was purchased at Casey's, 1125 N. Hickory Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.   

  

The Mega Millions® giant jackpot run has ended, while Powerball® is still going. Three Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of last night’s Mega Millions jackpot that topped $1 billion.

The $1.13 billion jackpot in last night’s Mega Millions drawing was won with a ticket in New Jersey.

With that game’s grand prize now returning to its starting amount, the bulk of the jackpot attention turns to Powerball, where its jackpot stands at an estimated $865 million annuity, $416.1 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

This week marked the first time that the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots had simultaneously topped $800 million.

Total Prizes Won Last Night In Iowa

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 25,018 prizes in last night’s Mega Millions drawing ranging from $2 up to $20,000.

Three Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball in last night’s drawing. One of those tickets won a $10,000 prize, while two won a $20,000 prize. The players who bought the $20,000-winning tickets added the Megaplier® option to their purchase, which doubled their prize.

The $20,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Kum & Go, 165 SW Magazine Road in Ankeny and Amoco Jet Stop, 2760 Mount Pleasant St. in Burlington.

The $10,000-winning ticket was purchased at: Kwik Star, 2685 Dodge St. in Dubuque.

Those three prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

The winning numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing were: 7-11-22-29-38 and Mega Ball 4. The Megaplier number was 2.

Could One Person Win Both Jackpots?

With one of the giant jackpots being won but the other still going, this question has come up: Could one person win the jackpot in both games?

The short answer is: Yes. But the odds of that occurring are extremely long.

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. (Those figures 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.
There are a lot of zeroes involved in the outcome! The odds of winning both jackpots are about 1 in 88.5 quadrillion (that’s 88,500,000,000,000,000).

Winning both jackpots is something fun to daydream about, but it’s perhaps the ultimate long shot. That’s why the Iowa Lottery emphasizes healthy play. Have fun playing the lottery, but remember to play with your head, not over your head.

A Note About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in a game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing was about 25 percent. The coverage estimate for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is currently about 13.5 percent.

A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.

New Threshold: First Time the Jackpots Simultaneously Hit $800 Million Or More

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots have reached another new threshold: This is the first time they’ve simultaneously been at or above $800 million.

The Powerball jackpot faces the next big test in that game’s drawing tomorrow night. The jackpot for that drawing now stands at an estimated $800 million annuity, $384.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $1.1 billion annuity, $525.8 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing on Tuesday night. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

How Have The Jackpots Grown So Large?

Time and ticket sales are why the jackpots have grown so large.

The Mega Millions jackpot now has been growing for nearly four months, last won in the drawing on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for nearly three months, last won on New Year’s Day.

The jackpots grow from drawing to drawing when there is no grand prize winner, and sales generally increase as the jackpots climb. Higher sales, in turn, push the jackpots even higher.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

Play Healthy

The Iowa Lottery reminds players to enjoy the moment but remember that you are gambling when you buy tickets and there is no guarantee that you’ll win. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works. 

Heading into the Weekend: Fast Facts About the Giant Jackpots

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are heading into their next big tests this weekend. This is just the 3rd time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $700 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $467 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 6th largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

And not to be forgotten, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night is an estimated $750 million annuity, $360.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 9th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

Lots Of First-Time & Occasional Players Jumping In

When the jackpots really get up there like they are now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. There also is a spike in office pools and people buying tickets together with friends and family.

Here’s a quick brush-up if you want to play but aren’t sure how: The simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a local store for an easy-pick play in Powerball or Mega Millions. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the ticket will be printed for you.

In most drawings, more than 90 percent of the tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays.

If you want more details about how to buy a ticket for a chance at one of the big jackpots, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos available on its website. We also have reminders about keeping lottery group play fun and hassle free.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we remind our players to enjoy the moment, but we ask everyone to set a limit and stay within it for how much they’ll spend when they're buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun – it’s not an investment and you're not guaranteed to win.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

The Latest About The Giant Jackpots

The Mega Millions® jackpot has survived its latest test and is nearing $1 billion, while the giant Powerball® jackpot will be on the line in that game’s drawing tonight.

This is just the fourth time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $600 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $461 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing on Friday. That’s the sixth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

Not to be left out, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing Wednesday night is an estimated $687 million annuity, $327.3 million lump-sum option.

Truth vs. Myth: The cash amount of the jackpot is the annuitized value minus taxes.

That’s a myth.

We’re hearing some mistaken beliefs out there about the cash vs. annuity amounts for a jackpot. The cash amount is not the annuity amount minus taxes. Nor is the cash amount a specific percentage of the annuity total.

Here are the actual details involved:

If a jackpot winner in either game chooses the annuity option, they would receive 30 payments over 29 years that add up to the annuity total.

In that instance, the cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities. That initial amount invested plus all the interest generated through the years adds up to the annuity amount of the jackpot. Withholdings would be applied to each payment that the winner receives.

If a winner were to pass away before receiving all their payments, the money would go into their estate. The lottery would make future payments as determined by the estate or a court.

If a jackpot winner chooses the cash option, they receive a one-time payment for the amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game. There is no interest income in that scenario because the money isn’t invested. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.

Withholding Rates In Iowa

Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically applied before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover the jackpot winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That is one of the reasons the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer their questions.

Have Fun, But Set A Limit

The Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to enjoy the moment, but set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

You’ll find these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on the lottery’s website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how lottery games work.

Giant Jackpots Still Climbing, Mega Millions Gets Latest Bump

Status update on the giant jackpots: PowerbalI® made it through its latest test and continues to climb, while Mega Millions® will be on the line in its drawing tonight.

This is the fourth time that the huge prizes have simultaneously topped the $600 million mark.

Mega Million is currently the larger of the two, standing at an estimated $893 million annuity, $421.4 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tonight. That is the sixth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

The Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $687 million annuity, $327.3 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tomorrow night. While that amount is really up there, it is not yet in the Top 10 list of jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than three months, while the Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months.

The two games’ jackpots also simultaneously topped $600 million in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Truth vs. Myth: I Have A Lucky Store & a Lucky Day To Buy My Tickets

While that may be something fun to talk about, it’s a myth that there are lucky stores or lucky days to buy a ticket. Every ticket in Powerball or Mega Millions has the same odds of winning, no matter when or where it was purchased.

