There’s something about the every-day aspect of this story, especially during these unusual times, that brings a smile. A southeast Iowa couple has taken home a $10,000 prize from a lottery scratch ticket purchased during a milk run.
Heather Love of Morning Sun claimed the prize earlier this week. She said that her husband, Nick, bought the ticket when he stopped at a local convenience store for milk on the way home from work. She said that Nick rarely buys scratch tickets but decided to get one that day in the “$100,000 Mega Crossword” game.
Heather said she was the one who scratched the ticket later that night after dinner. She thought they’d won big, but said it didn’t really start to sink in until she scanned the ticket on the lottery’s mobile app and it displayed the message: "Congratulations, you won $10,000!"
She said that she and Nick argued good-naturedly over which one of them would actually claim the prize, but agreed that they would use the winnings to buy new carpet and flooring for their home.
Heather said that winning a big prize “kind of makes your heart flutter.” She said she has often heard about people winning the lottery, but now it’s real to her.
Congratulations, Heather and Nick! Thank you for giving us a smile with your story!
Update at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2:Neither jackpot was hit on Wednesday, so they'll keep growing for at least one more drawing! Saturday's Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $700 million, while the Lotto America drawing on Saturday will feature an estimated jackpot worth $34.57 million.
Knowing that lottery jackpots are always dependent on the results of the next drawing, two big prizes in particular are creating a study in contrasts for tonight!
The Powerball® jackpot for tonight’s drawing has climbed to an estimated $653 million annuity, $350.5 million cash option. That’s the 8th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.
Not to be left out, the Lotto America® jackpot for tonight is an estimated $34.52 million annuity, $18.52 million cash option. That’s a record for the Lotto America game.
We sometimes hear from folks who say that “one person doesn’t need all that money” when it comes to the really giant prizes. (Sales would disagree with that statement, given that sales climb higher as the jackpot grows, and higher sales in turn push the jackpot higher.)
But with these two jackpots tonight contrasting with each other, the question is: Do you want this or that? Mix and match? Maybe one of each?
The odds of winning both jackpots are long (to determine that number, take the odds of winning Powerball and multiply them by the odds of winning Lotto America), but we are saying there’s a chance. :)
Good luck with your tickets in tonight’s drawings!
A northern Iowa man came THIS CLOSE to having to explain to his wife why he let her vehicle roll away!
The story started with Travis Hovey of Riceville doing something to help: He went to a local convenience store to fuel up his wife’s car. While he was inside the store paying for the gas, he decided to buy a lottery scratch ticket.
Travis said he scratched the ticket when he got back out to the car and saw what he thought was a $100,000 prize in the play area.
Travis says he almost forgot to put the vehicle in park before he ran back into the store to have the clerks there double-check his ticket! It turns out he was right: He won one of the top prizes of $100,000 in the “Cash Blast” scratch game.
After confirming his win, Travis said he went right home to share the news with his wife, Tammy. And he got her car there safely!
Travis bought his winning ticket at Casey’s 208 W. Main St. in Riceville. He said that he and Tammy plan to use the lottery winnings to pay bills and retire debt.
A Waterloo woman says a visit from a winged friend led her to buy a lottery ticket that won a prize of $25,000 a year for life.
Dawn Costa says that she used to play the Lucky for Life® game regularly with her mom, who passed away two years ago. Dawn says that her mother loved owls, and last week, an owl landed on the railing of her deck and stayed there for some time.
Although she hadn’t played in a while, Dawn decided the next day to buy a Lucky for Life ticket at the store where she and her mother used to purchase them. That easy-pick ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Lucky Ball to win a prize of $25,000 a year for life in the game’s drawing on Jan. 12.
Before driving today to Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive to claim her prize, Dawn said she decided to look for the owl again. When she went out on her deck this morning, the bird was there. She said others at her condominium building wonder why the owl is always on her deck, but she knows why.
Dawn is Iowa’s 17th big winner in the Lucky for Life game since its January 2016 debut in our state.
