ialottery blog

Multi-Draw Tickets: What To Do If You Claim A Prize Before All The Drawings Are Done

Here’s a question we’ve gotten this week about a complication some players have had with tickets for multiple drawings in lotto games like Powerball® and Mega Millions®.

The players knew they’d won a prize in one of the early drawings on their ticket, so they went to a local store to claim their winnings. And that’s where a complication came in. I give the background involved below along with details about what you can do if you’re ever in the same situation.

If you’ve never heard of a multi-draw ticket before, here’s how it works: In our lotto games, you can buy a ticket for just the next upcoming drawing or for several drawings at a time. A ticket with plays for more than one drawing is called a multi-draw ticket. It’s a convenience factor in today’s busy times, and a lot of players use the multi-draw option to save on trips to the store.

If you buy a multi-draw ticket and win a prize before the last drawing on your ticket has been held, you can claim your winnings right away, either at a lottery retailer or a lottery office, depending on the amount you’ve won. When your multi-draw ticket is scanned by the lottery terminal, you'll be paid your prize or get a prize claim form (again depending on the amount you’ve won) along with an exchange ticket for the drawings you have left. Your original ticket will be kept by the retailer as part of the prize-claim process.

An exchange ticket has the word “Exchange” printed on it just above the plays. Be sure to look for that word to know you’ve received the exchange ticket. To help you identify an exchange ticket, I've included an image of one here in the Powerball game with the word "Exchange" highlighted.

In the past few weeks, we’ve heard from some players who either didn’t get their exchange ticket when it printed from the lottery terminal or were given back their original ticket. The mix-up meant that they initially couldn’t claim any additional prizes they might have won, and that’s why they reached out to us. The folks in our Security Department were able to research what happened and track down the right details to help. But as a consumer, it’s always best to avoid complications like that.

If you’ve won a prize, you’re obviously excited and want to claim it quickly. So, feel free to do just that! But if you won on a multi-draw ticket, be sure to get the exchange ticket for the remaining drawings you still have to go! 

(And, if you want to wait until all the drawings on your ticket have occurred before claiming your winnings, you're obviously welcome to do that. The details here about exchange tickets are helpful tips for those who want to claim their winnings early on.)  

Player Question: Do Retailers Get A Bonus For Selling Lottery Tickets That Win Big?

Here’s a player question that just came our way about lottery tickets that win a big prize. The person wanted to know if the retail location involved receives a bonus from the Iowa Lottery. The short answer is that yes, they definitely do! The details vary with the size of the prize and the lotto game where the prize was won.

Here in Iowa, retail locations receive a commission from the Iowa Lottery for every ticket they sell. And that total really adds up. In fiscal year 2021, the latest complete year for which the lottery has records, retailers were paid a total of $29.7 million in compensation from the Iowa Lottery. We’re gratified to know that the lottery is making a difference in the bottom line for local businesses!

In addition to the sales commission for each ticket sold, retailers in Iowa also receive bonuses from the lottery. For example, retailers get a peak sales bonus when the jackpots in Powerball® and Mega Millions® climb higher than $400 million. We at the lottery know that those are busier times for our retailers and we appreciate their work in selling lottery tickets.

Retailers also receive bonuses for selling lottery tickets that win a big prize. Iowa businesses that sell a jackpot-winning ticket in Powerball or Mega Millions receive a $10,000 bonus. Retailers that sell a jackpot-winning ticket in Lotto America® ticket get a $5,000 bonus, as do those that sell a ticket winning the top prize in Lucky for Life®. Retailers that sells a ticket winning Lucky for Life’s second prize level of $25,000 a year for life receive a $500 bonus from the lottery.

There also are smaller bonuses for retailers that sell lotto tickets winning prizes of $100,000 or more. For example, a business that sells a lotto ticket winning a $100,000 prize receives a $100 bonus from the lottery, while a location that sells a lotto ticket winning a $1 million prize gets a $1,000 bonus.

Businesses that received bonuses from the Iowa Lottery have used that income in different ways through the years. For example, the owners of one business used their bonus from selling a jackpot-winning ticket for a new roof on the building. Others businesses have made donations to organizations in their local community.

It’s always fun to be part of the moment when a big prize is won and to learn more about the winner and retail location involved!

Player question: About that Lotto America® jackpot

A player wrote to us this month and asked why it seemed like there were fewer jackpots in Lotto America than in comparable lotto games like Powerball® and Mega Millions®. He noted that the Lotto America jackpot hadn’t been hit in quite a while and wondered why.

It’s true: There have been seven Lotto America jackpot winners since the game began in November 2017, and the jackpot hasn’t been hit in more than 10 months. The last time it was won came on July 14, 2021, when a ticket purchased in Oklahoma won an $8.04 million jackpot.

But why has it been so long? It comes down to numbers. While Lotto America is a multi-state game that features a play style very similar to Powerball and Mega Millions, it’s played in far fewer states than its big brothers. There are 13 participating states in Lotto America: Iowa, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Dakota and West Virginia. This is a far cry from Powerball, with 48 participating lotteries, and Mega Millions, with 47.

Fewer participating states means fewer tickets are sold in any given drawing. And the less tickets that are sold, the less likely it is that the jackpot will be hit. This is true even though the odds of hitting the jackpot in Lotto America (1 in 26 million) are better than the odds of doing the same in Powerball (1 in 292.2 million) or Mega Millions (1 in 302.6 million).

We hear from many players who love Lotto America because it offers a chance at a multi-million dollar jackpot for only $1 per play. And with Wednesday’s jackpot at an estimated $13.79 million, there’s no doubt that players are eager to see where the next jackpot will be won.

Say What? 6 Lottery Prizes Of At Least $10,000 Are Unclaimed In Iowa

Are we as Iowans becoming really forgetful? Are we just procrastinating? Whatever the reason, six lottery prizes of at least $10,000 are unclaimed right now in the state. This is a reminder to double-check your tickets.

The largest amount on the list – a prize of $25,000 a year for life in the Lucky for Life® game – has been unclaimed for nearly six months.

