ialottery blog

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

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.

Ticket Purchased In Waterloo Wins $2 Million Powerball Prize

Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket in Waterloo won a $2 million prize in last night’s drawing. It’s Iowa’s second big Powerball win this year.

The $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at New Star Liquor, 1625 W. Fourth St. in Waterloo. The lucky ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $155.9 million jackpot.

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

The 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’s drawing.

New Star Liquor 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 Waterloo prize can call the lottery at 515-725-7900 to make an appointment to claim it.

In February, a western Iowa man claimed a $500,000 prize, Iowa’s first big Powerball win of the year. Gene Dice of Sergeant Bluff had purchased his ticket at a local convenience store for the Feb. 20 drawing. 

Powerball prizes won in Iowa must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing in which they were won. The lottery reminds players to double-check their tickets for any prize they may have won.

Helpful Advice From A Big Winner

A northern Iowa woman who won a $10,000 prize has some helpful advice for fellow lottery players: Check your tickets!

Julie Ackley of Osage won the big prize on a “$100,000 Mega Crossword” ticket she purchased at a local convenience store. But after scratching the ticket, she thought it was a nonwinner.

She said she took it back to the store later to double-check she hadn’t won a prize. That’s when she scanned the ticket on the store’s self-checker and realized her big win.

Julie said she scanned the ticket a couple more times just to be sure. She was jumping around the gas station in delight!

Here in Iowa, there are several ways to check your lottery tickets. If you have a lotto ticket in a game like Powerball or Mega Millions, you can check your numbers on our website, www.ialottery.com.

All lotto, scratch and InstaPlay tickets can be checked either at a licensed lottery retailer (as Julie did) or on our LotteryPlus mobile app. When you scan your ticket with the app, it’ll tell you whether or not your ticket is a winner, and if so, the size of your prize. It will also display where you can redeem your ticket: at a lottery location, at a lottery office or at lottery headquarters only, depending on the prize amount involved.

Take heed of Julie's advice and always check your tickets. We'd hate for you to accidentally toss away a winning ticket. Better safe than sorry!

How Many Big Lottery Prizes Have Been Won In Iowa?

Here’s a question that comes our way and appears to have origins in the urban myth that “no one from here ever wins”: How many big lottery prizes have been won in Iowa?

The first hurdle that likely needs to be cleared is how you define the term “big lottery prize.” For simplicity’s sake, I started out with the threshold of $5 million, and then looked at our winners’ lists to determine how many of those prizes have been won through the years here in Iowa. The answer? Iowa Lottery players have won 25 prizes of at least $5 million.

If that level isn’t considered big enough by someone’s definition, we can jump up to the $10 million level. The answer there: Iowa Lottery players have won 13 prizes of at least that amount.

If you keep going up, lottery players in this state have won five prizes of at least $100 million. And the very largest lottery prize claimed to date in Iowa is a $343.9 million Powerball® jackpot that was won in late 2018.

I know some folks won’t ever truly be satisfied with our “big winner” definitions until their name is on the list, but the specifics I’ve shared here show that Iowans have taken home a lot of significant prizes through the years.

Under state law, the Iowa Lottery winners’ lists are public, so we keep a millionaire’s list on our website that shows all the prizes of at least $1 million won in Iowa as well as a list of all winners of $600 or more within the past 12 months.

How To Help: Find The Play ‘Em All Option

An eastern Iowa woman’s email prompted this blog entry, and I’ll do my best here to walk you through how to find the ‘Play ‘Em All’ feature on the lottery terminal in case you ever have trouble buying it.

If you’re not familiar with the Play ‘Em All option, it lets you buy plays to cover all the numbers for the Powerball, Mega Ball and Star Ball in the three different games involved. For example, if you buy the Play ‘Em All option in Powerball, you’ll get 26 plays to cover all the numbers in the Powerball pool (1-26). In Mega Millions, the Play ‘Em all option will give you 25 plays, one for each of the Mega Ball numbers; and in Lotto America, you’ll get 10 plays, one for each of the 10 Star Ball numbers.