She bought her winning ticket at Kwik Star, 1636 W. Fourth St. in Waterloo. The winning numbers in the Jan. 12 drawing were: 3-12-17-42-45 and Lucky Ball 6. Kwik Star will receive a $500 bonus from the lottery for selling the winning ticket.
Dawn chose to receive her prize in its lump-sum option of $390,000. She said she'll use her lottery winnings to pay off her mortgage and invest for the future.
Iowa Lottery players saw a lot of luck in the Friday the 13th Mega Millions® drawing while the night’s giant jackpot was won with a ticket purchased in Maine. An lowa ticket was just one number away from having a share of the big prize.
The final jackpot amount ended up at $1.348 billion annuity, $723.5 million cash option.
Total Prizes Won In Iowa
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 51,282 prizes in last night’s drawing. One Iowa ticket was just a number away from a share of the jackpot.
That ticket matched four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball to initially win a $10,000 prize. But the player who bought the ticket also added the Megaplier option to the purchase, which multiplied the prize to $20,000.
The $20,000-winning ticket was purchased at: Kwik Star, 855 SE Alice’s Road in Waukee.
The $20,000 prize can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winner has questions before claiming their prize, they are welcome to call the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email to: Wmaster@ialottery.com.
The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 30-43-45-46-61 and Mega Ball 14 The Megaplier® number was 2.
How Did The Jackpot Climb So High?
The Mega Millions jackpot had climbed into the stratosphere because it had been growing for nearly three months. It started growing with the drawing on Oct. 18, then continued rolling through more than two dozen drawings before being won last night.
The Mega Millions jackpot returns to $20 million annuity, $10.7 million cash option, for the game's next drawing on Tuesday.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought nearly $2.9 million in Mega Millions tickets for last night's drawing, including nearly $1.8 million yesterday alone.
But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $6, or three plays per ticket.
Unclaimed $1 Million Prize In Ames
A $1 million Mega Millions prize won in central Iowa is still unclaimed after four months. I’m continuing to highlight it, hoping to jog the winner’s memory in time for the prize to be claimed.
The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames, for the game's drawing on Sept. 6. It was the only ticket in the country that night to match the five white balls but miss the yellow Mega Ball to win at the game's second prize level.
The winner or winners of the $1 million prize have until the close of business on Sept. 6, 2023, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.
Gateway Expresse received a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.
One of the biggest lottery jackpot drawings in history is happening tonight on Friday the 13th. What will luck bring in the Mega Millions® game?
The Mega Millions jackpot for tonight’s drawing is the second largest in the game, at an estimated $1.35 billion annuity, $724.6 million cash option.
Friday The 13th Drawing
Despite the superstitions that abound, Friday the 13th is just another day. There will be two of them this year: Jan. 13, and Oct. 13, which means two Mega Millions drawings will occur on the date linked with so many beliefs in the unknown.
Mega Millions jackpots have been won multiple times across the country on Friday the 13th, so those players definitely did not have an unlucky day.
What’s That About ‘Coverage’?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate for tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is now about 42 percent.
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.
(The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play. The winning numbers selected will be one of those combinations. Will your ticket match?)
The Difference Mega Millions Sales Will Make For State Causes
The final details won't be available until later, but the impact of this month's strong Mega Millions sales will mean more help for meaningful state causes in Iowa. Lottery players will have played a big part in helping our state.
Each year, 100 percent of Iowa Lottery proceeds go to support state causes. In its latest financial year, the Iowa Lottery raised nearly $98 million for state programs that help everything from veterans and law enforcement to education, parks and conservation, agriculture, and human services.
Since its start in 1985, the Iowa Lottery has raised more than $2.3 billion for state programs. More details are here: https://ialottery.com/Pages/Pressroom/IALotteryGivesBack.aspx
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Playing smart is a lot more fun.
The Mega Millions® jackpot is in the game’s Top 3, with the estimate for the big prize remaining at $1.1 billion annuity, $568.7 million cash option, for tomorrow night’s drawing.
That’s the third-highest jackpot in the history of the game and the fifth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.