The winner bought the lucky ticket at Casey’s, 641 Edgewood Road NW in Cedar Rapids, for the Lucky for Life drawing on Nov. 4, 2021. The ticket matched the five white balls but missed the yellow Lucky Ball that night to win the game’s second prize level. The winning numbers in the Nov. 4 drawing were: 6-9-12-23-41 and Lucky Ball 8.

The winner has until 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, to claim the prize at Iowa Lottery headquarters.

Here is a list of the other five big unclaimed prizes, and they’re also shown on a map in the video above if it helps to see them visually.

Game	Prize Drawing	Amount Won	Retailer	Expiration
Powerball	July 21, 2021	$50,000	Casey's, Council Bluffs	July 21, 2022
Powerball	Oct. 23, 2021	$50,000	Kum & Go, Stuart	Oct. 24, 2022
Extreme Green InstaPlay	March 29, 2022	$37,624	River Mart, W. Burlington	June 27, 2022
Word Search InstaPlay	April 14, 2022	$20,000	Casey's, Waukon	July 13, 2022
Extreme Green InstaPlay	March 12, 2022	$10,000	Casey's, Gilbertville	June 10, 2022

The lottery currently offers prize claims by appointment at its offices. If you’re one of the winners and you have questions before coming forward to claim the prize, please give us a shout at 515-725-7900.

In the last fiscal year, more than $1.3 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

Time appears to be a factor. The Iowa Lottery reviewed plays from a sampling of recent lotto drawings and found that the vast majority of prize claims occurred within six months of the drawing date. Less than 3 percent of prizes from those drawings were claimed after that point. The Iowa Lottery will continue to review how it can best encourage and remind players to claim their prizes.

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.

190 INDYCAR Race Weekend Prize Packages In Newton On the Line In Powerball Promotion

The INDYCAR Series is staging back-to-back races this summer in Newton, and Iowa Lottery players can have the chance at tickets to the race weekend in a Powerball® promotion that started this morning.

VIP Club members can enter eligible Powerball tickets in the promotion with 190 prize packages to the INDYCAR Race Weekend on the line. Up for grabs are 20 VIP Suite Experiences and 75 single-day prize packages for the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 at the Iowa Speedway on July 23, and 20 VIP Suite Experiences and 75 single-day prize packages for the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 on July 24.

Each VIP Suite Experience includes two suite tickets (for either the Saturday or Sunday race), food, non-alcoholic beverages, $100 spending cash, lottery swag, and concert tickets. Each single-day prize package includes two grandstand race tickets (for either Saturday or Sunday), concert tickets, food vouchers, $100 spending cash and lottery swag.

All promotion winners get to attend the day’s pre- and post-race concerts. Tim McGraw will put on a pre-race concert on Saturday while Florida Georgia Line will put on the post-race concert the same day. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton will be in concert on Sunday.

If you’re a VIP Club member, you can enter winning and nonwinning Iowa Powerball tickets today through the morning on May 3. Each Powerball ticket entered equals one entry in the prize category you choose, regardless of the price of the ticket or the number of plays it.

The entry period runs through 9:59 a.m. on May 3, with the drawing to follow on May 5.

3 Big Power Play Winners So Far This Month!

Talk about starting 2022 on a strong note! In January so far, Iowa has seen three big Power Play® winners in Powerball®, and the next chance comes in tonight’s drawing.

The latest Power Play winner is a northeast Iowa man who claimed a $150,000 prize this afternoon at our Cedar Rapids office. James Bardon of Durango took home that prize with a ticket he brought for Monday’s Powerball drawing.

James bought his winning ticket at Hartig Drug Company, 1600 University Ave. in Dubuque, and initially won a $50,000 prize by matching four of the white balls and the Powerball. But he also added the Power Play option to his ticket, and the Power Play number in Monday’s drawing was 3, so his prize tripled to $150,000!

In last Saturday’s Powerball drawing, William Dalzeil of Ainsworth won a $100,000 prize. His ticket also initially won $50,000 for matching four of the white balls and the Powerball. But he also had added the Power Play option to his ticket, and the Power Play number that night was 2, so his prize was multiplied to $100,000!

If you’re not familiar with the Power Play option, it costs an extra $1 per pay. It’s called a multiplier because it will multiply any prize you win except the jackpot by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 times, depending on the Power Play number selected in that night’s drawing.

The biggest Power Play winners this month were Karla and Keith Elenz of New Hampton, who claimed a $2 million prize from the Jan. 10 Powerball drawing. Their ticket initially won a $1 million prize for matching the five white balls but missing the Powerball. But Karla, who bought their ticket at a local convenience store, had added the Power Play option, so their prize was multiplied to $2 million.

The next chance for someone to win a Power Play prize comes in tonight’s Powerball drawing. We’ll see what the news tomorrow may bring!

Six Months To Go For $50,000 Powerball Prize In Council Bluffs

A big unclaimed prize in Iowa has just hit a significant milestone, so it’s a good time for me to remind everyone to double-check their tickets!

Today is the six-month mark for a $50,000 Powerball® prize won in Council Bluffs. That prize was won July 21 with a ticket purchased at Casey’s, 3434 Nebraska Ave. in Council Bluffs. It will expire at the close of business on July 21 of this year if it’s not claimed by then at an Iowa Lottery office. (The prize-redemption hours in our offices close at 4 p.m.)

Players in Iowa have up to 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim Powerball prizes.

You’re probably wondering: Why do prizes go unclaimed? Maybe the tickets involved get lost or misplaced. Maybe the player never checks them. Or maybe they only check to see if they’ve won the jackpot and don’t drill down to see that they can win other significant prizes (like $50,000)!

On our Unclaimed Prizes list on the Iowa Lottery website, you can see all the prizes of $600 or more in Iowa that are currently unclaimed in lotto and InstaPlay games. You can sort the list by game, place of purchase, prize amount, date of win, or date of expiration to key in on the details that matter most to you.