That’s because the odds in each game are based solely upon the numbers you can play.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that is how many ways the numbers in the game (five numbers from a pool of 1-70 for the white balls, one number from 1-25 for the yellow Mega Ball) can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities. So are the set of numbers in each play.

The same definition applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

Play Just For Fun

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds you to enjoy the moment, but remember to set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something to do just for fun.

We keep these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on the lottery website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

Rollin, rollin, rollin: Giant Jackpots Keep Climbing

Which one will get hit first? For now, the huge Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are both still climbing. They’ve simultaneously topped the $600 million mark for just the 4th time.

Powerball faces the next big test with its drawing tonight. The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $645 million annuity, $307.3 million lump-sum amount for the drawing. And while that’s a huge amount, it’s not yet in the Top 10 list of jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot stands at an estimated $875 million annuity, $413.5 million lump-sum amount, for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than 3 months. It was last won on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than 2 months, last being won on New Year’s Day.

The two games’ jackpots also simultaneously topped $600 million in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

$500,000 Iowa Powerball Double Play Winner On Saturday

Here in Iowa, we’re waiting to meet our latest big winner in Powerball!

A Powerball Double Play® ticket purchased at the Kwik Star convenience store, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City, won a $500,000 prize in Saturday’s drawing.

The Double Play option has been offered in Powerball since November here in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Double Play option to their Powerball tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.) The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in Saturday’s Double Play drawing to win a $500,000 prize. It was the only ticket in the country to win a $500,000 prize that night.

Truth vs. Myth: Are most tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions easy picks?

Most tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal selects the numbers on the ticket.

Years ago, about 65 to 70 percent of plays in the games were easy picks. But today, that percentage has climbed to around 90 to 95 percent. It’s a convenience factor: Players can ask for an easy-pick play at their local lottery retailer and the ticket is printed for them on demand.

Some players do choose their own numbers, and either type of play has the same odds of winning. But with 90 to 95 percent of the plays being easy picks, 90 to 95 percent of winning tickets in the games also are easy picks. It does not mean they are luckier, there are just a lot more of them.

Play Healthy

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to enjoy the moment, but please set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when you’re buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other “Play Smart, Be Informed” details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

For 4th Time, Both Giant Jackpots Simultaneously At $600 Million Or Higher

For just the 4th time, the Powerball® and Mega Millions® jackpots have hit or topped the $600 million mark at the same time.

Mega Millions faces its next big test in its drawing tonight. That game’s jackpot stands at an estimated $815 million annuity, $385.1 million lump-sum amount, for tonight’s drawing. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $600 million annuity, $285.9 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tomorrow night. And while that amount is huge, it’s not yet in the Top 10 for jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than three months. It was last won on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months, last won on New Year’s Day.

The three previous times that the jackpots have simultaneously reached $600 million or higher were in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

Truth vs. Myth: Do The Odds Get Longer As the Jackpot Grows?

Here’s a truth or myth question we get a lot at the lottery: Are the odds of winning tougher when the jackpot is high and more people are buying tickets?

The answer: No. That’s a myth.

The odds of winning in Powerball and Mega Millions do not change. They’re based upon the numbers you can play in the game, not how many tickets have been purchased.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that is how many ways the numbers available to play in the game can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities.

The same definition applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

Play Healthy

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Have fun playing, but set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend. Playing the lottery is something to do just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website. Whether you play the lottery or not, we want everyone to have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works!

Powerball Results: Iowa Players Won More Than 47,000 Prizes Last Night

Another giant jackpot run is now in the books.

Last night’s Powerball® jackpot was won with a ticket purchased in California, while a ticket in Iowa was just one number away from a share of the big prize.

The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 22-24-40-52-64 and Powerball 10. The Power Play® number was 2.

The jackpot ended up at $1.765 billion annuity, $774.1 million cash option. Strong sales pushed the final jackpot value even higher than the latest estimates before the drawing.

Last night’s jackpot was the second-largest ever offered in the Powerball game and the fourth lottery jackpot to top $1 billion in 2023, a level not previously seen in any year.

The Powerball jackpot returns to $20 million annuity, $9.1 million cash option, for the game’s next drawing on Saturday.

Total Prizes Won In Iowa

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 47,231 prizes in last night’s drawing. A ticket purchased in Clarion matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize.

The $50,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 222 Central Ave. W. in Clarion. That prize can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office.

Iowa Sales For The Drawing

Iowa Lottery players bought nearly $2.7 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $1.9 million in tickets yesterday alone.

But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $6, or about three plays per ticket. Lottery officials were pleased that Iowans had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.

How Population Factors In

In a game like Powerball, the odds of winning are the same for every ticket sold, no matter where you make your purchase. But simply because of their size, states with larger populations will have more people buying lottery tickets. And when more people buy tickets in a particular area, there will be more winnings there based on the sales volume.

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

Powerball is sold by 48 U.S. lotteries, including those in some of our nation’s biggest states. (California is No. 1 in terms of state population, followed by Texas, Florida and New York. All of those states sell Powerball.)

Iowa, with a population of about 3.1 million, is a fairly small state within the Powerball group, but the numbers show the state is doing well in terms of jackpot winners here.

Nine Iowa Lottery players have won Powerball jackpots through the years, including the largest lottery prize to date in Iowa, a $343.9 million jackpot won in 2018 by a Redfield woman.

This Month’s $2 Million Prize Still Unclaimed

The Iowa Lottery reminds its players to check their tickets for any prize they may have won, not just the jackpot. There are nine prize levels in Powerball, ranging from $4 for matching the Powerball alone up to the jackpot for matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.

Non-jackpot winnings can be significant, as demonstrated this past weekend in eastern Iowa. Someone who bought a ticket in Johnson County won a $2 million prize in last Saturday’s Powerball drawing. That prize hasn’t been claimed yet.

The winning ticket was purchased at Casey's, 403 Stephans St. in Tiffin. The ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to initially win a $1 million prize in the Oct. 7 drawing. But whoever bought the ticket also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplies prizes at the Match 5 level to $2 million.