Overall, Mega Millions was won six times in 2021 and six times in 2022. The game’s drawings happen at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Reminders About Group Play
When the jackpot reaches into the stratosphere like it is now, a lot of lottery players pitch in to buy tickets in office pools or with family and friends.
During the world-record Powerball jackpot run late last year, two separate groups of co-workers in eastern Iowa each split a $50,000 prize they won in their office pool.
The Iowa Lottery keeps group play reminders on its website to help you keep lottery pool play fun and hassle free.
Among the suggestions: Keep an accurate list of everyone who puts in money for a particular drawing and how much they contribute. And, provide everyone in your pool with photos or copies of the group’s tickets before the drawing.
Iowa Stats From The Latest Mega Millions Drawing
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 31,631 prizes in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing and had purchased more than $1.7 million in tickets for the drawing.
Friday’s winning numbers were: 3-20-46-59-63 and Mega Ball® 13. The Megaplier® number was 3.
The average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing was about $6, or three plays per ticket. It’s good to see that a lot of people had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.
What If You Win?
The Iowa Lottery has a video giving a quick overview of the process when someone wins a big prize. The video details the forms required when claiming an Iowa Lottery prize, the cash vs. annuity decision for a jackpot winner, the withholdings involved for lottery prizes, and open records requirements for lottery winners in Iowa.
The video is available online for anyone who would like to see the details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugXmP-7Qbm8
$1 Million Mega Millions Prize Still Unclaimed In Ames
With first-time and occasional players buying tickets for the giant drawing, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to check their tickets for all prizes they may have won, not just the jackpot.
There are nine prize levels in Mega Millions, from $2 for matching the Mega Ball® alone up to winning the jackpot for matching all six numbers in a drawing.
The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames, for the game's drawing on Sept. 6. It was the only ticket in the country that night to match the five white balls but miss the yellow Mega Ball to win at the game's second prize level.
The winner or winners of the $1 million prize have until the close of business on Sept. 6, 2023, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Gateway Expresse received a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly.
The Mega Millions® jackpot continues to push higher! The giant prize is now an estimated $1.1 billion annuity, $568.7 million cash option, for the game’s next drawing on Tuesday.
That is the third-highest jackpot in the history of the game and the fifth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot. It follows the world-record Powerball® jackpot of $2.04 billion won in early November.
The Mega Millions jackpot has reached this level because it has been growing for nearly three months. It was last won Oct. 14.
Iowa Sales & Prizes From Last Night's Drawing
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 31,631 prizes in last night’s Mega Millions drawing and had purchased more than $1.7 million in tickets for it.
Last night’s winning numbers were: 3-20-46-59-63 and Mega Ball® 13. The Megaplier® number was 3.
But the average Mega Millions purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $6, or about three plays per ticket. Lottery officials were pleased that a lot of people had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.
$1 Million Unclaimed Mega Millions Prize In Ames
When the jackpot reaches into the stratosphere like it is now, the game’s player base expands, with a lot of first-time and occasional players buying tickets. The Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to check their tickets for all prizes they may have won, not just the jackpot.
There are nine prize levels in Mega Millions, from $2 for matching the Mega Ball® alone up to the jackpot for matching all six numbers in a drawing.
A $1 million Mega Millions prize won in central Iowa remains unclaimed after four months.
The $1 million-winning ticket was purchased at Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames, for the game's drawing on Sept. 6. It was the only ticket in the country that night to match the five white balls but miss the yellow Mega Ball to win at the game's second prize level.
The winner or winners of the $1 million prize have until the close of business on Sept. 6, 2023, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.
Gateway Expresse received a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.
Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers
The vast majority of tickets purchased in games like Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal assigns the numbers printed on the ticket. About 94 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing were easy picks.
But players also can choose their own numbers. They choose five numbers from a pool of 70 for the white balls and one number from a separate pool of 25 for the Mega Ball.
Neither option is luckier. The odds of winning are the same for every ticket purchased in the game. There are more winners from easy-pick tickets simply because the majority of tickets purchased are easy picks.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. Playing smart is a lot more fun.