As of today, there are six prizes of $5,000 or more still waiting to be claimed in Iowa. The biggest one is a Lucky for Life® prize of $25,000 a year for life (or a $390,000 lump-sum option) that was won with a ticket purchased at Casey’s, 641 Edgewood Road NW in Cedar Rapids. There are about 10½ months to go until it would expire.

If you have any questions about claiming a prize, give us a call at 515-725-7900 or email us at wmaster@ialottery.com. And, please double-check your tickets!

$2 Million Powerball Winner: Ticket Was In Car’s Sun Visor

In a slice-of-life moment, a northeast Iowa woman realized she’d left a $2 million-winning Powerball® ticket tucked into the sun visor of her car.

Karla and Keith Elenz of New Hampton claimed the $2 million prize today at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Karla said they first got a head’s up about the big news when an email was sent Tuesday to all employees at the auto-parts manufacturing facility where they work. The Iowa Lottery had announced earlier that day that a $2 million prize was won in Monday’s Powerball drawing with a ticket purchased in the Chickasaw County community of about 3,500.

Karla, 53, said that in the email, her company shared the details about the lottery announcement and said they hoped the winner would be someone they knew. That prompted Karla to run out to her car in the parking lot, where she’d left a Powerball ticket in the sun visor.

She said she brought up the winning Powerball numbers on her mobile phone and compared those to the numbers on the ticket. Then she knew she had to find her husband.

Keith Elenz, 55, said he could tell Karla had something big to share, but in the rush of the moment, they understandably had a little trouble getting all the words out. He said his wife told him they won and he kept asking, “Won what?” When she told him she thought the prize was $2 million, Keith said his reaction was: “Noooo.”

The couple said they somehow kept the news to themselves for the rest of the afternoon, and then their communications difficulties took another amusing turn when they shared the details that evening with their family. Karla said her mom initially thought they’d won a $2,000 prize. Karla told her that she needed to keep adding more zeroes.

Karla and Keith both say that they plan to invest their winnings, continue working, and help local charities.

Karla bought their $2 million-winning ticket at Casey’s, 615 N. Linn Ave. in New Hampton. She chose her own numbers, playing a set that are significant to her. Their ticket was just one number away from having at least a share of Monday’s $26.8 million jackpot, initially matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball to win a $1 million prize.

But Karla also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplies the prize at the Match 5 level to $2 million. The New Hampton ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize in Monday’s drawing.

Monday’s winning numbers were 14-17-18-21-27 and Powerball 9. The Power Play option was 2. Casey’s will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket.

Exciting Start To 2022: New Hampton Ticket Wins $2 Million Powerball Prize

Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in northeast Iowa won a $2 million Powerball prize in last night’s drawing.

The $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 615 N. Linn Ave. in New Hampton. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $26.8 million jackpot.

The lucky ticket initially matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. But whoever bought the ticket also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplies the prize at the Match 5 level to $2 million.

The New Hampton ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize in last night’s drawing.

Last night’s winning numbers were 14-17-18-21-27 and Powerball 9. The Power Play option was 2. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $38 million annuity ($26.4 million lump-sum option) for the game’s next drawing tomorrow night.

Casey’s will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket.

Prizes of $2 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday, and prize claims are currently available by appointment. The winner or winners of the New Hampton prize can call the lottery at 515-725-7900 to make an appointment to claim it.

Powerball Jackpot Split By Tickets in CA & WI, Mega Millions Continues To Roll

Update on Jan. 6: Last night's Powerball jackpot, which ended up being even higher than the latest estimates heading into the drawing, was split by tickets in California and Wisconsin. The $632.6 million jackpot was the 7th-largest in the history of the game. Meanwhile, the Mega Millions® jackpot continues its run, currently at an estimated $278 million annuity, $193 million lump-sum value for that game's next drawing tomorrow.         

Maybe it’s the cold weather sweeping across much of the country that’s got people looking for a chance to daydream, but something DEFINITELY has folks thinking about the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions.

The jackpots in both games have been raised even higher today, pushed up by strong sales across the country. Tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot is now an estimated $253 million annuity, $175.6 million lump-sum option.

And the Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night’s drawing is now an estimated $610 million annuity, $434.2 million lump-sum option. That’s the seventh largest jackpot in the history of the Powerball game.

3 Prizes Of $50K, 1 Of $20K Currently Unclaimed In Iowa

Now is a good time to remind you to double-check your tickets. And be sure to look for the other prizes you may have won, not just the jackpot! Three Powerball prizes of $50,000 and a Mega Millions prize of $20,000 won within the past six months are currently unclaimed in Iowa.

Each of the $50K-winning tickets was just one number away from the jackpot, matching four of the five white balls and the Powerball. And the $20K-winning Mega Millions ticket initially matched four of the five white balls and the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. But the player who bought the ticket also added the Megaplier option for an extra $1, which multiplied the prize to $20,000.

Here are the details about the unclaimed prizes involved:

• $50K-winning ticket purchased at Casey’s, 3434 Nebraska Ave. in Council Bluffs, for the July 21 drawing.
• $50K-winning ticket purchased at Kum & Go, 629 S. Division St. in Stuart, for the Oct. 23 drawing.
• $50K-winning ticket purchased at Kwik Star, 205 N. Maryville St. in Calmar, for the Dec. 29 drawing. This prize was claimed Jan. 5. #WooHooForYou
• $20K-winning ticket purchased at Casey’s, 4400 128th St. in Urbandale, for the Nov. 12 drawing.

Reminders For Office Pools

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

We keep reminders about group lottery play as a permanent feature on our website, so please check out those details.

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

Powerball Jackpot Raised Even Higher, 3 Prizes of $50K Currently Unclaimed In Iowa

It seems like Powerball® is top of mind for a whole lot of folks right now! Strong sales across the country during the New Year’s holiday weekend have pushed the jackpot even higher for tonight’s drawing.

Tonight’s jackpot is now an estimated $540 million annuity, $384.3 million lump-sum value.

There Are Monday Drawings?