The woman who emailed us this week said she was having trouble buying the Play ‘Em All option because employees in some of the stores in her area didn’t know about the option or how a customer could buy it. We’ve asked if she can share with us the stores involved so we can follow up with them to go over the details. But sometimes the best plan as a consumer is to have the information yourself.
 
Here in Iowa, the clerk can find the Play 'Em All feature on the lottery terminal by touching the "Special Offers" tab in the top right-hand corner of the terminal's main screen. That tab brings up the Play ‘Em All screen, and the clerk can then touch the icon for the game you want to buy.

If you’re buying a ticket at a lottery self-service kiosk here in Iowa, after you select a play option in Powerball, Mega Millions or Lotto America, in the upper right of the screen, you'll see a button that says: Play 'Em All. By touching that button, you can play that option.

I hope these “insider” tips can help you walk through the process – and make it easy!

He Admits He Jokes Around A Lot, But Not About His $500,000 Lottery Win

Joking around may have gotten in the way a little bit when it came to a Woodbury County man’s $500,000 lottery win.

Gene Dice Sr. of Sergeant Bluff said he didn’t believe the news at first when the clerk at a local convenience store told him he’d won big. And then he had a hard time getting his adult children to believe the news, also because jokes are such a standard part of his life.

But after turning in his winning Powerball® ticket today at lottery headquarters in Clive, Dice had this to say: “No joke! We have the ticket.”

Dice, 73 and retired, said he learned he’d won a $500,000 prize on Sunday morning during his usual stop for coffee. He said he asked the clerk at the store to check his ticket from the previous night’s Powerball drawing and she initially told him she thought he’d won a $50,000 prize. But he double-checked the details printed by the lottery terminal and realized there was another “0” involved in the prize amount. 

Dice bought his $500,000-winning ticket at that same store, Mike’s Mini Mart, 100 Iowa Highway 75 S. in Sergeant Bluff. His ticket came within one number of having at least a share of Saturday’s $81.3 million jackpot.

He initially matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. But because he also added the Power Play® option to his easy-pick ticket, his winnings were multiplied to $500,000.

Dice said he always adds the Power Play to his ticket and is especially glad he did that with Saturday’s 10X multiplier. His message for other players: “Put the Power Play on there and see what happens!”

Saturday’s winning numbers were: 4-8-22-32-58 and Powerball 4. The Power Play number was 10. Dice’s ticket was one of nine across the country to win a $500,000 prize that night. Mike’s Mini Mart will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket.

Dice said he plans to use part of his winnings to pay off his car and truck, and added that his big win has helped alleviate his retirement worries.

Ticket Purchased In NW Iowa Wins $500,000 Powerball Prize

Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket at a Woodbury County convenience store won a $500,000 prize in Saturday’s drawing.

The $500,000-winning ticket was purchased at Mike’s Mini Mart, 100 Iowa Highway 75 S. in Sergeant Bluff. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of Saturday’s $81.3 million jackpot.

The ticket matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. But whoever bought the winning ticket also added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which multiplied the prize to $500,000.

Saturday’s winning numbers were: 4-8-22-32-58 and Powerball 4. The Power Play number was 10. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $90 million annuity ($64.2 million lump-sum option) for Wednesday.

The Sergeant Bluff ticket was one of nine around the country to win a $500,000 prize in Saturday’s drawing.

Mike’s Mini Mart will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket.

Prizes of $500,000 must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday, and currently offer prize claims by appointment. To make an appointment to claim the prize, the winner or winners of the Sergeant Bluff prize should call the lottery at 515-725-7900.

Powerball players in Iowa have 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.

Player Comment: I Don’t Understand The Power Play/Megaplier Option …

Now that we’re a little ways out from last month’s hub-bub when the jackpots were sky-high in Powerball® and Mega Millions®, I’m circling back to a question we got at the time from folks who said they just don’t understand the Power Play® and Megaplier® options or what they mean.

The Power Play and Megaplier both cost an extra $1 per play. They’re called multipliers because they multiply any prize you win except the jackpot.

