ialottery blog

Player Mail: Walk Me Through Buying The ‘Play ‘Em All’ Option

An eastern Iowa man’s email is behind this blog entry, and I’ll do my best to walk you through how to find the ‘Play ‘Em All’ feature on the lottery terminal, in case you ever run into trouble when you try to buy it.

 

The man emailed to let us know that he was having trouble buying the ‘Play ‘Em All’ option, which is available in the Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America games. The man said that employees in some of the stores in his area didn’t seem to know about the option or how a customer could buy it.

 

In case you’re ever in that same situation, I want you to have the inside scoop about how to find the screen for that option on the lottery terminal. We’ll keep working with our retailers to provide the latest details we can about the lottery, but sometimes the best plan is to have the information yourself.

 

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

 

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 you can then choose the game you want to buy.

 

Or, if you’re buying a ticket at a 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!

Player Mail: Are The Multipliers Really Random?

A man named Mark just sent us an interesting email about the multiplier option in our lotto games. You likely already know this, but in Powerball, the multiplier feature is called the Power Play; in Mega Millions, it’s the Megaplier; and in Lotto America, it’s the All Star Bonus option.

In each of the games, adding that option to your play will multiply any prize you win (except the Match 5 prize in Powerball and the jackpot in any of the games) by the number selected as the multiplier in that night’s drawing.      

Mark wanted to know how the multiplier number is chosen in each game, and what the probabilities are for the multiplier feature being 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, etc. The quick answer is that there is a separate drawing for the multiplier number, and the odds vary. 

All this talk of multipliers might be a tad confusing, so let’s use a real-world example from the Powerball game. A Powerball ticket costs $2 per play, and you have the option of adding the multiplier option to your play for an extra $1. Let’s say that in the Powerball drawing for which you bought your ticket, you match four of the first five numbers. And the Power Play number in that night’s drawing is 3X. You normally would win $100, but because you added the Power Play feature to your ticket, your prize would be multiplied to $300.

The details about the multiplier feature are included in the game rules for Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America. But here are more details with Powerball as the example: Remember that when the jackpot for the next Powerball drawing is $150 million or less, a 10X is added to the Power Play pool, giving players the chance to multiply most prize levels by up to 10 times. When the jackpot in the game is more than $150 million, the 10X feature isn’t available, so the multipliers that can be selected are 2X-5X.

When the 10X is included, there are 43 numbers in the Power Play pool. Of those 43 numbers, 24 are 2s, 13 are 3s, three are 4s, two are 5s and one of the numbers is a 10. Here’s what that looks like in table form:

43 Total Numbers In Power Play Pool
2X = 24
3X = 13
4X = 3
5X = 2
10X = 1

(When the 10X isn’t included, there are 42 numbers in the Power Play pool, and the breakdown of the rest of the numbers remains the same.)

So, does it stand to reason that the Power Play number will be 2 more often than 3? Yes. But the other multipliers also have a shot.

Thanks for the question, Mark!    

Barcode Not Showing On Your Monthly Coupon? There’s A Way Around That.

In the past month, we’ve heard from some members of our VIP Club who had trouble getting the barcode to display on their monthly free-play coupon, and they thought that meant the coupon couldn’t be redeemed. But there’s a work-around for that so you can still get your free play. I’m sharing the inside scoop with you here on the blog so you’ll have the details, too!

If for some reason the personalized barcode doesn’t print on your monthly VIP Club coupon or it doesn’t display when you call up the coupon on your mobile device, ask the retailer to manually enter the coupon. They’ll need to press the “Special Functions” tab on the lottery terminal’s main screen, then press the “Coupon” button on the left side the screen. That will bring up a box where they can key in the 16-digit code printed on your coupon so it can be redeemed.

Also remember that you need to present your coupon to the retailer BEFORE the ticket is printed. This month’s VIP Club coupon is for a free $1 play in Lotto America, so look for it in your VIP Club newsletter! 

