ialottery blog

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.

Iowa Man Claims $50,000 Prize From Ticket That Had Been In His Car For Nearly A Year

For anyone who has a lottery ticket still in the car or sitting in a pile of stuff at home, let this blog serve as a permanent reminder of why it’s so important that you check them!  

Last month, I shared the story of an Iowa woman who claimed a $10,000 Mega Millions® prize after finding the winning ticket in her car nearly three months after she bought it. Well, a West Des Moines man just blew that timeframe away, claiming a Powerball® prize nearly a year after he bought the ticket. The common theme in their stories: His ticket also had been left in a car.

Casey Langan, 49, of West Des Moines claimed his $50,000 prize this morning at lottery headquarters in Clive, and admitted he’d been sweating about whether the deadline to claim his winnings had passed. That’s because he bought his winning ticket nearly a year ago for the Powerball drawing back on Jan. 18. He admits he put the ticket in the center console of his work car and forgot about it.

Fast forward to this month, and it’s been a bad news-good news situation for Casey. He was recently laid off from his job, and in the process of cleaning out his work car, he found the Powerball ticket in the console. He put the ticket on his desk at home, but still didn’t check it for a few days. Yesterday, he logged onto the lottery website to check the winning numbers and got a shock when he saw that he’d matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. 

Casey said he didn’t trust what he was seeing, so he took the ticket to a local convenience store to have it checked. The clerk scanned the ticket and he heard the recording from the lottery terminal saying: “Woo-hoo! You’re a winner!” The clerk confirmed that he’d won a $50,000 prize, and Casey called us at the lottery right away to make an appointment to claim it!

He says this couldn’t have come at a better time. His message for anyone who has a ticket they haven’t checked yet: “Check every single one of those!”

In Iowa, lottery players have up to 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim Powerball prizes, so Casey had about a month left to redeem his $50,000-winning ticket. He said he would have felt terrible if he found it too late.

“I’ve been driving around for a year with $50,000 in the car this whole time,” he said. He pledges he won’t do that again.

Casey bought his winning ticket at Kwik Star, 506 W. Ninth St. in Waterloo, the community where he lived at the time. He and his wife recently moved to the Des Moines area, and he said they’ll use part of his winnings as a down payment on a home. He also is in the interview process for a new job, and he hopes his lottery luck will carry forward to that.

Congratulations, Casey! You truly beat the clock!

Just One Week Left For Unclaimed $100,000 Prize In Des Moines

It’s down-to-the-wire time for a big unclaimed prize in the Des Moines area.

Check your wallet, check on top of the sun visor in your car, check that stack of stuff that may have piled up at home to be sure you don’t have a ticket winning a $100,000 Powerball prize that’s about to expire. We’re hoping we can jog someone’s memory in time so the prize can be claimed!

The $100,000 prize was won in the Powerball drawing on Nov. 27, 2019, with a ticket purchased at the Quik Trip, 4021 Fleur Drive in Des Moines. The ticket initially won a $50,000 prize that night by matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball. But whoever purchased the ticket also added the Power Play® option to the play, which multiplied the prize to $100,000.

The winning numbers that night were: 15-26-37-53-55 and Powerball 21. The Power Play number was 2.

The winner or winners have until the close of business at 4 p.m. next Monday (Nov. 30) to claim the $100,000 prize at one of the Iowa Lottery’s regional offices. Please remember that Iowa Lottery offices will be closed Wednesday-Friday this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you think you’ve won this prize and have questions before coming forward to claim it, give us a shout at the lottery at 515-725-7900 or wmaster@ialottery.com.

Several other tickets winning big prizes in Iowa also remain unclaimed and will expire within the next few months if the winner(s) don’t come forward in time. Click here to go to the Unclaimed Prizes page on our website so you can see that entire list.

And remember that here in Iowa, the money from unclaimed prizes that expire 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.

Iowa Woman Finds Lottery Ticket She Misplaced In Her Car, Wins $10,000 Prize

This truly is a story of the one that almost got away! A Des Moines woman claimed a $10,000 prize this week from a lottery ticket she left in her car and forgot about for nearly three months.

I’ve included a photo here of Alyssa Frideres and her winning Mega Millions® ticket. Alyssa won her prize in that game’s drawing back on Aug. 18 when she matched four of the white balls and the Mega Ball®. But she said that after she bought her ticket, it ended up in the glove compartment of her car. All these months later, Alyssa said she recently had trouble with her tires, so she got out the owner’s manual for her car and the ticket had ended up in it.

She checked her numbers on the Iowa Lottery’s website and was shocked to discover she’d won such a big prize. Just to be sure, she had a neighbor double-check her work, and it turns out she was right! Alyssa admitted she was still kind of shaky as she claimed her prize.