For the Power Play or Megaplier to kick in, you first have to win a prize in a drawing. If you win a prize and you've added the multiplier option to your ticket, in most instances, your prize will be multiplied by that number. (Remember that the jackpot amount is not multiplied in either game, and in Powerball, the $1 million Match 5 prize goes to $2 million with the Power Play added.) 

Here are a couple examples to help with the explanation:

1.) You added the Power Play option to your Powerball ticket but you didn't win a prize. In that case, nothing more happens – you didn't win anything, so there’s no prize for the Power Play to multiply.

2.) You win a $500 Mega Millions prize by matching four of the five white balls in that night’s drawing. You added the Megaplier option to your ticket and the Megaplier number that night is 4. Your initial $500 prize will be multiplied by 4, so you’ll ultimately win a $2,000 prize because you added the Megaplier option!

If you’re more a visual learner, we also cover this topic in our "How To Play" videos. Click here for a link to the main page for the videos.

And not to be left out, there also is a multiplier option in the Lotto America® game. It’s called the All Star Bonus® and also costs an extra $1 per play.

Good luck with your tickets and we hope to see you claim a big prize soon!

$150,000 Winners: She Pledges Not To Complain If He Doesn’t Have His Glasses

After all the hub-bub surrounding the big jackpots in Powerball® and Mega Millions®, here’s a fun story about some Iowa winners. They may not have won a jackpot, but their story still packs a punch: They won a $150,000 Powerball prize because the husband made a mistake while filling out their play slip.   

Barbara Haley of Sioux City claimed their prize this week at the Iowa Lottery’s regional office in Storm Lake. She said that she and her husband, Steve, have played the same numbers in Powerball for years, basing them on family birthdays. But when Steve filled out their play slip this particular time, he got one of the numbers wrong, marking an 8 instead of a 9.

Barbara admitted that she often razzes Steve for not wearing his glasses, but says she’ll stop complaining about that now!

Thinking that their ticket contained a slightly different set of numbers, the Haleys believed they’d won $300 and decided to claim the prize during a stop for groceries. Barbara said she started shopping while Steve went to cash in the ticket. But pretty soon she heard a store announcement asking her to go to customer service. When she got there, she learned they’d won a lot more than $300.

The Haleys’ ticket initially won a $50,000 prize in Saturday’s Powerball drawing by matching four of the five white balls and the Powerball. But because they added the Power Play option to their ticket for an extra $1, their prize was multiplied to $150,000.       

The winning numbers in Saturday’s drawing were 5-8-17-27-28 and Powerball 14. The Power Play number was 3. I’ve included a shot of the Haleys’ winning ticket here so you can see the numbers they matched.

Was it a happy accident? A little extra luck? Whatever you call it, that’s a fun outcome!

Both Huge Jackpots Have Now Been Won

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots have now both been won. The $1 billion jackpot in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing was won by a ticket purchased in Michigan, while Wednesday’s $731.1 million Powerball jackpot was won by a ticket in Maryland.

This was first time that the games’ jackpots had simultaneously topped the $700 million mark.

Drawing Details, Iowa Tickets That Won Prizes  

A total of 50,106 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing.

The winning numbers in Friday’s drawing were: 4-26-42-50-60 and Mega Ball 24. The Megaplier number was 2.

In Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, 41,368 plays purchased in Iowa won prizes, so between the two games, Iowa players won prizes on more than 91,000 plays in the latest drawings.

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.7 million in Mega Millions tickets for Friday’s drawing, including more than $1.8 million in tickets on Friday alone. Given the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency, those figures are understandably both well down from sales totals during other recent times with giant jackpots.

The average Mega Millions purchase on Friday in Iowa remained about $6, or three plays per ticket. Lottery officials were pleased that Iowans had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.

Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers

The vast majority of tickets being purchased in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy picks, meaning that the player opted to have the lottery terminal randomly select the numbers involved. Nearly 94 percent of the plays purchased for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing were easy picks.