Davenport Man Claims $4.38 Million Lotto America Jackpot

Iowa’s first jackpot winner in the Lotto America game claimed his $4.38 million prize today! Chuck Anderson of Davenport said he knows he beat long odds by winning a jackpot with a ticket he got as a free play in a lottery promotion.
 
He said he won’t believe it’s all real until the money is actually deposited in the bank.

Anderson, 52, won Iowa’s first jackpot in Lotto America just six months after the game’s start. And in an interesting twist, his winning ticket was one that he got for free from the Iowa Lottery.

His winning ticket came from the Kwik Star convenience store at 2850 W. Locust St. in Davenport. This month, the Iowa Lottery is giving away free lotto plays in a promotion called “Lotto Surprise.” Throughout the month, random players will receive free lotto plays when they buy tickets in a particular game. During the first week of May, the qualifying purchase was a Powerball® ticket and the free plays involved were in the Lotto America game. So, Anderson’s jackpot-winning ticket in Lotto America was generated as a free play when he bought a Powerball ticket.

Anderson’s ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday’s Lotto America drawing, which were: 8-15-18-32-45 and Star Ball 1.

Anderson said that he didn’t check the results of his tickets for a couple days after the drawing. And when he saw the winning numbers on the lottery website, he said he had to look again – and again. He said it took a little while for it all to sink in!

Anderson said he’s working with legal and financial advisors to make responsible decisions with his winnings, and he plans to invest the money for his future. He said he’s excited for the opportunity to help family and feels lucky to have won this prize.

Anderson chose to receive his prize as the lump-sum amount of about $2.6 million.

Now THAT’S Twice Lucky: $4.38 Million Jackpot Won With Free Lottery Play

If this doesn’t define twice lucky, I don’t know what does: Someone who got a free play in our promotion this month has won a $4.38 million jackpot with the free ticket!

It’s Iowa’s first jackpot winner in Lotto America, just six months after the game’s debut.

The jackpot-winning ticket came from the Kwik Star convenience store at 2850 W. Locust St. in Davenport. This month, the Iowa Lottery is giving away free lotto plays in a promotion called “Lotto Surprise.” Throughout the month, random players receive free lotto plays when they buy tickets in a particular game. During the past week, the qualifying purchase was a Powerball ticket and the free plays involved were in the Lotto America game. So the jackpot-winning ticket was generated as a free play when the winner purchased a Powerball ticket at the Davenport store.
        
The jackpot-winning ticket matched all six numbers in last night’s Lotto America drawing, which were: 8-15-18-32-45 and Star Ball 1.

Kwik Star will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the Lotto America jackpot-winning ticket at one of its stores.

Today’s version of Lotto America debuted Nov. 12 and is sold in Iowa and 12 other states. The game’s name is a throwback to the first multi-state lotto game known for big jackpots in the United States. Iowa was a founding member of the original version of Lotto America, which began back in 1988 and made headlines around the world for its jackpots before ultimately being replaced by Powerball in 1992.
  
In today’s version of Lotto America, jackpots start at $2 million, tickets cost $1 each and the game has drawings on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Lotto America has the playstyle of Powerball, with players selecting numbers from two separate pools for a chance at a big prize. Players in the game choose five numbers from a pool of 52 and another number, called the Star Ball, from a pool of 10. Players who match all six numbers in a drawing win the jackpot.

The odds of winning the jackpot in Lotto America are around 1 in 26 million, compared to odds of about 1 in 292.2 million of winning the Powerball jackpot and about 1 in 302.6 million of winning the Mega Millions jackpot. 
 
Jackpot prizes must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Lottery offices are closed on the weekends, so tomorrow is the earliest that the prize can be claimed. If the winner or winners have questions before coming forward, they’re welcome to call us at the lottery at 515-725-7900.

There’s No Surprise Like A Lotto Surprise!

Who doesn't love a good surprise? Starting Sunday, April 29, through Saturday, May 26, we’re giving away free plays to random Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life and Lotto America players - there’s a different bonus offer each week!

Week 1 (April 29 - May 5):
Chance for free Lotto America play(s) when you buy Powerball.