In keeping with the tires theme, Alyssa said she plans to use part of her winnings to buy tires for her daughter and grandson’s vehicles, then she’ll save the rest of her winnings. Sounds like a plan.

Congratulations, Alyssa, and thank you for lifting our spirits with your story!

Player Question: Why Do Some Numbers Come Up More Often As The Multiplier?

A player recently emailed us with a question about the All Star bonus option in the Lotto America game, and since the same concept applies to the multiplier option in Powerball and Mega Millions, I’ll cover all three of them here.

The player wondered why the number 2 comes up more often as the All Star Bonus in Lotto America. You may already know that the Bonus option can be added to a play in the Lotto America game for an extra $1, and it will multiply any prize you win. The All Star Bonus is similar to the Power Play option in Powerball and the Megaplier option in Mega Millions.   

The answer to the player’s question is found in the game rules, which are available on our website as part of the details for each game.  

The All Star Bonus option can multiply a Lotto America prize (except the jackpot) by 2, 3, 4 or 5. So, for example, if your ticket matches the five white balls in a drawing but misses the Star Ball, you’d win a $20,000 prize. But if you’ve added the All Star Bonus option to your ticket and the Bonus number that night is 3, your prize will be multiplied to $60,000.

In the Powerball game, the Power Play option can multiply prizes (except the jackpot and the Match 5 prize) by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 times. And in Mega Millions, the Megaplier option can multiply prizes except the jackpot by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times.

But when it comes to Lotto America specifically, why does the number 2 come up more often as the multiplier? It’s due to the universe of numbers available to be selected as the All Star Bonus. There are 32 numbers in the All Star Bonus pool. Of them, 15 are 2s, 10 are 3s, 4 are 4s, and 3 are 5s. Here is what that looks like in table form:
32 Total Numbers In All Star Bonus Pool
2X = 15
3X = 10
4X = 4
5X = 3

So, does it stand to reason that the All Star Bonus number would come up more often as 2 or 3? Yes. But the other multipliers also have a shot. It’s the same concept for the multipliers in our other big-jackpot games.

Here are the details for the Power Play option in Powerball:
43 Total Numbers In Power Play Pool
2X = 24
3X = 13
4X = 3
5X = 2
10X = 1

And here are the details for the Megaplier option in Mega Millions:
15 Total Numbers In Megaplier Pool
2X = 5
3X = 6
4X = 3
5X = 1

Marion Man Wins $150,000 Powerball Prize

A Marion man has claimed a $150,000 Powerball® prize today with a ticket he purchased at a Cedar Rapids supermarket. To give you a look at a ticket winning a big prize, I’ve included a picture here of that lucky slip of paper.

As you can see, Jerome Thurmon’s ticket came within one number of having at least a share of the $91.6 million jackpot in last Wednesday’s Powerball drawing (Oct. 21). One of the plays on Jerome’s easy-pick ticket matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. But because he also added the Power Play® option to his ticket, his prize was multiplied to $150,000.

The winning numbers in the Oct. 21 drawing were: 1-3-13-44-56 and Powerball 26. The Power Play number was 3. The jackpot has continued to climb since then and now stands at an estimated $116 million annuity, $89.5 million cash option, for tomorrow night’s drawing.

Jerome bought his winning ticket at the store where he works, the Hy-Vee at 1556 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids. Hy-Vee will receive a $150 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $150,000-winning ticket at one of its stores.

Ticket Purchased In Cedar Rapids Wins $150,000 Powerball Prize

 

Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket in Cedar Rapids won a $150,000 prize in last night’s drawing.

The $150,000-winning ticket was purchased at the Hy-Vee supermarket at 1556 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $91.6 million jackpot.

The Cedar Rapids 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 $150,000.

Last night’s winning numbers were: 1-3-13-44-56 and Powerball 26. The Power Play number was 3. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $102 million annuity ($80.7 million cash option) for Saturday.

Hy-Vee will receive a $150 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $150,000-winning ticket at one of its stores.

Prizes of $150,000 can be claimed at any of the Iowa Lottery’s regional offices, which are open Monday through Friday and currently offer prize claims by appointment. To make an appointment, the winner or winners of the Cedar Rapids prize should call the lottery at 319-395-9313 or 515-725-7900.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rainstorm Changes Clinton Woman’s Usual Stop For Tickets, She Wins $500,000

Mother Nature played a part in a Clinton woman’s $500,000 Powerball® prize.

Gayle Fraker bought her winning ticket while out running errands in the middle of a downpour. With the weather, she decided to stop at a different store than the one where she usually buys her tickets. And the next day at work, everyone was talking about the $500,000 prize won at the store where she’d stopped. But she’d left her tickets at home, so she couldn’t check them until that night.

As soon as she saw that she’d won a big prize, she took a picture of herself screaming for joy and sent it to her adult children, who all soon converged at her house. She immediately had them double-check the numbers to be sure she really had won.