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 most of the tickets being purchased are easy picks.

The ‘Longest Roll’

The length of time that a jackpot continues to grow is often referred to as a roll, meaning that it keeps rolling without being hit. Powerball and Mega Millions both just ended their longest rolls ever. Friday’s drawing was the 37th since the Mega Millions jackpot had last been won on Sept. 15 while Wednesday’s drawing was the 36th since the Powerball jackpot had last been won Sept. 16.

Powerball Jackpot Won, Mega Millions Climbs Even Higher

UPDATE on Friday, Jan. 22: The jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing has been raised even further, now at an estimated $1 billion annuity. The new details are included here.

The long, fun roll for the Powerball® jackpot has ended, while the giant prize in Mega Millions® is still in the stratosphere.

Last night’s $731.1 million Powerball jackpot was won with a ticket purchased in Maryland. But the Mega Millions jackpot continues on, currently standing at an estimated $1 billion annuity, $739.6 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing at 10 p.m. Friday.

Drawing Details, Iowa Tickets That Won Prizes  

A total of 41,368 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, ranging from $4 up to $50,000.

The $50,000-winning ticket was just one number away from having a share of Wednesday’s jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. That ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 1200 Fifth Ave. NE in Independence.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 40-53-60-68-69 and Powerball 22. The Power Play number was 3.

In Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing, 35,826 plays in Iowa won prizes, so between the two games, Iowa players have won prizes on more than 77,000 plays so far just this week.

Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.4 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $1 million in tickets yesterday alone. Given the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency, those figures are understandably both well down from sales totals during other recent times with giant jackpots.

The average Powerball purchase yesterday in Iowa remained about $6, or three plays per ticket. Lottery officials are glad to see that Iowans are having fun playing but haven’t gone overboard.

Huge Numbers For Easy Picks 

The vast majority of tickets being purchased in both games are easy picks, meaning that the players opted to have the lottery terminal randomly select the numbers involved. More than 91 percent of the plays purchased for last night’s Powerball drawing were easy picks, while nearly 94 percent of the tickets purchased for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing were easy picks.

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 most of the tickets being purchased are easy picks.

Anecdotes About Less Pool Play

A new phenomenon being seen in Iowa during this big jackpot run appears to be an offshoot of so many people working from home during the COVID-19 health emergency.

Anecdotally, Iowa Lottery retailers report they’re not seeing as many players buying tickets in office pools or with groups of friends and neighbors. Remaining socially distanced means a lot of folks aren’t gathering in those central spots where they would have joined in pool play.            

The ‘Longest Roll’

The length of time that a jackpot continues to grow is often referred to as a roll, meaning that it keeps rolling without being hit. Powerball just ended its longest roll ever: Wednesday’s drawing was the 36th since that game’s jackpot had been won on Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York.

The Mega Millions jackpot also is on its longest roll – and it’s still going! Friday’s drawing will be the 37th since the Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin.

What’s That About ‘Coverage’?

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations have been purchased for a particular drawing. The coverage estimate for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is about 40 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 in a play.)

All The Latest About Those Jackpots!

Here are the latest details about the giant jackpots!
 
Nobody won the jackpot in last night’s Mega Millions® drawing, so that giant prize climbs even further, to an estimated $970 million annuity, $716.3 million lump-sum option for the game’s drawing on Friday. That’s the second-largest prize in the history of the game and the third-largest jackpot ever offered in the United States. 

And the Powerball® jackpot currently stands at an estimated $730 million annuity, $546 million lump-sum option for its drawing tonight. That’s the fourth-largest prize in Powerball history and the fifth-largest U.S. jackpot.

This is the first time the games’ jackpots have simultaneously topped the $700 million mark. But the record for a lottery prize remains the Powerball jackpot of nearly $1.59 billion that was split in January 2016 by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee. 

Last Night’s Drawing Details, Iowa Tickets That Won Prizes  

The winning numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing were: 10-19-26-28-50 and Mega Ball 16. The Megaplier number was 2.