And with the jackpot in the spotlight, we’ve gotten questions today from some people who didn’t realize Powerball has a Monday drawing. That change was made in August of last year. Powerball now has drawings every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The first Monday drawing in the game was held on Aug. 23, 2021.

Reminders For Office Pools

This is the point where a lot of folks decide to pool their money to buy tickets with co-workers, neighbors, or friends and family.

We keep reminders about group lottery play as a permanent feature on our website, so please check out those details.

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

3 Powerball Prizes of $50K Currently Unclaimed In Iowa

Three Powerball prizes of $50,000 won within the past six months are currently unclaimed in Iowa, and at the Iowa Lottery, we remind all our players to double-check their tickets!

Each of the $50K-winning tickets was just one number away from the jackpot, matching four of the five white balls and the Powerball.

Here are the details about the Powerball tickets involved:

• $50K-winning ticket purchased at Casey’s, 3434 Nebraska Ave. in Council Bluffs, for the July 21 drawing.
• $50K-winning ticket purchased at Kum & Go, 629 S. Division St. in Stuart, for the Oct. 23 drawing.
• $50K-winning ticket purchased at Kwik Star, 205 N. Maryville St. in Calmar, for the Dec. 29 drawing.

The $1 Million Winner Was From Pennsylvania, But What A Fun Night!

If you watched the broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” you saw that a Pennsylvania player was selected as the $1 million winner in the special New Year’s Powerball® drawing live on air. But Iowa’s two finalists in the drawing say it was a fun night from start to finish. And they won prizes for being one of the five nationwide finalists.

In the images here, you can see Rob Long of Waterloo during the national television broadcast along with his wife, Heather, and their daughter, Rylie. And up in Titonka, Shari Beenken and her husband, Rod, were on TV with their children Jack, Madison and Katelyn.

THANK YOU to Rob and Shari for enjoying the moment and making the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year® drawing a ton of fun. After all, this was the first time that any state had more than one finalist for the $1 million prize!

Iowa’s finalists had two very different stories. Beenken, from a Kossuth County community of about 500, entered Powerball tickets in the drawing she purchased on her own, while Long entered tickets he bought on behalf of a group of his co-workers, friends and family who pool their money to buy tickets. He calls the group Lotto 22.

Rob, Shari and the other nationwide finalists received a $10,000 cash prize and a home party package also valued at $10,000, including a 70-inch LED TV, karaoke system and premium laptop computer. And then in the New Year’s drawing, Brian Mineweaser of Honey Brook, Pa., was selected as the $1 million winner.

#PBTwinWinsInIA
#PowerballRockinEve

The Countdown Is On: Will Iowa Have The $1 Million New Year’s Powerball Winner?

UPDATE on Jan. 1, 2022: The $1 million winner was the finalist from Pennsylvania. Brian Mineweaser of Honey Brook, Pa., was selected in the drawing for the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year®.

Friday can’t come soon enough for these two Iowans who are waiting to learn if they’ll be the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year®.

Congratulations to Shari Beenken of Titonka and Rob Long of Waterloo, two of the five nationwide finalists for the $1 million prize! The winner will be announced live on air during ABC’s broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” from New York's Time Square. The drawing will be held about 12:15 a.m. EST in the new year. 

Good luck, Shari and Rob! We’re pulling for you!

#PBTwinWinsInIA #PowerballRockinEve

Now You Can Watch Powerball Drawings On Our Website – Live Or On Demand!

We’ve add a new way for you to watch Powerball® drawings on the Iowa Lottery’s website.

Video of the Powerball drawings is now available on the Powerball page of our site. You can see the video boxes along the right side of the page. The top box, which has a blue background, shows a U.S. map with the areas highlighted where Powerball is played. The bottom box contains the actual footage of the latest Powerball drawing.    

The drawings will stream live on our site as they occur at 9:59 p.m. Central time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Then once the livestream is completed, footage of the latest drawing will remain available on our site until the next Powerball drawing occurs. Once the footage of the new drawing is available, it will replace the previous version so that video of the most recent drawing is always available on our site.

The Powerball drawings are still televised in many areas, but with life feeling busier than ever these days, this new option gives you a place where you can always catch the latest drawing, live or on demand.

Iowa’s Got 2 Of The 5 Finalists For $1 Million Prize In Pball New Year’s Drawing

Here’s some exciting and unexpected news: Iowa has two of the five nationwide finalists for a $1 million prize that will be awarded in a special Powerball® drawing just after midnight in the New Year.

The winner will be announced live on air just after midnight EST during ABC’s broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022 from New York’s Time Square.

This is the third year for the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year® promotion, and the first time that a single state has had more than one of the finalists for the $1 million prize.

Iowa’s finalists have two very different stories. Shari Beenken of Titonka, a Kossuth County community of about 500, entered Powerball tickets in the promotion she purchased on her own, while Rob Long of Waterloo entered tickets he bought on behalf of a group of his co-workers, friends and family who pool their money to buy tickets. He calls the group Lotto 22.
              
With two players in the running, Iowa has a 40 percent chance of having the $1 million winner. The other finalists for the prize are from Illinois, Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

Shari, 57, is an office administrator at an Algona business. She said her heart was pounding, she had tears in her eyes and she was a bit in shock when she learned she was one of the finalists.
 
Rob, 50, is a warehouse associate in Waterloo, He said he also was shocked by the news, but then had fun sharing the details with his group. A lot of them didn’t know he’d entered their tickets in the promotion, and he said he loved seeing the surprise on people’s faces.

Iowa and 28 other lotteries in the Powerball game participated in this year’s edition of the First Millionaire of the Year promotion, which gave players the chance to enter their Powerball tickets for a shot at more winnings. Iowa Lottery players could enter tickets into the promotion back in September, and on Sept. 30, the Iowa Lottery selected 20 of them (including Beenken and Long) as semi-finalist winners of $2,500 each. 

Those 20 Iowa winners along with the semi-finalists from the other states in the promotion were all then entered into a random drawing to determine the five finalists for the $1 million prize. And Iowa ended up with two of the five!