Update at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 6:While the annuity estimate for tonight's Mega Millions® jackpot is still $940 million, the estimate for the jackpot's cash value has grown a little to $486 million. Remember that both figures are estimates based on sales projections. There usually are differences between the advance estimates and the final jackpot amount because the biggest percentage of ticket sales happen on the day of the drawing.
The current Mega Millions jackpot is the sixth-largest lottery prize ever offered in the United States.
Post-Holiday Focus
The timing of the current Mega Millions jackpot run has been a little unusual, spanning the entire holiday season and continuing on. The past few weeks have been busy with holiday travel, family gatherings and year-end celebrations, but now that the New Year has begun, folks are back in their normal routines and Mega Millions sales are ticking up.
What’s in store for 2023?
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than two months. It was last won on Oct. 14. Overall, Mega Millions was won six times in 2021 and six times in 2022. Now we’ll see what 2023 brings!
Drawing Details
A total of 19,761 plays purchased by Iowa Lottery players won prizes in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing. The winning numbers that night were 25-29-33-41-44 and Mega Ball 18. The next drawing in the game happens at 10 p.m. tomorrow.
Sales Cut-Off Time
If you’re buying a Mega Millions ticket, remember that there is a sales cut-off time for Friday night’s drawing.
Here in Iowa, that time is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, you’ll still have a valid play, but it will be for a future drawing and you won’t be in on Friday’s big money!
The cut-off deadline is an automated procedure and it can’t be pushed back. There have been Iowa players who waited too long and missed the cut-off time, so please remember that deadline.
Details About Cash vs. Annuity – And Taxes
If a jackpot winner were to choose the annuity option for tomorrow’s big prize (that amount is currently estimated at $940 million), they would receive an immediate payment followed by annual payments that increase by 5 percent per year for 29 years and add up to the annuity total.
In that scenario, the cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities, and the winner receives payments over time. Withholdings are applied to each payment that the winner receives.
If a winner were to pass away before receiving all their payments, the money would go into that person’s estate. The lottery would make future payments as determined by the estate or the court.
If a jackpot winner were to choose the cash option for tomorrow night’s prize (that amount is currently estimated at $483.5 million), they would receive the lump-sum amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game.
There is no interest income in that scenario because the money is not invested. Another way of putting it is that the “rest of the money” does not exist in that instance. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.
Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Withholdings are automatically applied before the payment is made to the winner and cannot be modified or waived.
Withholdings are designed to cover the jackpot winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. However, the total taxes that a winner owes is dependent upon their financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery. In some instances, the withholding is not enough, in other instances, it’s too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That’s why the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner before they claim their prize.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. Playing smart is a lot more fun.
Some incredible VIP basketball packages are on the line in the Suite Seats promotion that started today.
The promotion’s entry period opened at 10 a.m. today. This year’s edition of Suite Seats is similar to a promotion with the same name held in 2019, but with several fun additions.
Members of our free VIP Club can enter nonwinning tickets from the “Money Madness” and “Triple Tripler” scratch games into the promotion for a chance to win. When they enter, they’ll choose between tickets to a session of the national men’s college basketball tournament this March in Des Moines, or a prize package that includes two suite tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves game March 31 in Minneapolis.
Each college basketball prize pack is valued at more than $1,600 and includes 2 suite tickets to Session 1, 2 or 3 of the national men’s tournament (you’ll choose the session you want when you make your entry), as well as food and non-alcoholic beverages, $400 spending cash, tournament merchandise and a parking pass. There are 16 prize packs up for grabs for each of the three sessions at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Each Timberwolves prize pack is valued at nearly $2,000. It includes 2 suite tickets for the Lakers-Timberwolves game on March 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, a 1-night stay at the Loews Downtown Minneapolis Hotel with valet parking, food and non-alcoholic beverages, merchandise and $400 spending cash. Ten NBA prize packs will be given away in the promotion.
The Suite Seats entry period runs through 9:59 a.m. on Feb. 28, with the promotion’s drawings to follow on March 1. A player can win only once per category, but it is possible that someone could win tickets to each men’s college tournament session in Des Moines and the NBA game.