The $2 million prize needs to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Lottery offices are open Monday through Friday, and appointments are strongly encouraged for those claims.

Powerball prizes won in Iowa must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing in which they were won.

With Powerball Sky High Again, 2023 Is The 1st Year To See 4 Jackpots Top $1 Billion

Powerball’s giant jackpot run continues, with its grand prize now the second-largest in history, behind only the game’s world-record prize of $2.04 billion won in November.

The jackpot for tomorrow night’s Powerball® drawing is now an estimated $1.725 billion annuity, $756.6 million cash option.

2023 marks the first time that four lottery jackpots have topped $1 billion in the same year. 2022 saw two jackpots won at that level and 2021 had just one.

Here are this year’s four giant jackpots so far:

• $1.725 billion – Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night’s drawing (Oct. 11).
• $1.602 billion – Mega Millions® jackpot won on Aug. 8.
• $1.08 billion – Powerball jackpot won on July 19.
• $1.348 billion – Mega Millions jackpot won on Jan. 13.

This time around, the Powerball jackpot has been growing for nearly three months. It was last won on July 19 with a ticket in California.

What’s With All The Huge Jackpots?

The current Powerball jackpot is the ninth U.S. lottery prize to top $1 billion. All have occurred since 2016.

The string of gigantic jackpots has some wondering about the reason behind them. Over time, lotteries in Powerball and Mega Millions have made adjustments to the games to continue to meet player expectations for big jackpots while delivering lots of other chances to win. The definition of a ‘big jackpot’ continues to evolve along with the games themselves.

$2 Million Prize Won Saturday In Iowa Still Unclaimed

The Iowa Lottery reminds its players to check their tickets for any prize they may have won, not just the jackpot. There are nine prize levels in Powerball, ranging from $4 for matching the Powerball alone up to the jackpot for matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.

Non-jackpot winnings can be significant, and that was demonstrated this past weekend in eastern Iowa. Someone who bought a ticket in Johnson County won a $2 million prize in Saturday’s drawing.

The $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at Casey's, 403 Stephans St. in Tiffin. The ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to initially win a $1 million prize. But whoever bought the ticket also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplies prizes at the Match 5 level to $2 million.

The prize won in Tiffin must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Lottery offices are open Monday through Friday, and appointments are strongly encouraged for those claims. To make an appointment or contact the lottery with questions, the winner or winners are welcome to call the lottery at 515-725-7900 or email to [email protected].

Powerball prizes won in Iowa must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing in which they were won.

The Latest Winning Numbers and ‘Coverage’ Estimate

The winning numbers in Powerball’s latest drawing last night were: 16-34-46-55-67 and Powerball 14. The Power Play number was 3.

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”

The coverage estimate for tomorrow night’s Powerball drawing is now about 31 percent.
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.

(The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play. The winning numbers selected will be one of those combinations.)

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. Remember this mantra: Playing smart is a lot more fun.

Mega Millions Results: Iowa Players Won More than 56,000 Prizes Last Night

Last night’s giant Mega Millions® jackpot was won with a ticket in Florida, and 2 Iowa tickets were just one number away from a share of the big prize. The Iowa tickets both matched four of the five white balls and the Mega Ball®.

The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 13-19-20-32-33 and Mega Ball 14. The Megaplier® number was 2. The jackpot ended up at $1.602 billion annuity, $794.2 million cash option. Strong sales pushed the final jackpot amount even higher than the latest estimates before the drawing.

Last night’s jackpot was the largest ever offered in the Mega Millions game and came less than a month after a $1.08 billion Powerball® jackpot was won in that game’s July 19 drawing.

The Mega Millions jackpot returns to $20 million annuity, $9.9 million cash option, for the game’s next drawing on Friday.

Total Prizes Won In Iowa

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 56,034 prizes in last night’s drawing. Two tickets in Iowa matched four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball to win a prize of $10,000 each. But whoever bought one of the tickets added the Megaplier option to the play, which multiplied the prize to $20,000.

The $10,000-winning ticket was purchased at Kwik Star, 111 E. Donald St. in Waterloo; while the $20,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 1801 Washington Ave. in Iowa Falls.

Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $3.1 million in Mega Millions tickets for last night’s drawing, including nearly $1.7 million in tickets yesterday alone.

But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $6, or about 3 plays per ticket.

A Note About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. The term involved is coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.” The coverage estimate for Tuesday’s drawing was about 41 percent. (The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play.)

Mega Millions Jackpot Climbs To Estimated $1.55 Billion, Largest In Game History

Update at 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, August 8: The Mega Millions jackpot has risen even further into record territory for the game. The jackpot amount has been raised to an estimated $1.58 billion annuity, $783.3 million cash option for tonight's drawing. 

That's the largest jackpot in the history of the Mega Millions game and the 3rd-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. Tonight's grand prize tops the previous game record of $1.537 billion, a Mega Millions jackpot won in 2018 with a ticket in South Carolina. 

The world record for a lottery prize remains the Powerball® jackpot of $2.04 billion won in November with a ticket in California.

The Latest Winning Numbers, Iowa Sales and Prizes

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 43,651 prizes in Friday's Mega Millions drawing. The winning numbers were: 11-30-45-52-56 and Mega Ball 20. The Megaplier® number was 2.

Two tickets in Iowa were just one number away from having at least a share of the jackpot and won $10,000 each. They matched four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball.

The $10,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Fareway, 920 Lawrence Drive in Burlington; and Pilot Travel Center, 445 Evansdale Drive in Evansdale.

Iowa Lottery players bought nearly $2.5 million in Mega Millions tickets for Friday's drawing, including more than $1.4 million yesterday alone. But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about 3 plays, or $6 per ticket. 

Only 1 Month Left for $1 Million Mega Millions Prize

This weekend marked the 1-month point for a $1 million Mega Millions prize that is still unclaimed in Ames. The prize will expire in early September if it's not claimed in time.

With first-time and occasional players joining the mix to buy tickets for a chance at the giant jackpot, we remind everyone to check their tickets for any prize they may have won, not just the jackpot. There are nine prize levels in Mega Millions, from $2 for matching the Mega Ball alone up to the jackpot for matching all six numbers in a drawing.