For being selected as a finalist, Shari and Rob each will receive a $10,000 cash prize and a home party package also valued at $10,000, including a 70-inch LED TV, karaoke system, premium laptop computer, and deluxe dinner for eight.

Rob held a drawing with the help of a member of his group and his wife to determine how the Lotto 22 would split up the home entertainment package. They put all the group members’ names in a bowl and selected winners of the merchandise prizes. The group is evenly splitting the $10,000 cash prize.

Shari said that if she’s the $1 million winner, she and her husband, Rod, plan to invest a majority of the winnings. But she said she’d spend a little of the money as well. She said she’s not extravagant, but she needs a new dishwasher.

If Rob is the $1 million winner, the prize will be split amongst his group, with each member receiving about $45,500 before taxes. Rob said that his wife, Heather, would like a newer vehicle, so his share of the winnings will likely go towards that. But he also has a purchase of his own in mind.

Rob said he’s an ‘80s guy who has always loved arcade games, and he wants his own Donkey Kong machine.

Shari, Rob and the other three finalists for the $1 million prize will be in their hometowns on New Year’s Eve. The national television broadcast will check in with them throughout the night. Then just after midnight EST, the $1 million winner will be announced!

For those wondering, here are the members of the Lotto 22:

From Clarksville: Scott Herrmann and Victor Herrmann
From Denver: Bruce Gonnerman
From Dunkerton: Michael Nicolaus and Nancy Smock
From Independence: Bryan Cain and Kristen Kayser
From Jesup: Ronald Kester
From La Porte City: Bruce Long
From Oelwein: Ellyn Perkins
From Plainfield: Valeria Marks
From Raymond: Randy Ruehs
From Shell Rock: Grant Clark
From Waterloo: Trish Bandfield, Mark Burke, Steven Foster, Kelvin Holmes, Rob Long, Nesffy Molina, Mike O’Connor, Martin Van Horn, Eric Woodward.

Why Are There More Winners In (Insert Place Here)?

A player contacted us this week with a question we’ve seen in different versions through the years: Why are there more winners in this state-that state/big cities-small towns/East Coast-West Coast?

We think the root of the situation is that players won’t truly be satisfied unless THEY’RE the big winners. In reality, winners are determined by nothing other than pure, random chance. But population does factor in.

This particular player asked about Powerball, so I’ll concentrate here on details about lotto games. But the same general concept applies to any lottery game.

As background, 48 U.S. lotteries sell Powerball, 47 sell Mega Millions, and 13 sell Lotto America. The odds of winning in each game are the same for every ticket purchased, but there will be more winners in places where more tickets are being sold.

Another way of putting it is that if about 5 percent of lottery tickets are sold in a particular area, you expect to find about 5 percent of the overall winners there. That doesn't mean the players there are luckier, it just means that more tickets have been sold in that area, so there will be a larger corresponding number of winners there.

A state like New York (with a population of 20.4 million) or Florida (population 21.6 million) will see more winners than a smaller state like Iowa with a population of 3.2 million. Over time, lotteries will see a proportional number of winners comparative to their jurisdiction's population, and that has been the case in jackpot games.

Another obvious factor in the location of lottery winners is whether a state even has a lottery. Currently, there are five U.S. states that don't have one: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

The Latest About The Powerball Jackpot

Update on Tuesday, Oct. 5: Last night's giant Powerball jackpot was won with a ticket purchased in California. And as I had referenced yesterday, strong sales across the country pushed the actual jackpot total past even the latest estimates made in advance. The final amount was $699.8 million annuity, $496 million lump-sum option. That's the 5th-largest prize in the Powerball game and the 7th-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.         

The giant Powerball® jackpot continues to climb, now at an estimated $685 million annuity, $485.5 million lump-sum amount, for tonight’s drawing. The official estimate was raised earlier today to its current amount, driven by strong sales during the weekend across the country.

The big prize is now the 6th-largest jackpot in the history of the Powerball game and the 8th-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. But in general, players buy the majority of tickets the day of a drawing, so it’s possible that tonight’s final jackpot amount will be higher than the advance estimates.

The Powerball jackpot has been growing for nearly four months. It was last won June 5 with a ticket purchased in Florida.

Drawing Details, And An Iowa Ticket That Came SO Close  

The winning numbers in Saturday’s Powerball drawing were: 28-38-42-47-52 and Powerball 1. The Power Play number was 2. An Iowa ticket was just one number away from that night’s big prize and won $100,000. 

The ticket initially matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. But whoever bought the ticket also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplied the prize to $100,000.

The $100,000-winning ticket was purchased at the Fareway supermarket at 1325 Albia Road in Ottumwa.

What Would $685 Million Look Like?

We calculated this for fun. Here is what $685 million in $1 bills would look like stacked up or stretched end to end:

A $1 bill is 0.0043 inches thick. That means $685 million in $1 bills would stretch 46.49 miles high. That’s way up there, but wouldn’t quite reach into space, which depending upon the definition used, begins at either 50 miles above sea level or 62 miles up. 

And if they were lined up end to end, $685 million in $1 bills (each 6.14 inches long) would stretch for more than 66,380 miles. That’s enough to circle earth’s equator (24,901 miles) more than 2.5 times.

But could you actually get 685 million in $1 bills? Maybe. According to estimates, there are about 11.7 billion $1 bills in circulation in the United States.

General Reminders About How To Play

• Giant jackpots bring a lot of first-timers and occasional players into the Powerball game. For those who want a refresher (or crash course), the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos on its website to provide the key points in just a couple minutes. Here is a direct link to that page: https://www.ialottery.com/Pages/Multimedia/HowToPlay.aspx
• The deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for a Powerball drawing is at 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. 
• And, please remember to play responsibly. You only need one ticket to have a chance to win.

Powerball Is Still Going Up, Up, UP!

UPDATE 10/1/2021: The Powerball® jackpot for Saturday's drawing has just been raised to $635 million! 