As part of the fun, the Iowa Lottery will hold a special event at the Jan. 29 Iowa Wolves basketball game in Des Moines. VIP Club members will be able to request 4 free tickets to the game, and the lottery will be there with courtside scratch ticket sales, a contest, and giveaways before and during the game.
The jackpot for tonight’s Mega Millions® drawing stands at an estimated $785 million annuity, $403.8 million cash option. That’s the 4th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 6th-largest jackpot ever offered in the United States.
Any jackpot amounts on the list that are higher than the current Mega Millions grand prize are all above the $1 billion mark. Tonight’s drawing happens at 10 p.m.
The current record for a Mega Millions jackpot is $1.537 billion, won in October 2018. The world record for any lottery jackpot is the $2.04 billion Powerball® grand prize won in November with a ticket in California.
There have been times when Powerball and Mega Millions climbed into the stratosphere together. This time around, it seems like the games are taking turns – so polite, right? Powerball climbed to its world-record amount in November, while Mega Millions is climbing now. It demonstrates what we’ve said so many times: You never know when the next big winner will hit!
Two Iowa Tickets That Came Close
Two Iowa tickets were just one number away from having at least a share of Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot. They each matched four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball® to win a $10,000 prize. They were purchased at:
Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, 727 Grand Ave. in Spencer.
Kwik Star, 2035 John F. Kennedy Road in Dubuque.
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than two months – it was last won in the drawing on Oct. 14. Mega Millions was won six times in 2021 and six times in 2022. Now we’ll see what 2023 brings!
When the big prize reaches this level, it becomes harder to predict the estimates for it in advance. Stronger sales nationwide push the jackpot even higher, and that’s what has been happening during the past week or so.
Remember The Sales Cut-Off
If you’re buying a Mega Millions ticket, remember that there is a sales cut-off time for tonight’s drawing! Here in Iowa, the sales cut-off time is at 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.
If you buy a ticket after that, you’ll still have a valid play, it'll just be for a future drawing and you won’t be in on tonight’s big money! The cut-off deadline is an automated procedure and it can’t be pushed back. There have been people who waited too long in the past and missed the cut-off, so please remember that deadline.
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to play with their head not over their head. It only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly.
A lottery winner from a tiny central Iowa community will spend New Year’s Eve in New York and have a chance to win a $1 million prize in a special Powerball® drawing.
Chris Manuel of Swan is among 29 nationwide finalists for the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year® drawing. The $1 million winner will be announced live on air just after midnight EST during ABC’s broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023” from New York’s Times Square.
Chris says she’s excited for the trip, but still worries she’s being punked!
Chris, who’s 60 and a locksmith, has had a trying yet successful year, undergoing cancer surgery and radiation treatments. She said she hopes that in February, she’ll find out she’s cancer free. She said that winning the $1 million prize would mean she could retire early and enjoy time with her husband.
This is the fourth consecutive year for the Powerball First Millionaire of the Year promotion, and it’s the first time since the inaugural edition in 2019 that finalists get to travel to New York City for the event.
Chris says she’s heard from nearly everyone in her Marion County community of 76 about her sure-to-be-memorable New Year’s plans. She said there will be a lot of people watching the drawing that night!
Each of this year’s finalists won an exclusive trip for two to New York valued at more than $28,000. It includes round-trip airfare; a three-night hotel stay in Times Square; two tickets to a theater performance and other iconic NYC excursions; all meals while in New York; $1,000 spending cash; and New Year’s Eve festivities including a Times Square party and viewing of the iconic ball-drop.
Chris says that while she and her husband, Randy, are both the “camouflage and blue jeans” type, she’s gotten a manicure with dark, sparkly polish for their trip and they both went clothes shopping.
They plan to take in a lot of New York: dinner at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant in Times Square, a performance of the Radio City Rockettes, a double-decker bus tour of the city, and a ferry ride to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
They also plan to fulfill their grandson’s request for M&Ms® in every color from the M&Ms World Times Square store.