A total of 35,826 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes in last night’s drawing.
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2 million in Mega Millions tickets for the drawing, including more than $1 million in tickets yesterday alone. Given the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency, those figures are understandably both well down from sales totals during other recent years with giant jackpots.

Here is another number we watch closely: The average Mega Millions purchase yesterday in Iowa remained about $6, or three plays per ticket. We’re glad to see that Iowans are having fun playing, but they aren’t going overboard.

Now The ‘Longest Roll’

The length of time that a jackpot continues to grow is often referred to as a roll, meaning that it keeps rolling without being hit. Friday’s drawing will be the 37th since the Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin. This is now the longest Mega Millions jackpot roll.

Powerball also is on its longest roll. Tonight’s drawing is the 36th since that game’s jackpot was last won on Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York. 

Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers

Nearly 94 percent of the tickets purchased for last night’s Mega Millions drawing were easy picks, meaning that the players opted for the lottery terminal to randomly select the numbers involved.

We know that some people wonder which option has a better chance of winning: easy picks or tickets where the player chooses the numbers. The answer? The odds are the same for every ticket in the game. But there are more easy-pick winners simply because most of the tickets purchased are easy picks.

Details About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations have been purchased for a particular drawing. (The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because there are about 292.2 million ways that the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play. And in Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in that game can be combined in a play.)

Nearly 30 percent of the combinations had been purchased for the last Powerball drawing on Saturday (Jan. 16). And, the coverage estimate for this coming Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is about 40 percent.

A Few Gentle Reminders 

We’ve also got these gentle reminders when it comes to buying tickets for upcoming jackpot drawings:

• Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings 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. 
• We also want everyone to be safe and continue following social distancing guidelines when you’re out and about. Think about buying your tickets if you're already out running errands rather than making a special trip to get them. 

Mega Millions And Powerball Push Even Higher

UPDATE on Tuesday, Jan. 19: The jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing has been raised even further. The new details are included here.

The Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots have made it through another round of drawings and are in the Top 5 for each game. Mega Millions has the second-largest prize in the history of that game, while Powerball now has the fourth-largest prize in that game.

Three Iowa tickets – one in Mega Millions and two in Powerball – were just one number away from having at least a share of this past weekend's jackpots and each won a sizeable prize.  

This is the first time the jackpots have simultaneously topped the $700 million mark.

Mega Millions has the next drawing up, at 10 p.m. Tuesday. Its jackpot now stands at an estimated $865 million annuity, $638.8 million lump-sum option. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t been this big for more than two years.

Powerball’s jackpot now stands at an estimated $730 million annuity, $546 million lump-sum option for its next drawing at 9:59 p.m. Wednesday. The game’s top prize was last won Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York, and it hasn’t been this big for nearly two years. 

Iowa Tickets That Came Close This Weekend

Three Iowa tickets were just one number away from a jackpot this weekend.

A ticket purchased at an eastern Iowa convenience store was just one number away from Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball. That ticket, which won a $10,000 prize, was purchased at Kwik Star, 803 Seventh Ave. in Camanche.    

And two Iowa tickets were just one number away from Saturday’s Powerball jackpot. They each won a prize of $50,000 by matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. They were purchased at Kwik Star, 3350 U.S. Highway 71 South in Spirit Lake; and Kum & Go, 2303 Muscatine Ave. in Iowa City.

The three prizes must be claimed directly from the Iowa Lottery. With its offices closed on weekends and on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Tuesday is the earliest that the prizes can be claimed.

What’s That About ‘Coverage’?

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations have been purchased for a particular drawing. (The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because there are about 292.2 million ways that the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play. And in Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined in a play.)

Nearly 30 percent of the combinations were purchased in Saturday’s Powerball drawing. And, the coverage estimate for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing is about 36 percent.

General Pointers

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings 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. 

We also want everyone to be safe and continue following social distancing guidelines when you’re out and about. Think about buying your tickets if you’re already out running errands so you don’t have to make a special trip to get them.