Have you heard? The Powerball jackpot has rolled again, this time climbing to the 6th-largest prize in the history of the game.

The jackpot for Saturday’s drawing now stands at an estimated $620 million annuity, $446 million lump-sum option. The big prize has been growing for nearly four months. It was last won in early June by a ticket in Florida.

When the jackpot reaches this level, we see two common themes in the questions coming our way: easy picks vs. your own numbers, and office pools.

Easy Pick: Yes or No?

At times like this when the jackpot really gets up there, folks reach out to ask us which has a better shot at winning – easy picks or numbers you choose yourself? The answer: The odds are the same for both. So just make the play that works for you. Here’s the background:  

In lotto games like Powerball and Mega Millions®, you have the option of choosing your own numbers or letting the lottery terminal generate the numbers on your ticket. A play containing numbers selected by the lottery terminal is called an easy pick. A play containing numbers you choose is known as a manual play.

Through the years, more and more people have played easy picks because, well, they’re easy. You just ask for a ticket and it’s printed with the numbers in your play already selected. Today, more than 90 percent of the plays in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy picks.

And with easy picks making up more than 90 percent of the tickets purchased, they also make up more than 90 percent of winning tickets in the games. It doesn’t mean that easy picks are luckier, it’s simply that there are a lot more of them.

The odds of winning are the same for every ticket in our games, no matter the play type. So, if you want to choose your own numbers, go ahead and do that. Or, if you’d rather ask for an easy pick, feel free. It won’t impact your odds of winning a prize.

Reminders For Office Pools

This is the point where a lot of folks decide to pool their money to buy tickets with co-workers, neighbors, or friends and family. 

We keep reminders about group lottery play as a permanent feature on our website, so please check out those details.

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

$50K Powerball Prize Still Unclaimed

Within the past week, two Iowa tickets were SO CLOSE to winning at least a share of the Powerball jackpot. They each were just one number off, matching four of the five white balls and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize.

One of those $50,000 prizes is still unclaimed, so double-check your tickets! The $50K-winning ticket was purchased at Git-N-Go, 209 E. Oskaloosa St. in Pella, for the Powerball drawing last Saturday (Sept. 25).

As Pball Continues To Climb, Iowa Sees Two Winners of $50K In A Week

Update on Tuesday, Sept. 28: The Powerball jackpot continues to climb, now at an estimated $570 million annuity, $410.1 million lump-sum option, for tomorrow night's drawing. It's the 8th largest jackpot in the history of the game.

The Powerball jackpot is still on its big climb, but two Iowa tickets were so, so close to winning the giant prize in the past week. They each won $50,000, and the details about the stores that sold those tickets are below. 

The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $545 million annuity, $392.1 million lump-sum option, for tonight’s drawing. It’s the 10th largest jackpot in the history of the game.

In the past week, two Iowa tickets were just one number away from winning the big prize. The tickets each matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize.

First came a ticket purchased at Casey’s, 2070 NW 100th St. in Clive, which won a $50,000 prize in last Wednesday’s Powerball drawing. Then in Saturday’s drawing, a ticket purchased at Git-N-Go, 209 E. Oskaloosa St. in Pella, won $50K.       

We’re excited to meet those winners -- and to see just how high the jackpot will go! Powerball’s grand prize hasn’t been this big since January, when dueling jackpot runs produced a $731.1 million Powerball jackpot won in Maryland and a $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in Michigan.

Good luck, and remember, you only need one ticket to win!

One Has Been Hit, The Other Is Still Going!

Update on Thursday, Sept. 23: The Powerball jackpot continues to climb, now at an estimated $523 million annuity, $379 million lump-sum option, for Saturday's drawing. It's the 10th largest jackpot in the history of the game. Someone who bought a ticket in central Iowa came VERY close to winning Wednesday's jackpot. The lucky ticket was just one number away, matching four of the white balls and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. It was purchased at Casey's, 2070 NW 100th St. in Clive.        

In the giant jackpot race, one of the big prizes has been hit but the other is still climbing.

Last night’s $431 million Mega Millions® jackpot was won by a ticket in New York, but the Powerball® jackpot continues to rise into the stratosphere.

The Powerball jackpot for tonight’s drawing is an estimated $490 million annuity, $355.1 million lump-sum option. This is the point where the jackpot tends to jump by big amounts between drawings as people all across the country are buying tickets, so it’s always fun to see if the jackpot has topped the advance estimate by the time the drawing takes place!  

This is the highest the Powerball jackpot has been since January, when dueling jackpot runs produced a $731.1 million Powerball jackpot won in Maryland and a $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in Michigan.

The Powerball jackpot has been rolling for more than three months. It was last won in Florida in the drawing on June 5.

Good luck with your tickets, and remember, it only takes one to win!

20 Iowa Players Will Win $2,500 & One Could Ring In 2022 With A $1 Million Prize!

Playing Powerball® right now brings some extra fun to the mix. You’ll of course have a shot at the game’s big jackpots, and for the next three weeks, you can enter your Powerball tickets in the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year® promotion for a chance at 20 Iowa prizes of $2,500 cash plus the possibility of becoming the first Powerball millionaire of 2022!

The Powerball First Millionaire of the Year promotion started at 10 a.m. today, and the entry period runs through the morning of Sept. 28. Any Iowa Powerball ticket purchased on or after Sept. 1 is eligible for entry (winning and nonwinning tickets can both be entered).    

Please note this important detail: Simply buying a Powerball ticket during the promotion period won’t automatically get you entered. You’ll need to buy a Powerball ticket in Iowa and then enter that ticket into the promotion through your VIP Club account. (Click here to join if you’re not already a member.)

Each eligible Powerball ticket entered will count as one entry into the promotion, regardless of the number of plays on it or how many drawings those plays may span.

We’ll hold the drawing Sept. 30 to determine the 20 Iowa winners of $2,500 cash. Each of those winners will also be eligible to become one of the five finalists nationwide for the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year drawing. The five national finalists will each receive a Celebrate@Home prize package valued at $20,000 and one of those finalists will be chosen as the $1 million winner as the First Powerball Millionaire of the Year.