Week 2 (May 6 - May 12):
Chance for free Lotto America play(s) when you buy Mega Millions.

Week 3 (May 13 - May 19):
Chance for free Lotto America play(s) when you buy Lucky for Life.

Week 4 (May 20 - May 26):
Chance for free Powerball play(s) when you buy Lotto America.

For details on how to make a qualifying purchase and more information, visit our website at ialottery.com starting Sunday.

Dueling Jackpots Top $400 Million At Same Time To Start Off New Year!

For the first time ever, the jackpots in Powerball and Mega Millions have topped the $400 million mark at the same time. The Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $445 million annuity ($277.6 million cash option) for Friday, while Powerball’s big prize is an estimated $550 million annuity ($347.9 million cash option) for Saturday. Both jackpots now rank in the Top 15 overall for record U.S. lottery prizes!

In August, both games saw jackpots that topped the $300 million mark simultaneously, but this time around both prizes have climbed even higher at the same time. That speaks to the unpredictable factor of lottery jackpots: You just never know when the next big winner will hit!

We're still on the look-out for a $1 million winner in central Iowa.

While the jackpots in both games have been climbing since October, there have been winners at other prize levels across the country, including a $1 million winner in Iowa. Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in central Iowa won a $1 million prize in the final drawing of 2017. The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at the Kum & Go convenience store at 1200 N. Walnut St. in Colfax. It came within one number of having at least a share of Saturday’s $390.1 million Powerball jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball.

Kum & Go will receive a $1,000 bonus from the lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket at one of its stores.

Prizes of $1 million must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If the winner or winners need information before coming forward to claim the prize, they are invited to call the lottery at 515-725-7900.

Here's a few historic facts about these dueling jackpots: 

Powerball’s big prize now ranks at No. 8 overall on the list of record U.S. lottery jackpots, while the Mega Millions jackpot is currently ranked No. 12.

And while the bigger games are a big run, the Lotto America jackpot also is really getting up there. Lotto America is a smaller regional game played by Iowa and 12 other lotteries. The jackpot in that game is at an estimated $17.58 million for Saturday’s drawing.

Some may wonder, would it be possible for one person to win the jackpots in both Mega Millions and Powerball? The short answer is: Yes, but …

It takes long odds to produce big jackpots. The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million. (The odds are based upon the total number of combinations available to play in each game.) To calculate the odds of winning both jackpots, you multiply 302.6 million by 292.2 million. The answer involves a lot of zeroes: about 1 in 88 quadrillion (that’s 88,000,000,000,000,000).

“Winning both jackpots is something fun to daydream about, but it’s probably the ultimate long shot,” Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said. “That’s why we emphasize responsible play. Have fun playing the lottery, but remember that it’s just for entertainment. There is no guarantee you will win.”

So what’s behind the these giant numbers? Prior to January 2010, Mega Millions and Powerball were sold by separate groups of lotteries. U.S. lottery directors reached an agreement back then that allowed both games to be sold by all states. With more states selling a particular game, there is a bigger population base playing it, which produces higher sales overall and helps the jackpot climb higher.

The jackpots in both games have been growing for some time now. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in the drawing on Oct. 13, split by two tickets purchased in Michigan and Rhode Island. It’s been growing since that time to hit its current level. Players can buy tickets in Iowa for the next Mega Millions drawing up until 8:59 p.m. Friday.

The Powerball jackpot was last won on Oct. 25 with a ticket purchased in Louisiana. Players can buy tickets here in Iowa for Saturday’s Powerball jackpot up until 8:59 p.m. that day.