(I’ve posted lots of other jackpot details here on the blog this month, so feel free to check those out. I’m doing my best to keep providing new angles as the jackpots continue to grow.)

Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpots Now Both In The Top Five

They just keep rollin’! The jackpots in Mega Millions® and Powerball® continue to grow, with both now in the Top 5 for each game.  

The Mega Millions® jackpot is currently the second largest in the history of that game. Not to be left out, Powerball® has the fifth-largest jackpot in that game.

Mega Millions has the next drawing up, at 10 p.m. tomorrow. Its jackpot currently stands at an estimated $750 million annuity, $550.6 million lump-sum option. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t been this big for more than two years.

The next Powerball drawing will be at 9:59 p.m. Saturday. The game’s jackpot currently stands at an estimated $640 million annuity, $478.7 million lump-sum option. Powerball’s top prize was last won Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York, and it hasn’t been this big for more than four years.

How Close Are We To The Records?

While the jackpots have both been growing for months, there’s still a lot of room to go before they would reach the overall record amounts.

Powerball holds the current record for a U.S. lottery prize. That jackpot of $1.586 billion was won in the drawing on Jan. 13, 2016, split by three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee.

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

Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers

There is debate about which option has a better chance of winning: an easy-pick ticket where the lottery terminal randomly selects the numbers involved, or a ticket where the player chooses the numbers. The answer? The odds are the same for every ticket in the game. There are more easy-pick winners because most tickets purchased are easy picks. In recent drawings, for example, more than 90 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa were easy picks.

Annuity vs. Lump-Sum Option

The jackpot winner gets to choose whether to claim the prize in annuitized payments over time or in the lump-sum option. Lotteries give estimates for both amounts in the lead-up to the drawings. The lump-sum value is the amount of money on hand from the sale of tickets in the game. The annuitized value is the amount the winner would receive in graduated payments over time. If you are buying tickets as part of a group that wins a jackpot, the entire group must decide on one option. Some members of the group can’t choose the lump sum while others choose annuity.

(I’ve posted other jackpot updates here on the blog this week, and those earlier posts include additional details you may also want check out. I’m doing my best to keep providing new angles for us all to consider as the jackpots continue to grow.)

All The Latest: Mega Millions Keeps Growing, Powerball Drawing Tonight

The Mega Millions® jackpot has made it through another drawing and is now the 2nd-largest prize in the history of that game. Not to be left out, the Powerball® jackpot is currently the 9th-largest in that game.

Details About The Next Drawings

Powerball has the next drawing up, at 9:59 p.m. tonight. The Powerball jackpot currently stands at an estimated $550 million annuity, $411.4 million lump-sum option. The game’s top prize was last won Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York, and it hasn’t been this big for more than four years.

And, nobody won last night’s giant Mega Millions jackpot, so it has grown even further. It now stands at an estimated $750 million annuity, $550.6 million lump-sum option for its next drawing at 10 p.m. Friday. With sales going strong across the country, it’s likely that amount will increase again before the drawing occurs. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t been this big for more than two years.

This is just the second time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped the $500 million mark. The first time that happened was in October 2018 when the Mega Millions jackpot reached a record amount in that game of more than $1.5 billion. 

Why Don’t You Just Divide It Up?

We’ve heard this week from some folks who say that with the jackpots this high, the money should just be divided up among more winners. A couple details about that: Overall sales in the games would appear demonstrate a different mindset. Sales have always followed the jackpots up, so it seems that a whole bunch of folks do want a chance at a giant prize.

And, the rules in Powerball and Mega Millions don’t speak to the jackpots being divided up. Lotteries couldn’t just decide to do something different this time around – people have already purchased tickets under the current rules. We do pay attention to input and ideas, though, so please keep the feedback coming.

For Newcomers (Or Those Needing A Refresher)

Giant jackpots attract the attention of a lot of first-timers and bring occasional players into the mix as well. If you need a refresher or crash course, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos on its website to give everyone the key details in just a couple minutes.     