The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at The Filling Station/Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames, for the Mega Millions drawing on Sept. 6, 2022.

The winner or winners of the $1 million prize have until the close of business on Sept. 6, 2023, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

The money from lottery prizes that expire in Iowa without being claimed goes into the lottery's prize pools for future games and promotions, so it will be used to pay prizes, just not those prizes that have expired.

A National Look At Lottery Winners' Stories

USA Today has a national round-up this weekend of lottery winners' stories and what they've done with their winnings. It's an interesting look at a slice of life from across the country. The article is available here.

Withholding Rates In Iowa For A Jackpot Prize

We've gotten a lot of tax-related questions this summer as players have thought about winning the giant jackpot.

For any jackpot prize won in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically deducted before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover a lottery prize winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year.

That's one of the reasons we at the Iowa Lottery always encourage our winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer your questions.

Mega Millions Jackpot Now An Estimated $1.35 Billion For Friday’s Drawing

Update at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, August 4: The Mega Millions jackpot has been raised to an estimated $1.35 billion annuity, $659.5 million cash option for tonight's drawing. 

That makes it the 4th-largest jackpot in the history of the Mega Millions game and the 6th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

The jackpot has been growing for more than three months. It was last won on April 18. The game’s drawings happen at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The Latest Winning Numbers and Iowa Sales and Prizes

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 38,612 prizes in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing. The winning numbers were: 8-24-30-45-61 and Mega Ball 12. The Megaplier® number was 4.

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.1 million in Mega Millions tickets for the drawing. But the average purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about three plays, or $6 per ticket.

How Can I Check My Winning Numbers, See Past Drawings?

With first-time and occasional players jumping in for a chance at the big jackpot, here are some reminders about how you can check the results of your ticket.

• One of the most convenient is the Iowa Lottery’s mobile app, which allows you to scan your tickets from wherever you are on the go.
• A video archive of Mega Millions drawings is available on the game’s website.
• Drawing results also are available on the Iowa Lottery’s website, and tickets can be checked at any of the 2,500 retail locations in Iowa where lottery tickets are sold. You can use a self-checker in a retail location to scan ticket results on your own or have a retail employee check your tickets at the lottery terminal.
• The latest results in the Iowa Lottery’s daily drawings also are available by calling the lottery’s Winning Numbers Hotline at 515-323-4633.

Does One Person Really Need All That Money?

When the jackpot really gets up there like it is now, some folks may say that one person doesn’t need all that money. They suggest that when it gets this high, the jackpot could be split into smaller prizes.

But players vote with their pocketbooks on this issue. Sales follow the jackpot up: The bigger the jackpot gets, the higher sales go. And higher sales push the jackpot even higher.

But remember that it’s always possible for multiple tickets to match all six winning numbers in a drawing. And in that instance, the jackpot would be split.

A Few Words About Office Pools

As the jackpot climbs, more folks decide to form office pools to play together or buy tickets with friends, family and neighbors. The Iowa Lottery offers these reminders to keep your lottery pool play fun and hassle free:

• Know the rules of your pool and put them in writing. Group play details should be discussed, written and distributed to all members as the group’s official rules. Some issues you may want to cover include: If a regular playing member is not present on lottery collection day will they be included or excluded? What if a regular player has someone else put in money towards their game share, do both players receive an equal share? Can players come in and out of the group? When the rules are in writing, there is no question about how to split the funds.
• Provide everyone in your pool with photos or copies of the group’s tickets before the drawing. This should include the identifying numbers on the tickets.
• If the person buying the tickets for your pool also wants to buy tickets on their own, the two purchases should be kept separate. You may even want to consider buying the two sets of tickets at different stores so it's clear which tickets are for the group and which are for the individual.
• Put together a list of the names and telephone numbers of everyone in your pool. In particular, you should have that information for the people who are in charge of buying the tickets and the person who will hold the tickets.

It’s Happened AGAIN This Month: A Lottery Jackpot Has Topped $1 Billion

Update on Tuesday, August 1: The Mega Millions jackpot has been raised to an estimated $1.1 billion annuity, $550.2 million cash option for tonight's drawing. 

The Mega Millions jackpot is now the 4th-largest prize in the history of the game and the 6th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

Last month, the Mega Millions and Powerball® jackpots were both in the stratosphere, simultaneously topping the $700 million mark for just the 2nd time. The Powerball jackpot reached $1.08 billion before it was won on July 19.

The Mega Millions jackpot has now been growing for more than three months. It was last won on April 18. The game’s drawings are at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The Latest Winning Numbers, Iowa Sales & Prizes

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 25,078 prizes in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing. The winning numbers were: 5-10-28-52-63 and Mega Ball 18. The Megaplier® number was 5.

Two tickets in Iowa were just one number away from having at least a share of the jackpot and won $10,000 each. They matched four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball.

The $10,000-winning tickets were purchased at: The Jo Stop, 828-B 471st St. in Northwood; and Hy-Vee, 1556 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids.

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $1.4 million in Mega Millions tickets for Friday’s drawing. But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about three plays, or $6 per ticket. It’s good to see that a lot of people are having fun playing and haven’t gone overboard.

Reminders For Office Pools

When the jackpots really get up there, a lot of folks pool their money to buy tickets in a group with co-workers, neighbors, or friends and family.

The Iowa Lottery keeps reminders about group lottery play as a permanent feature on its website.

For example, a quick tip for the person buying tickets on behalf of a group is to keep a careful list of everyone who contributes, how much money they put in, and when. That can help answer any questions later about who was “in.”

How Close Are We To The Records?

There’s still room to go before the Mega Millions jackpot would reach the overall record for the game.

The largest jackpot in Mega Millions was a $1.537 billion prize won in the drawing on Oct. 23, 2018, by a ticket purchased in South Carolina.

Powerball holds the current world record for a lottery prize. That jackpot of $2.04 billion was won in the drawing on Nov. 7, 2022, by a ticket in California.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please have fun in this big-jackpot moment and stay within your means as you play.

Mega Millions Jackpot Climbs To Estimated $940 Million For Friday

Update at 1:20 p.m. on Friday, July 28: The Mega Millions jackpot has been raised to an estimated $940 million annuity, $472.5 million cash option for tonight's drawing. 