It is true that both games have seen bigger jackpots, but not at the same time! Mega Millions and Powerball have both seen jackpots much larger than their current amounts, but not at the same time. Powerball currently has the world record lottery jackpot: a prize of nearly $1.6 billion that was split in January 2016 by three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee. The largest Mega Millions jackpot to date is a $656 million prize won in March 2012 by three tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

Here's a little compare and contrast for you:

Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and grow until they’re won. You choose five numbers from a pool of 69 and another number – the Powerball – from a separate pool of 26. If you match all six numbers, you win the jackpot, and there also are eight other prize levels you can win. Plays cost $2 and drawings are at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Mega Millions jackpots also start at $40 million and grow until they’re won. Players in the game choose five numbers from a pool of 70 and another number – the Mega Ball – from a separate pool of 25 numbers. If you match all six numbers, you win the jackpot, and there are eight other prize levels you can win. Tickets cost $2 and drawings are at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Both games have a multiplier feature that costs an extra $1 per play and multiplies any non-jackpot prize won. Jackpot winners in both games can choose to receive their prize in annuitized payments over time or in a one-time, lump-sum payment.

Sales In Lotto America Start Sunday

We’ve been talking about it for a couple months now, and it’s almost time for sales to start in the new Lotto America game. Sales begin Sunday and the first drawing will be on Wednesday. Here’s a video that gives you all the details about how to play the game.

Hot Lotto Jackpot Money Will Roll Forward Into Lotto America Game

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about what would happen to the money in the Hot Lotto jackpot pool if the grand prize was not won by the time the game ended. And as it has turned out, the Hot Lotto jackpot indeed was not won before or during the game’s final drawing on Saturday.

The big prize that night was $12.16 million and no one won the jackpot by matching all six of the winning numbers in the final Hot Lotto drawing. So the money in the jackpot pool will roll forward into the Lotto America game that begins sales in less than two weeks on Sunday, Nov. 12.

The jackpot in Lotto America normally will start at $2 million and grow until someone wins it. But with the Hot Lotto jackpot money carrying forward, the jackpot in the first Lotto America drawing on Wednesday, Nov. 15, will be $15 million annuity. (The cash value of that first jackpot will be set just before the drawing occurs. Fluctuating interest rates prevent the lump-sum value from being set very far in advance.)

The situation involving the Hot Lotto jackpot and what would happen to the money has brought up a lot of discussion, and we’ve been glad to be part of it. We know that not everyone will be happy with the decision to roll the money from the jackpot pool into the new game. But the majority of folks seem to like that idea more than some others that were discussed, such as returning the money from the Hot Lotto jackpot to the states in the game, and allowing each state to then follow its rules and procedures for what would happen to the money.

With the extensive programming that it takes for lottery systems to offer a new product, the Lotto America game will move ahead as I have described here. The jackpot in that game will follow the traditional annuity or lump-sum model, and jackpot winners will be able to choose which option they want to take. We’re glad that players will have the chance to continue to play for the money in the Hot Lotto jackpot pool.

Below is an image showing the prizes that will be available in the Lotto America game and the odds of winning. Please note that the odds of winning the jackpot in Lotto America (1 in 25.9 million) will be better than those in Hot Lotto, where the odds of winning the top prize were 1 in 29.14 million.

If It Isn’t Won, Hot Lotto Jackpot Will Roll Into Lotto America Game

Since we announced in August that the Hot Lotto® game will end Oct. 28, we’ve heard from a lot of folks wondering what will happen to the game’s jackpot if it isn’t won by then. And today, we can announce that a decision has been made. The money in the Hot Lotto jackpot pool will roll forward into the new Lotto America^SM game if the jackpot hasn’t been won by the time Hot Lotto ends. 

Initial thoughts were that the money in the jackpot pool – which currently stands at $11.63 million – would be returned to the states in the Hot Lotto game in proportion to the percentage of sales that had come from each state. And the money could then be used for prizes in future games and promotions. But a lot of players said they want the chance to keep playing for that money.

So the 14 states in the Hot Lotto game have voted for that very thing to occur. If the Hot Lotto jackpot isn’t won before the game ends, the money in the jackpot pool will carry forward into the new $1 Lotto America game that begins sales on Sunday, Nov. 12. The jackpot in Lotto America normally will start at $2 million and grow until someone wins it, but if the Hot Lotto jackpot money carries forward, the first jackpot in Lotto America on Wednesday, Nov. 15, will be $15 million annuity!