Keep Your Group Play Hassle-Free      

We also see people pooling their money to buy tickets together, whether at work or with family and neighbors. And we’ve had groups win prizes in the past that then needed to go back through their own records to figure out just who was in the money.  

We have a list of reminders on our website to help you keep group play hassle free. Please check them out, especially if you’re the person buying tickets for your group.

General Pointers

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings 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. We also want everyone to be safe and follow social distancing guidelines when you’re out and about. Think about buying your tickets if you’re already out running errands so you don’t have to make a special trip to get them.

All The Latest: The Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpots Both In Top 10

UPDATE on Tuesday, Jan. 12: The jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing has been raised further. The new details are included here.

The Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are both now in the Top 10 for each game, with a combined total of more than $1 billion.  

Mega Millions has the next drawing up, at 10 p.m. Tuesday. The Mega Millions jackpot has been raised again and now stands at an estimated $625 million annuity, $458.8 million lump-sum option. That is the fourth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. The game’s jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t been this big for more than two years.

The next Powerball drawing happens at 9:59 p.m. Wednesday. The Powerball jackpot currently stands at an estimated $550 million annuity, $411.4 million lump-sum option. That is the ninth largest jackpot in Powerball history. The game’s top prize was last won on Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York, and it hasn’t been this big for more than four years.

This is just the second time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped the $500 million mark. The first time that happened was in October 2018 when the Mega Millions jackpot reached a record amount for that game of more than $1.5 billion. 

When the jackpots are this large, we often see people deciding to buy tickets together, whether as part of an office pool or with friends and neighbors. The Iowa Lottery keeps a list of reminders on our website to help your keep group play hassle free. Among them: Keep a careful list of who puts in money to buy tickets in your pool, and how much they contributed. And, send a photo of your group’s tickets to all pool members before the drawing so everyone can see the details involved.

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

With all the weight and pressure we’ve been feeling during the ongoing public-health emergency, maybe it's nice to have something like these jackpots to think about and take a break to do some daydreaming. But as we at the Iowa Lottery have said so many times through the years, remember to play smart and be informed. It only takes one ticket for a chance to win.

And to all lottery players, please be safe and continue following social distancing guidelines when you’re out and about. Think about buying your tickets if you’re already out running errands so you don’t have to make a special trip to get them. First and foremost, we want everyone to stay safe during the ongoing health emergency.

We also have gotten questions from the “plan aheaders” out there – those folks who want to know what to expect if they win one of the giant jackpots. We’ve got a video about that, which covers everything from the taxes involved to what you would need to do to claim the prize. Check that out here.

Mega Millions & Powerball Jackpots Combined Are Pushing $1 Billion

The jackpots in Mega Millions® and Powerball® continue their way up and are both now in the Top 10 for each game. The two giant jackpots combined are pushing $1 billion, with the Mega Millions prize amount raised earlier today.

The estimated Mega Millions jackpot for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night now stands at an estimated $520 million annuity, $383.4 million lump-sum option. That’s the 8^th-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

Powerball is nearly as big. Its next drawing is Saturday night, and the jackpot currently stands at an estimated $470 million annuity, $362.7 million lump-sum option. That makes it the 10^th largest jackpot in the history of the game.

Both jackpots have been growing for nearly an identical length of time. Powerball was last won in its drawing on Sept. 15, while Mega Millions was last won on Sept. 16. And now that the prizes are really getting up there, sales are picking up across the country.

This is only the third time that the two jackpots have topped $450 million at the same time.

But like so much else these days, the jackpots have been impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. The jackpots are primarily sales driven, and for months now, folks in wide swaths of the country haven’t been able to run errands or buy everyday items (including lotto tickets) like they normally might in a non-pandemic time. That’s kept the jackpots in both games tamped down. And when the jackpots are lower, sales overall in the games are lower. It can become a bit of a repeating cycle.

So, it’s interesting that both jackpots are on a roll right now, and they’re really close in amount. Hopefully this can be something lighthearted to help give everyone a break to just daydream for awhile. And as we’ve said so many times through the years, remember to play responsibly. It only takes one ticket for a chance to win.

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings 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.