Just after the ball drops to bring in the New Year, Powerball’s First Millionaire of the Year will be announced live on the broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” And yes, it could be you!

Drawing Results Finalized, Powerball Tix Can Again Be Checked & Cashed

Aug. 25 update: The official results from Monday's Powerball drawing have been finalized and tickets in the game can again be checked and cashed. The estimated jackpot amount for tonight's Powerball drawing has also been updated. 

The official results from last night’s Powerball® drawing have been delayed, meaning that tickets in the game can’t currently be checked or cashed in Iowa. This issue only involves Powerball – tickets in all other Iowa Lottery games can be processed as usual.

The Powerball drawing was held last night and the winning numbers from it are posted. But for the official draw results to be finalized, security protocols have to be met by all 48 lotteries in the game. Two lotteries outside of Iowa needed additional processing time. That has caused the current delay, and without the official results, the next estimated jackpot in the game can’t be set.

If you have a Powerball ticket, please hang onto it and we’ll provide an update when tickets in the game can be checked and cashed again.

Monday Drawings In Powerball® Start Next Week

We gave you the preview back in May, and now the time is almost here: Powerball’s first Monday drawing will happen next week.

Powerball is moving from two drawings per week up to three. The game will still have drawings on Wednesdays and Saturdays like it always has, and now Mondays will be part of the mix, too.  

The changes in the game are designed to produce more winners and generate larger, faster-growing jackpots. But remember that while the additional drawings will create more chances to win, they won’t change Powerball’s prize levels, odds of winning, or ticket price.

Players in $2 Powerball will still choose their first five numbers from a pool of 69, and another number – called the Powerball – from a separate pool of 26. The Power Play® option is available for an extra $1 per play.

With the Monday drawings almost here, the countdown on advance plays in Powerball also will end soon. Normally, you can buy Powerball tickets for up to 10 consecutive drawings in advance in Iowa. But when a major change is made in one of our games, a standard part of the process is that advance plays are limited until the change takes effect. The procedure is designed to ensure that you have valid tickets for all upcoming drawings, both before and after the change.

Advance plays in Powerball are limited through tomorrow night. Once sales end for tomorrow’s night’s Powerball drawing, things will reset and you’ll be able to buy tickets for up to 10 drawings in advance again here in Iowa.

A Convo With A Player About Random Numbers

I talked with a player this week about the concept of random numbers and what exactly that means for her lotto tickets. Here’s the background involved, in case you’ve ever wondered the same thing!

The woman said that she buys easy-pick tickets in Powerball®, Mega Millions® and Lucky for Life®. (In an easy-pick play, the lottery terminal or self-service kiosk randomly assigns the numbers on the ticket.)

The woman said she noticed that the same numbers can end up on different tickets, and that concerned her. She thought that if the numbers were randomly selected, they would all be different, or repeat extremely rarely. I explained that what she was describing is in fact not random.

When numbers are chosen at random, any outcome is possible: You can have multiple plays with all the same numbers. You can have plays with no repeat numbers. Or, you can have plays where some of the numbers repeat. If you put parameters on the numbers they won’t be random. 

Perhaps the way to look at it is that you can’t apply reason to random.

As I shared with the woman, the only way to avoid repeats in the numbers on your lotto tickets is to choose the numbers you play.

Don’t Forget: A Countdown Is Underway For Advance Plays In Powerball

With Monday drawings being added later this month in Powerball®, remember that a countdown is underway on the number of drawings in the game you can buy tickets for in advance. It’s a standard procedure when a major update is made in one of our lotto games, and it’s aimed at ensuring you have valid tickets.

In lotto games like Powerball, you can buy tickets for just one drawing at a time or several drawings in a row. That decision is entirely up to you as the customer -- some people like to do their lottery shopping for multiple drawings all at once while others want to buy their tickets one at a time. 

Normally, you can buy Powerball tickets for up to 10 consecutive drawings in advance here in Iowa. But with the countdown that started in late July and is still underway, after tonight’s drawing, that number will be down to five. And after Saturday’s drawing, it will be down to four. 

The countdown on advance plays in Powerball will reach zero just before the first Monday drawing in the game, which will be held on Aug. 23. Once sales begin in the “new” Powerball that has three drawings each week, things will reset and you’ll be able to buy tickets for up to 10 drawings in advance again here in Iowa.

(Please note that the countdown on advance plays in Powerball does not impact the advance plays available in our other lotto games. It’s a Powerball-specific change for the next three weeks or so.)

One of the items we’re currently discussing is whether we can extend the number of drawings you can purchase plays for in advance in Iowa. We’re still looking at the details involved, but we know it’s a convenience feature for a lot of players.

New Play Slips In Powerball & Lucky For Life Coming Later This Year

With Lucky for Life® just changing to nightly drawings and Powerball® adding Monday drawings next month, some folks have asked when our play slips for the games will be updated to reflect the new options. The quick answer is that we should have new play slips (in hard copy and electronically on the mobile app) for Powerball and Lucky for Life this fall. Here are the full details.

You might think the process would be as easy as having new play slips printed. But in reality, it takes significant computer programming and multiple rounds of testing in advance before new play slips can be deployed. We have to ensure they’ll work correctly with our lottery terminals, self-service kiosks and mobile app so you’ll get the numbers and options on your ticket that you wanted. 

The decisions about changes in Lucky for Life (which moved to daily drawings on July 19) and Powerball (which will have its first Monday drawing on Aug. 23) are made by all of the lotteries in the games. And those national timelines don’t always sync up seamlessly with the projects we have underway here in Iowa.

Next month, the Iowa Lottery’s statewide gaming system that links all lottery retail locations in the state will be replaced. That’s an enormous project that happens once a decade, and new play slips will need to wait until after that system conversion occurs.