Fraker, 60, is a supervisor at DM Services Inc., a direct-mail company in Clinton. She bought her easy-pick ticket at the Kwik Star, 911 S. 14th St. in Clinton. She came within one number of having at least a share of last Wednesday’s $87.3 million Powerball jackpot.

Her ticket matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball that night to initially win a $50,000 prize. But she also added the Power Play® option to her purchase, which multiplied her prize to $500,000. Fraker said she always adds the Power Play so that if she wins, she’ll win big.

That night’s winning numbers were: 27-47-61-62-69 and Powerball 4. The Power Play number was 10. Kwik Star will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket at one of its stores.

Fraker said she plans to use her winnings to pay off her mortgage and all her bills, and then plan for retirement.

She claimed the second $500,000 Powerball prize won in Iowa this month. A Waterloo man won a $500,000 prize by purchasing the same type of Power Play ticket for the Powerball drawing on July 8. Tu Kha Maung, 29, claimed his prize July 10. 

As she looked at her prize check today, Fraker just kept shaking her head. She said it’s crazy and awesome and her heart still hasn’t stopped pounding.

For the 2nd Time This Month, Iowa Ticket Wins $500,000 Powerball Prize

Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket in Clinton won a $500,000 prize in last night’s drawing. It’s the second prize of that size to hit in Iowa this month.

The latest $500,000-winning ticket was purchased at the Kwik Star convenience store, 911 S. 14th St. in Clinton. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $87.3 million Powerball jackpot.

The Clinton 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.

A Waterloo man won a $500,000 prize with the same type of play in the Powerball drawing on July 8. Tu Kha Maung, 29, claimed his prize two days later.

Last night’s winning numbers were: 27-47-61-62-69 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 $97 million annuity ($78.3 million cash option) for Saturday.

The Clinton ticket was one of three in the country to win a $500,000 prize in last night’s drawing, while a ticket in California won a $1 million prize.

Kwik Star will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket at one of its stores.

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

Waterloo Man Claims $500,000 Powerball Prize

Talk about a nice start to the weekend! A Waterloo man who bought a Powerball® ticket at a local grocery store claimed a $500,000 prize today.

Tu Kha Maung, 29, bought an easy pick ticket that came within one number of having at least a share of Wednesday’s $69.3 million Powerball jackpot. He matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize, but because he also added the Power Play® option to his ticket, his prize was multiplied to $500,000.

Wednesday’s winning numbers were: 3-10-34-36-62 and Powerball 5. The Power Play number was 10. No one matched all six numbers to win that night's jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $79 million annuity ($63 million cash option) for tomorrow’s drawing.

Maung’s ticket was one of only three in the country to win a $500,000 prize in Wednesday’s drawing. The other two were in New Jersey and Puerto Rico.

Maung bought his winning ticket at the Guddi Mart at 306 Byron Ave. in Waterloo. The store will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket.

Powerball Ticket Bought In Waterloo Wins $500,000 Prize

Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket in Waterloo won a $500,000 prize in last night’s drawing.

The $500,000-winning ticket was purchased at the Guddi Mart, a grocery store at 306 Byron Ave. in Waterloo. The ticket came within one number of having at least a share of last night’s $69.3 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.

Last night’s winning numbers were: 3-10-34-36-62 and Powerball 5. The Power Play number was 10. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot, so the big prize climbs to an estimated $79 million annuity ($63 million cash option) for Saturday.

The Waterloo ticket was one of three in the country to win a $500,000 prize in last night’s drawing. The other two were in New Jersey and Puerto Rico.

The Guddi Mart will receive a $500 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $500,000-winning ticket.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Changes Coming To Powerball’s Starting Jackpot & Minimum Increases

Changes have been announced today that will impact the Powerball® jackpot after the next time it is won.

What’s behind the decision? The amount of the Powerball jackpot is driven by ticket sales, which have been lagging in the game. Normal consumer behavior has been largely disrupted nationwide by the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. And the Powerball Product Group, like scores of other organizations around the world, is making necessary adjustments.

The changes announced in Powerball will take effect immediately after the next jackpot win in the game. The changes do not impact the jackpot amount for tonight’s drawing, or the jackpot’s growth up until the next time it is won. (The jackpot for tonight’s Powerball drawing is an estimated $150 million annuity, $114.8 million lump-sum option.)

The next time that the Powerball jackpot is won, it will reset to a guaranteed $20 million annuity, rather than the game’s usual starting jackpot amount of $40 million. And, rather than growing by at least $10 million in between drawings as currently occurs in the game, the jackpot will grow by at least $2 million between drawings.

It remains to be seen whether this change will be permanent. That decision rests with the directors of the U.S. lotteries that are members of the Powerball Product Group, who will continue to evaluate and monitor sales in the game.