Click here to see more details about Lotto America from our blog entry when we announced that game last month. And below, I've included an image showing the prizes that will be available in the Lotto America game and the odds of winning. The first column shows the prizes available if you don't add the All Star Bonus multiplier to your play. The other columns show the prizes available with the All Star Bonus, which will multiply any prize except the jackpot by two to five times.

     

Mega Millions Changing, New Lotto Game Debuts In November

Over the last several months, we’ve updated our line-up of lotto games and today we have two more announcements: In late October, $2 Mega Millions^® will debut, and a new $1 game with a retro name will begin in November. Like its predecessor from the late 1980s, that $1 game will be called Lotto America.

Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said that the updates are designed to give people new options for playing, and are built upon the successful business model the lottery has utilized in its other product lines.

“We’ve seen over time that our players want choices -- different games at different price points with different features,” Rich said. “With a revamp for Mega Millions and a revival for Lotto America, we’re coming through with new options.”

Sales in $2 Mega Millions will begin Oct. 28 and the first drawing in the revamped game will be Tuesday, Oct. 31. The game’s jackpots will start at $40 million rather than today’s $15 million, and the top prize will grow by at least $5 million between drawings when it is not won. Players in $2 Mega Millions will choose five numbers from a pool of 70 and another number, called the Mega Ball, from a pool of 25.

That compares to today’s 1/75 + 1/15 game design. The odds of winning the jackpot will be longer in the new design, but the odds will improve for winning a $1 million prize for matching just the first five numbers.

“The new game design will mean bigger starting jackpots and faster-growing jackpots overall,” Rich said. “More $1 million prizes also will spread the winnings around in the game.”

Powerball became a $2 game back in 2012, and that change also was designed to deliver the big jackpots that people expect while achieving more significant winnings at the game’s other prize levels. Since that revamp, Powerball has seen a world-record jackpot of nearly $1.6 billion in January 2016 and a grand prize of nearly $759 million in August, the second-highest prize in the 25-year history of the game. Iowa Lottery players have won 26 prizes of at least $1 million since the debut of $2 Powerball.

“Players have told us they’d like to see new features in Mega Millions, and we needed a redesign to make that possible,” Rich said.

This is the first price adjustment in Mega Millions since the game began in 2002. Mega Millions will continue to have its drawings on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Because the Mega Millions game is changing effective Oct. 28, the lottery is required to limit the number of multi-draw tickets that are sold beginning Sept. 26. A countdown to the last drawing before the game changes started on this day, and the number of multi-draw tickets available will be reduced with each drawing until the game’s final drawing in the current format on Oct. 27.

A few weeks after the Mega Millions changes take effect, a new $1 lotto game will debut in Iowa and at least 14 other states: Lotto America. The name is a throwback to the first multi-state lotto game that became known for big jackpots in the United States. Iowa was a founding member of the original version of Lotto America, which began back in 1988 and made headlines around the world at the time for its jackpots before ultimately being replaced by Powerball in 1992.

Today’s version of Lotto America will feature jackpots that start at $2 million and drawings twice per week. The new game begins sales Nov. 12 and its first drawing will be Nov. 15. It will have drawings on Wednesday and Saturday nights and feature nine prize levels.

“As we were researching new game possibilities there was one name that kept coming up, so we decided to go vintage,” Rich said. “After 25 years, Lotto America is making a comeback, with new features for today’s players.”

Lotto America players will still find the playstyle of Powerball, with numbers selected from two separate pools for a chance at a big prize. Players in the game will choose five numbers from a pool of 52 and another number, called the “Lotto America Star Ball^SM” from a pool of 10. Players who match all six numbers selected in a drawing will win the game’s jackpot.

The game’s jackpot will grow by at least $50,000 per drawing until it is won. The game also will have a multiplier feature. The odds of winning the jackpot in Lotto America will be around 1 in 26 million, compared to odds of about 1 in 292.2 million of winning the Powerball jackpot and odds of about 1 in 302.6 million of winning the Mega Millions jackpot under that game’s new design.