The vast majority of lottery players here in Iowa (more than 90 percent of players in Powerball, for example) buy easy-pick plays, meaning they let the lottery terminal select the numbers on their tickets. But for those who do use play slips to choose their own numbers, we know that our play slips here in Iowa don’t currently reflect the new drawings in the games. We’re also discussing whether we can extend the number of drawings that you can purchase plays for in advance in our lotto games. That particular discussion comes with its own set of issues to be addressed, but we are looking at it.

So please know that new play slips are on our timelines, but they won’t be available here in Iowa for a little while yet.

More Drawings Being Added In Powerball And Lucky For Life

Two of the Iowa Lottery’s popular lotto games will get additional drawings starting this summer.

Powerball® will move to drawings three times a week with a new Monday drawing being added to those currently held on Wednesday and Saturday nights.  And Lucky for Life® will move from two drawings per week to drawings each night.

The changes are designed to produce more winners, and in the case of Powerball, generate larger, faster-growing jackpots

The Lucky for Life update will happen first, with that game moving to daily drawings beginning on Monday, July 19. Lucky for Life’s current drawings are on Mondays and Thursdays. The change will give that game’s players a daily shot at winning its top prize of $1,000 a day for the rest of their lives.

Then in August, Powerball will move from two drawings per week up to three, with its first Monday drawing set for Aug. 23.

While the additional drawings will create more chances to win, they won’t change the game's prize levels, odds of winning, or ticket price.

Players in $2 Powerball will still choose their first five numbers from a pool of 69, and another number – called the Powerball – from a separate pool of 26. The Power Play® option is available for an extra $1 per play.

Lucky for Life players will continue to choose their first five numbers from a pool of 48 and another number – called the Lucky Ball – from a separate pool of 18. Lucky for Life is a $2 game where the top two prize levels are described as “lasting as long as you do,” meaning that they are truly for life. The game has been played in Iowa since 2016.

When Is The Jackpot Money Available After A Drawing?

Some folks who are looking ahead have contacted us this week with a question that must come from their hope of winning the huge Mega Millions® jackpot. (The giant prize has climbed to an estimated $515 million annuity, $346.3 million lump-sump option for tonight’s drawing.) They asked how quickly after the jackpot is won that the winnings are actually available to the winner.

As you know, tickets in big-jackpot games like Powerball® and Mega Millions are sold across the country. Each lottery involved tracks its sales so that when the jackpot is won, they will know how much of the money will come from each jurisdiction.

After the drawing, all of the lotteries in the game transfer their share of the jackpot into a central account so the jackpot prize can be paid. It takes about two weeks for that process to be completed. If a winner comes forward to claim the jackpot before then, we make arrangements for them to receive the money as soon as it’s available.

If you claim your prize after two weeks, the jackpot money (either the lump-sum amount or the first of the annual annuitized payments, depending on the option you choose) can generally be transferred to you the next day.

Now you know, so you’ll be prepared to claim the jackpot if/when it’s your turn!

Do Easy Picks Have A Better Chance?

With the Mega Millions® jackpot really climbing into the stratosphere (it's currently an estimated $515 million for Friday’s drawing), the question of easy picks vs. your own numbers has come our way. And specifically, which type of play has a better shot at winning? The answer: Neither, the odds are the same for both. Here’s the background:   

You’re probably already familiar with this, but if not, in lotto games like Mega Millions and Powerball®, you have the option of choosing your own numbers or letting the lottery terminal generate the numbers for you. A play with numbers selected by the lottery terminal is called an easy pick. A ticket with numbers you choose is known as a manual play.

Through the years, easy picks have become more prevalent in our lotto games. Today, more than 90 percent of the plays in Powerball and Mega Millions are generally easy picks. Like their name indicates, they’re easy to play!

And with easy picks making up more than 90 percent of the tickets being purchased, they also make up more than 90 percent of the games’ winning tickets. It doesn’t mean that easy picks are luckier, it’s simply that there are a lot more of them.

The odds of winning are the same for every ticket in our lotto games, no matter the play type. So, if you like to choose your own numbers, go ahead and do that. Or, if you’d rather just ask for an easy pick, feel free. It won’t impact your odds of winning a prize.

And remember that the Iowa Lottery’s mobile app (I’ve included an image of it here) allows you to create and save ePlayslips for your favorite lotto games. After you’ve created your ePlayslip, a lottery retailer can just scan it from the screen on your device to print your ticket.

Waterloo Man Claims $2 Million Powerball Prize

A Waterloo man has claimed two prizes from Saturday’s Powerball® drawing – with one a bit bigger than the other!

Anton Garrett claimed a total of $2,000,021 in Powerball prizes. He bought five Powerball plays on one ticket, and on one of those plays he won a $21 prize. On another, he won $2 million.

He chose his own numbers, playing a combination of family birthdays, anniversaries and other significant dates.

Anton said he always dreamed he would win, that it was something he could just see.

He bought his winning ticket at New Star Liquor, 1625 W. Fourth St. in Waterloo. On one of his plays, he initially matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win $1 million. But he also added the Power Play® option to his ticket, which multiplies that prize at the Match 5 level to $2 million. It multiplied his smaller prize from an initial $7 to $21.

Anton’s ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize in Saturday’s drawing.

Anton, who is 48 and works at Tyson Foods in Waterloo as a forklift operator, bought his winning ticket at New Star Liquor, 1625 W. Fourth St. in Waterloo. The store will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket.

Anton’s wife, Astrid, traveled with him as he claimed his prize and admitted that she had given him a hard time about buying lottery tickets. But he said with a smile that he did good on Saturday.

Saturday’s winning numbers were: 12-17-20-21-26 and Powerball 8. The Power Play number was 3. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $168 million annuity ($117 million lump-sum option) for Wednesday.

Anton said he learned early yesterday that he had won a big prize when he stopped at another nearby store for coffee and had the clerk there check his Powerball tickets. He said the lottery terminal there started spitting out paper, which included his receipt for checking the ticket as well as a lottery claim form. Anton said the clerk read the paperwork and excitedly told him he’d won $2 million!

Anton said that he and his wife plan to invest his winnings for retirement and buy a new home.