The Mega Millions® jackpot remains the 5th-largest prize in the history of the game and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

Earlier this month, Mega Millions and Powerball® were both in the stratosphere. Their jackpots simultaneously topped the $700 million mark for just the 2nd time, and the Powerball jackpot reached $1.08 billion before it was won on July 19.

The Mega Millions jackpot has now been growing for more than 3 months. It was last won on April 18.

Latest Winning Numbers, Iowa Sales & Prizes

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 20,060 prizes in last night’s Mega Millions drawing. The winning numbers were: 3-5-6-44-61 and Mega Ball 25. The Megaplier® number was 4.

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $1.1 million in Mega Millions tickets for the drawing. But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about 3 plays per ticket.

At the lottery, those numbers tell us that a lot of people are having fun playing right now, and they’re staying within their means.

Easy Picks vs. Your Own Numbers

The vast majority of tickets purchased in games like Mega Millions and Powerball are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal assigns the numbers printed on the ticket. About 93 percent of the Iowa plays for last night’s Mega Millions drawing were easy picks.

But players also can choose their own numbers. They choose 5 numbers from a pool of 1 to 70 for the white balls and 1 number from a separate pool of 25 for the yellow Mega Ball.

Neither option is luckier. The odds of winning are the same for every ticket purchased in the game.

There are more winners from easy-pick plays simply because the vast majority of tickets purchased are easy picks.

Withholding Rates In Iowa For A Jackpot Prize

At the lottery, we’ve been fielding a lot of tax-related questions this month about the giant jackpots. We can answer some of them, but others would need to be addressed by a tax expert.

Here are the specifics we can provide: For any jackpot prize claimed in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically deducted before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover a lottery prize winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year.

That’s one of the reasons we always encourage our winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer their questions.

Lots Of People Dreaming Big

We’ve also heard from a lot of people with dreams of winning and thoughts about what they’d do if they hit it big.

To help with some thought-starters about a giant lottery win, we’ve got a video called “You Won! Now What?” You can watch it here on YouTube.

$1 Million Mega Millions Prize Still Unclaimed In Iowa

A $1 million Mega Millions prize won in central Iowa is still unclaimed after nearly 11 months. It will expire in early September if the winner doesn’t come forward in time.

The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at The Filling Station/Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames, for the Mega Millions drawing on Sept. 6, 2022. It matched the first 5 numbers that night but missed the Mega Ball to win at the Match 5 level.

The winner or winners of the $1 million prize have until the close of business on Sept. 6, 2023, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.

Mega Millions Jackpot Now An Estimated $820 Million For Next Drawing Tuesday

With no jackpot winner in last night’s drawing, the Mega Millions® jackpot has grown even further and is now the fifth largest in the game’s history. It stands at an estimated $820 million annuity, $422 million cash option for its next drawing on Tuesday.

In addition to being one of the biggest jackpots in Mega Millions, the giant prize is now the eighth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. And it follows the $1.08 billion Powerball® jackpot won in that game’s drawing on Wednesday.

The Mega Millions jackpot has reached this level because it has been growing for more than three months. It was last won on April 18.

Demonstrating the random nature of lottery games, the Mega Millions jackpot was won six times in all of 2022 but has already been won six times this year. The game’s drawings occur at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The Latest Winning Numbers and Iowa Sales and Prizes

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 19,759 prizes in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.
The winning numbers that night were: 29-40-47-50-57 and Mega Ball 25. The Megaplier® number was 2.

A player wins the Mega Millions jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. However, there are a total of nine prize levels in the game ranging from $2 up to the jackpot, so the Iowa Lottery reminds its players to check their tickets for all the prizes they may have won.

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $1.1 million in Mega Millions tickets for Friday’s drawing. But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about three plays per ticket. Lottery officials were pleased that a lot of people had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.

Easy Picks vs. Your Own Numbers

The vast majority of tickets purchased in games like Mega Millions and Powerball are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal assigns the numbers printed on the ticket. About 93 percent of the Iowa plays for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing were easy picks.

But players also can choose their own numbers. They choose five numbers from a pool of 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from a separate pool of 25 for the yellow Mega Ball.

Neither option is luckier. The odds of winning are the same for every ticket purchased in the game. There are more winners from easy-pick tickets simply because the vast majority of tickets purchased are easy picks.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, we remind everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please have fun in this big-jackpot moment and stay within your means as you play.

Powerball Jackpot At $1 Billion, Mega Millions Climbs To $720 Million

For just the 2nd time, the Powerball® and Mega Millions® jackpots have simultaneously topped $700 million.

Powerball faces the next big test in its drawing tonight. The game’s jackpot stands at an estimated $1 billion annuity, $516.8 million lump-sum value, the 3rd-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

There was no jackpot winner in last night’s Mega Millions drawing, so that game’s grand prize has climbed to an estimated $720 million annuity, $369.6 million lump-sum option for its next drawing on Friday. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

The Latest Winning Numbers, Iowa Prize Totals and Sales

The winning numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing were: 19-22-31-37-54 and Mega Ball 18. The Megaplier® number was 4. Iowa Lottery players won a total of 17,928 prizes in the drawing.

Iowa players bought more than $1 million in Mega Millions tickets for last night’s drawing. But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $5, or about two plays per ticket.

Do The Odds Get Longer As the Jackpot Grows?

When the jackpots climb into the stratosphere like they are now, we get more player questions, and this is one we’ve seen a lot: Are the odds of winning tougher when the jackpot is high and more people are buying tickets?

The answer: No.

The odds of winning in Powerball and Mega Millions do not change. They are the same for every ticket purchased in the game and every drawing, regardless of the jackpot amount or how many tickets are sold for that drawing.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that’s how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities.

The same thing applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

How Are The Jackpots Growing By Such Big Amounts?

As the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots have continued to climb, the amounts by which they are increasing between drawings have grown larger.

Sales are a driving factor behind the jackpot amount. And sales follow the jackpot up. As the jackpot climbs, sales increase along with it, which in turn causes the jackpot to climb even higher.

When the jackpots are as large as they are now, they can increase by hundreds of millions of dollars between drawings. That shows just how many people are playing the games, all across the country.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, remember to play with your head, not over your head. It only takes one ticket to win.