For Only The Third Time: Jackpots Simultaneously Top $400 Million

UPDATE on Wednesday, Jan. 6: With no jackpot winner in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, that giant prize has risen further. Powerball's drawing is tonight! The new details are included here.

Something pretty rare is happening right now in Powerball® and Mega Millions®. For just the third time ever, the games' jackpots have simultaneously topped $400 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot now stands at an estimated $490 million annuity, $372.3 million lump-sum option for its drawing on Friday. The game’s jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t been this big for six months. It had reached $410 million in the drawing on June 9 when it was won with a ticket in Arizona.

The next Powerball drawing happens at 9:59 p.m. Wednesday. The Powerball jackpot currently stands at an estimated $410 million annuity, $316.4 million lump-sum option. The game’s top prize was last won on Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York. And it hasn’t been this big for nearly a year. The jackpot had reached $396.9 million when it was won in the drawing on Jan. 29 with a ticket in Florida.

Like so much else these days, the jackpots in both games have been impacted by the COVID-19 emergency. The jackpots are primarily sales driven, and for months now, folks in wide swaths of the country haven’t been able to run errands or buy everyday items (including lotto tickets) like they normally might in a non-pandemic time. That’s kept the jackpots in both games tamped down. And when the jackpots are lower, sales overall in the games are lower. It can become a bit of a repeating cycle.

So, it’s interesting that both jackpots are on a roll right now, and they’re really close in amount. Hopefully this can be something lighthearted to help give everyone a break to have some fun daydreaming during this trying time. And as we’ve said so many times through the years, remember to play responsibly. It only takes one ticket for a chance to win.

Here’s something we’re still watching during the current jackpot run: Human beings procrastinate about lots of things, and that applies to lottery tickets, too. The day of the drawing in Mega Millions and Powerball always sees the highest sales, and in Iowa, the busiest stretch has usually been from about 4 to 6 p.m. that day as folks left work and ran errands on the way home. But with so many people working from home right now, we’re still tracking the numbers to see if purchasing patterns will have changed this time around. The commute home from work just doesn’t exist in many instances now.   

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 Back-and-Forth Jackpot Race Is Still Going!

As 2020 draws to a close, a friendly competition has sprung up between the nation’s big-jackpot games, with Powerball® and Mega Millions® going back and forth for which one has the highest top prize. The games’ jackpots have both been growing for nearly the same length of time – since mid-September – and it’s become a bit of a race to see which big prize will be won first.

Mega Millions has the next drawing, which happens tomorrow night. The game’s jackpot stands at an estimated $330 million annuity, $252.8 million lump-sum option. The jackpot was last won on Sept. 15 with a ticket purchased in Wisconsin, and it hasn’t been this big for six months. It had reached $410 million in the drawing on June 9 when it was won with a ticket in Arizona.

The next Powerball drawing will be Wednesday night. That game’s jackpot stands at an estimated $321 million annuity, $247.1 million lump-sum option. Powerball’s top prize was last won on Sept. 16 with a ticket purchased in New York. And it hasn’t been this big for nearly a year. The jackpot had reached $396.9 million when it was won in the drawing on Jan. 29 with a ticket in Florida.

Like so much else these days, both jackpots have definitely been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The games’ jackpot amounts are driven by sales, and for much of this year, folks in wide swaths of the country haven’t been able to run errands or buy everyday items (including lotto tickets) as they normally might in a non-pandemic time.

That’s tamped down the jackpot amounts in both games. And when the jackpots are lower, sales overall in the games are lower, too. It becomes a bit of a repeating cycle, and that’s been the case for much of this year.

So, it’s interesting that both jackpots are on a roll right now, and they’re really close in amount. We’re calling them dueling jackpots, and it will be fun to see which one will go out first!

There was a close call here in Iowa on Saturday. Someone who bought a ticket in central Iowa was just one number away from winning at least a share of Saturday’s Powerball jackpot. The ticket ended up winning a $50,000 prize by matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. That ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 870 NE Alice’s Road in Waukee.