Powerball Jackpot Hits $1 Billion, Next Mega Millions Drawing Is Tonight

The Powerball® jackpot has hit $1 billion for just the 3rd time in the game’s history, with no grand-prize winner in its drawing last night. And with the Mega Millions® jackpot also in the stratosphere, the two games’ grand prizes have now reached a combined total of more than $1.6 billion.

The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1 billion annuity, $516.8 million lump-sum value, for the game’s next drawing tomorrow night. That’s the 3rd-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Mega Millions jackpot faces its next test in its drawing tonight. The game’s grand prize is an estimated $640 million annuity, $328 million lump-sum option. That’s the 7th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

This is the 3rd time that the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions have simultaneously topped $600 million.

The Latest Winning Numbers & Iowa Prize Totals

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 5-8-9-17-41 and Powerball 21. The Power Play® number was 4. Iowa Lottery players won a total of 27,127 prizes in that drawing.

The winning numbers in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing were: 10-24-48-51-66 and Mega Ball 15. The Megaplier® number was 2.

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 45,558 prizes in the two games’ weekend drawings.

Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $1.5 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $1.2 million in tickets yesterday alone.

But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for last night’s drawing remained about $6, or about three plays per ticket. At the Iowa Lottery, we’re glad to see that a lot of people are having fun playing and haven’t gone overboard.

What Does ‘Coverage’ Mean For A Jackpot Drawing?

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. The term involved is coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”

The coverage estimate for last night’s Powerball drawing was 21.5 percent. The figure is expected to be higher for Wednesday’s drawing.

The coverage estimate for tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is 16 percent.

Remember The State Where You Bought Your Ticket

With a lot of people enjoying the summer travel season, remember that prizes need to be claimed from the lottery where you bought your ticket.

Powerball and Mega Millions are sold across the country, but each lottery has its own gaming system that generates tickets in that jurisdiction. The tickets involved can only be scanned or cashed by lottery equipment in that particular state.

The Iowa Lottery has gotten questions this week from players asking if they could cash tickets in Iowa that they bought in another state, and vice versa.

The answer is no – those prizes need to be claimed from the lottery in the jurisdiction where they were purchased.

An Important Reminder About Lottery Scams!

Scam attempts have been at all-time highs in recent years, and while the criminals behind them run cons of all types, they turn their attention to lottery games when jackpots get up there.

Scammers have fraudulently used the names and logos of lotteries, well-known lottery games, and sometimes the names of lottery winners and lottery officials to try to steal people’s money.

The scams can involve repeated telephone calls and official-looking emails, text messages, social media postings, and letters. They promise big prizes and try to lure you into thinking you’ve won. But it is a scam.

A common thread is that the unsuspecting “winner” is asked to pay money up front. The scammers claim it’s needed for things like taxes, processing fees or delivery charges.

The scammers can sound quite convincing but it’s important to know this simple truth: There is never a fee to claim a real lottery prize. If you are asked to pay money, it’s a scam.

When you win a big prize in a game like Powerball or Mega Millions, the lottery doesn’t reach out to you. You notify the lottery that you’re the winner, not the other way around.

The Iowa Lottery has records about the winning ticket and where it was purchased, but we don’t know the winner’s identity until that person comes to one of our offices with the ticket.

The Iowa Lottery keeps security reminders as a permanent feature on its website to help consumers stay safe.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Have fun playing, but stay within your means.

More Massive: Powerball & Mega Millions Jackpots Climb Even Higher

The giant jackpots in Powerball® and Mega Millions® are growing even higher, with no grand-prize winners in their weekend drawings.

No one won the jackpot in last night’s Powerball drawing, pushing the grand prize in that game to an estimated $900 million annuity, $465.1 million lump-sum value, for its next drawing tomorrow. That’s the third-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Mega Millions jackpot also made it through its latest drawing, pushing the game’s grand prize to an estimated $640 million annuity, $328 million lump-sum option for its next drawing on Tuesday. That’s the seventh-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

This is the third time that the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions have simultaneously topped $500 million.

The world record for a lottery prize remains the Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion won in November in California.

The Latest Winning Numbers And Iowa Prize Totals

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 2-9-43-55-57 and Powerball 18. The Power Play® number was 2.

The winning numbers in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing were: 10-24-48-51-66 and Mega Ball 15. The Megaplier® number was 2.

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 45,558 prizes in the two weekend drawings.

Top-Selling Retailers This Past Week In Iowa

Sales in the past week demonstrate that Iowa Lottery players buy tickets where they’re already running other errands. Stores with high customer traffic sell a lot of lottery tickets – and other products.

Here are the Top 10 retailers for Iowa Lottery sales in the past week (Sunday, July 9-Saturday, July 15):

1. Hy-Vee, 2323 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs
2. Hy-Vee, 1843 Johnson Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids
3. Porter’s Convenient 66, 1512 Lincoln Way in Clinton
4. Hy-Vee, 410 N. Ankeny Blvd. in Ankeny
5. Hy-Vee Drugstore, 1520 Sixth St SW in Cedar Rapids
6. Hy-Vee, 5050 Edgewood Road NE in Cedar Rapids
7. Hy-Vee, 2540 E. Euclid Ave. in Des Moines
8. Hy-Vee, 1745 Madison Ave. in Council Bluffs
9. Hy-Vee, 3235 Oakland Road NE in Cedar Rapids
10. Hy-Vee, 2510 SW State St. in Ankeny

Yes, The Next Powerball Drawing Is Tomorrow

Powerball’s next drawing really is tomorrow. Monday drawings have been part of the game for nearly two years, but some folks still question it when they see that detail.

In August 2021, Powerball moved from having two drawings a week to drawings on three days each week. The game now has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The change was designed to produce more winners and generate larger, faster-growing jackpots, and that has happened.

Mega Millions drawings are on Tuesdays and Fridays each week.

Please Play Responsibly

And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Have fun playing, but please stay within your means.

The Iowa Lottery keeps “Play Smart, Be Informed” details on its website as a good reference point to learn more.

GIANT Jackpots: Mega Millions Keeps Climbing, Powerball Drawing Is Tonight

The Mega Millions® jackpot continues to climb while the Powerball® grand prize faces its latest test in that game’s drawing tonight.

No one won the jackpot in last night’s Mega Millions drawing, which pushes the grand prize to an estimated $640 million annuity, $328 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing on Tuesday. That’s the 7th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $875 million annuity, $441.9 million lump-sum option for the game’s drawing tonight. That’s the 3rd-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

This is the 3rd time that the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions have simultaneously topped $500 million.

The world record for a lottery prize is the Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion won in November in California.

The Latest Winning Numbers In Both Games

The winning numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing were: 10-24-48-51-66 and Mega Ball 15. The Megaplier® number was 2.

The winning numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing were: 23-35-45-66-67 and Powerball 20. The Power Play® number was 3.

Lots Of First-Time & Occasional Players Jumping In Now

When the jackpots really get up there like they are now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. Office pools and people buying tickets with friends and family also see a spike.

The Iowa Lottery got questions this week from some folks who said they wanted to play but weren’t sure how, and didn’t want to look silly when trying to buy a ticket.

Here’s the answer: The simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a store for an easy-pick play in Powerball or Mega Millions. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and print out the ticket. Generally, at least 90 percent of the tickets purchased in the games are easy-pick plays.

To give everyone a quick brush-up on how to play the games, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos available on its website. It also has reminders to help keep lottery group play fun and hassle free.

Protect Yourself From Scammers Who Notice Big Jackpots, Too

Scam attempts have been at all-time highs in recent years, and while the criminals behind them run cons of all types, they’ll turn their attention to lottery games when jackpots are high.

Scammers have fraudulently used the names and logos of lotteries and well-known lottery games, and the names of lottery winners and lottery officials in an attempt to steal people’s money.

The scams can involve persistent telephone calls and official-looking emails, text messages, social media postings and letters. They promise big prizes and try to lure you into thinking you’ve won. But it’s a scam.

A common thread is that the unsuspecting “winner” is asked to pay money up front for things such as taxes, processing fees or delivery charges.

The scammers can sound quite convincing but it’s important to know this simple truth: There is never a fee to claim a real lottery prize. If you are asked to pay money, it’s a scam.

When you win a prize in a game like Powerball or Mega Millions, you notify the lottery that you’re the winner, not the other way around. The Iowa Lottery has records about the winning ticket and where it was purchased, but the lottery doesn’t know the winner’s identity until that person presents the ticket for payment.

The Iowa Lottery keeps security reminders as a permanent feature on its website to help consumers stay safe.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

And, please remember to play responsibly. You only need one ticket to have a chance to win.

All The Latest About The Giant Jackpots In Powerball and Mega Millions

The giant jackpots just keep growing! Their combined total is now more than $1.4 billion.

This is the third time that the jackpots in Powerball® and Mega Millions® have simultaneously topped $500 million.

The Powerball jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $875 million annuity, $441.9 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing on Saturday. That’s the third-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

Not to be left out, the Mega Millions jackpot for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night is an estimated $560 million annuity, $281.1 million lump-sum option.

Even though they’re both in the stratosphere, the jackpots have a lot of room to go before they would be in record territory. The world record for a lottery prize is $2.04 billion, won in the Powerball game in November with a ticket in California. The largest jackpot ever offered in Mega Millions was $1.54 billion, won in October 2018 with a ticket in South Carolina.

3 Iowa Tickets That Came Close This Week

Three times this week, tickets purchased in Iowa came close to having at least a share of the Powerball jackpot. The tickets matched the winning numbers in different ways and ended up winning prizes of $2 million, $150,000 and $100,000 respectively.

The $2 million and $100,000 prizes were won in Monday’s Powerball drawing, while the $150,000 prize was won last night’s drawing. They’re a reminder that you can win significant amounts even if you don’t hit the jackpot.

Here are the details about the latest of those three big wins: The $150,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 1402 Ninth St. SE in Dyersville. It matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize in last night’s drawing. But whoever bought the ticket added the Power Play® option to the ticket, which multiplied the prize to $150,000.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 23-35-45-66-67 and Powerball 20. The Power Play number was 3.

Details About Cash vs. Annuity

There are a couple common misconceptions we repeatedly hear about the cash vs. annuity amounts for a jackpot: The cash amount is not the annuity amount minus taxes. And the cash amount is not a set percentage of the annuity total. Here are the actual details involved:

If a jackpot winner in either game chooses the annuity option, they would receive 30 payments over 29 years that add up to the annuity total.

In that instance, the cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities. The initial amount invested plus all the interest generated over the years adds up to the annuity amount of the jackpot. Withholdings would be applied to each payment that the winner receives.

If a winner were to pass away before receiving all their payments, the money would go into their estate. The lottery would make future payments as determined by the estate or the court.

If a jackpot winner chooses the cash option, they receive a one-time payment for the amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game. There is no interest income in that scenario because the money isn’t invested. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.

Withholding Rates In Iowa

Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically applied before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover the jackpot winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That is one of the reasons the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer their questions.

Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers

Another point of fascination about winning tickets in the games is whether they were an easy-pick play or the player chose their own numbers.

Generally, 90 percent or more of the tickets purchased in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy picks, meaning that the player opted to have the lottery terminal randomly select the numbers involved.

The odds of winning are the same for every ticket in the games, whether the player buys an easy pick or chooses their own numbers. There are more easy-pick winners simply because the vast majority of the tickets purchased are easy picks.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

And, please remember to play responsibly. You only need one ticket to have a chance to win.

Combined Total For Powerball & Mega Millions Jackpots: More Than $1.3 Billion

The Powerball® jackpot has climbed even higher for the game’s drawing tonight while the Mega Millions® jackpot also continues to grow for its next drawing on Friday. Combined, the two giant prizes top $1.3 billion.

This is just the third time that the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions have topped $500 million at the same time.

The Powerball jackpot for tonight’s drawing now stands at an estimated $750 million annuity, $378.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the sixth-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

Not to be left out, the Mega Millions jackpot for that game’s next drawing on Friday is an estimated $560 million annuity, $281.1 million lump-sum option.

Really, REALLY Long Odds Of Winning Both

Is it possible that you could win both jackpots? Well, yes. But don’t count on it.

The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million, while the odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million.

To calculate the odds of winning both jackpots, you multiply 302.6 million by 292.2 million. The answer to that equation involves 15 zeroes: It’s about 1 in 88 quadrillion (that’s 88,000,000,000,000,000).

Details About Cash vs. Annuity

Let’s talk about cash vs. annuity and what those amounts mean. The cash option is NOT the annuity amount minus taxes. Here are the actual details involved:

If a jackpot winner in either game chooses the annuity option, they would receive 30 payments over 29 years that add up to the annuity total.

In that instance, the cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities. The initial amount invested plus the interest generated through the years adds up to the annuity amount of the jackpot. Withholdings are applied to each payment that the winner receives.

If a winner were to pass away before receiving all their payments, the money would go into their estate. The lottery would make future payments as determined by the estate or the court.

If a jackpot winner chooses the cash option, they receive a one-time payment equaling the amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game. There is no interest income in that scenario because the money isn’t invested. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.

Withholding Rates In Iowa

Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically applied before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover the jackpot winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that the winner would owe depends upon their financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings are not enough, in other instances, they’re too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That’s one of the reasons the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer their questions.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

And, please remember to play responsibly. You only need one ticket to have a chance to win.

Tama County Woman Claims $2 Million In Powerball As Giant Jackpots Climb

Afternoon update on July 12: The jackpots in Powerball® and Mega Millions® both continue to climb. Combined, they now top $1.3 billion.

The Powerball jackpot has been raised to an estimated $750 million annuity, $378.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the sixth-largest jackpot in the history of the game. Not to be left out, the Mega Millions jackpot for that game’s next drawing on Friday is an estimated $560 million annuity, $281.1 million lump-sum option.

Original post:

Iowa’s newest $2 million Powerball winner is looking forward to paying off her mortgage and student loans and planning for retirement. But her mind is also on her sons’ entries in the local fair.

Megan Balmer of Garwin claimed her prize today at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive, knowing she had some time while her parents helped her boys get their livestock to the Tama County Fair. Megan says she’s hoping that her boys have wins of their own this week as they show a heifer and a chicken at the fair.
Megan, 36, is a nurse who works for a home healthcare company. She says that she and her boyfriend, Mike Ellis, bought what ended up being a $2 million-winning ticket last night, just before the sales cut-off time for that night’s Powerball drawing.

After the drawing, she compared the winning numbers on the lottery website with those on her easy-pick ticket, then scanned the ticket on the lottery’s mobile app, but still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. So she called her stepmom, and along with Mike, they went to a nearby convenience store to check the ticket again. When the lottery terminal printed a player receipt showing a $2 million prize, the good news began to sink in.

Mike said he was jumping up and down, teary-eyed. Megan says her stepmom was hugging them and they all were in tears. She describes it as luck that just doesn’t happen – ever – for them.

But it did!

Iowa’s Big Wins in Last Night’s Powerball Drawing

Megan’s ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to initially win a $1 million prize in last night’s drawing. But because she added the Power Play® option to her ticket, her prize at the Match 5 level was multiplied to $2 million. Her ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize last night.

The winning Powerball numbers were: 2-24-34-53-58 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number was 2.

Megan’s winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 201 Eighth St. in Gladbrook.

Another Iowa ticket also was one number away from last night’s jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. And like Megan, the player who bought that ticket added the Power Play option, which multiplied the prize to $100,000.

The $100,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 406 Iowa Highway 3 in Marcus in northwest Iowa.
Casey’s will receive a total bonus of $2,100 from the Iowa Lottery for selling the two big winning tickets in Monday’s Powerball drawing.

Both Giant Jackpots Continue to Climb

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $725 million annuity, $366.2 million lump-sum option, for the game’s next drawing tomorrow night. That’s the seventh-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

The Mega Millions® jackpot also has climbed into the stratosphere. The jackpot for that game’s drawing tonight is an estimated $500 million annuity, $251 million lump-sum option.

This is the third time that the games’ jackpots have grown to at least $500 million at the same time.

2 IA Tickets Came SO CLOSE In Powerball, Next Mega Millions Drawing Is Tonight

Two Iowa tickets came SO CLOSE in last night’s big Powerball® drawing, with each just a number away from having at least a share of the jackpot.

And not to be left out of the story, the Mega Millions® jackpot was raised to $500 million for that game’s next drawing tonight. It’s just the third time that the jackpots in the two games have topped $500 million at the same time.

Details from Last Night’s Powerball Drawing

Two Iowa tickets hit big in last night’s Powerball drawing, with one of them winning a $2 million prize and the other winning a $100,000 prize.

The $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 201 Eighth St. in Gladbrook. The ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to initially win a $1 million prize. But whoever bought the ticket added the Power Play® option to the play, which multiplies prizes at the Match 5 level to $2 million.

The $100,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 406 Iowa Highway 3 in Marcus. That ticket matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. But whoever bought the ticket added the Power Play option to the play, which multiplied the prize to $100,000.

Last night’s winning Powerball numbers were: 2-24-34-53-58 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number was 2. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize grows to an estimated $725 million annuity, $366.2 million lump-sum option, for the game’s next drawing on Wednesday. That’s the 7th-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

The Next Mega Millions Drawing is Tonight

The Mega Millions jackpot for that game’s drawing tonight is an estimated $500 million annuity, $251.0 million lump-sum option.

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that deadline, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won’t be in the running for that night’s giant prize.

The Jackpots Started Growing at About the Same Time

An interesting point about the current jackpot run is that the giant prizes have been growing for nearly the same amount of time. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on April 18, while Powerball was last hit on April 19.

And although they’re both really getting up there, the Powerball jackpot is higher. What’s making the difference?

Powerball has a three drawings each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, while Mega Millions has two drawings a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. That extra drawing each week for Powerball means that game’s jackpot is growing more quickly.

Could One Person Win Both? Yes, but …

Would it be possible for one person to win both jackpots? The short answer is: Yes. But the odds of that happening are extremely long.

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 to that equation involves 15 zeroes: It’s about 1 in 88 quadrillion (that’s 88,000,000,000,000,000).