Randy Manuel, who‘s 61 and retired, describes himself as “a totally country boy.” But he says he’s looking forward to New York, even if he is a bit nervous.
Randy says he initially thought something was wrong when his wife told him she had news to share in October. But then she said they were going to New York.
Randy says Chris is pretty lucky, so he hopes her luck keeps going!
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and New Year's Rockin' Eve are registered trademarks of DCP Rights, LLC. All rights reserved.
A quick scheduling reminder: Iowa Lottery offices will be closed for a few holiday dates in the next two weeks.
Lottery offices will be closed tomorrow (Dec. 23) and Monday (Dec. 26) for the Christmas holiday weekend. And on Monday, Jan. 2, lottery offices will be closed for the New Year’s holiday.
I hope that in the coming days you can relax, spend time with family and friends, and celebrate the things you enjoy.
We’ve gotten the same questions from a few different players about our “Holiday Cash Bash” promotion, so I’ll provide the answers here to share the details with everyone.
The specifics apply to any ticket you’ve entered in an Iowa Lottery promotion through your VIP Club account.
Some players have asked if they need to keep their tickets after they’ve entered them into the promotion. As in, will I need to present the ticket to claim a prize I might win in the promotion?
The short answer is no, you don’t need to keep a ticket for promotion purposes. Entering an eligible ticket into one of our promotions meets the requirement of presenting that ticket to the lottery. So, you don’t need to keep the ticket after you’ve entered it.
A couple folks also have asked if they could mail their tickets to the lottery for the promotion. The answer in that case is no. Entries into our promotions need to be made online, either through the Iowa Lottery’s website or by using our mobile app.
It’s been more than 13 years since any Iowa Lottery promotions have involved the mailing in of tickets. Our players have let us know that they prefer the convenience and time savings of online entry, so that’s what we have offered since 2009.
This player’s story made me smile because it’s just so relatable. I think we can all imagine ourselves in his situation – and the disbelief we might have!
An eastern Iowa man who claimed a $10,000 prize at our Cedar Rapids office said that after he played his scratch ticket, he checked it and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. So, he scanned it three more times on the lottery’s mobile app and then went back into the gas station where he bought it to have them check it, too.
Louis Janecek II of Shellsburg said he just wanted to be sure! In the end, he realized he was the winner of a $10,000 prize. He claimed the eighth prize of $10,000 available in “The Perfect Gift” holiday scratch game.
Louis bought his winning ticket at Palo Mini Mart, 1204 First St. in Palo.
He said he plans to use his winnings to pay bills and buy Christmas gifts for his four children. Louis said his lottery win will just make everything that much nicer for the holidays.
Congratulations, Louis! I’m thinking that your big win may finally seem real by now!
Here’s an interesting new factoid: Powerball® and Mega Millions® both made the Top 10 List for U.S. search terms in 2022.
Google released its Year In Search details this week, and this is its list of Top 10 searches in the United States for 2022:
1. Wordle 2. Election results 3. Betty White 4. Queen Elizabeth 5. Bob Saget 6. Ukraine 7. Mega Millions 8. Powerball numbers 9. Anne Heche 10. Jeffrey Dahmer
The Google data shows that searches for Mega Millions spiked in July when the game’s jackpot was on its way to $1.337 billion for the drawing on July 29. That’s the second-largest jackpot ever offered in Mega Millions and the fourth-largest lottery jackpot in the world. Two people in Illinois claimed that prize.
Searches for “Powerball numbers” spiked in November when that game’s jackpot was on its way to a world-record amount of $2.04 billion for the Nov. 7 drawing. A ticket in California won that night’s giant prize.
It’s fun to see the things that got us all talking – and searching – in the past year!
In an effort focused on prizes that expire without being claimed, the Iowa Lottery Board has voted today to change the Iowa prize-claim period in four multi-state games: Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Lotto America® and Lucky for Life®.
The Lottery Board’s unanimous decision will change the prize-claim deadline in those lotto games to 180 days from the date of the drawing. The current prize-claim deadline in those games is 365 days from the drawing date. That’s the longest in the United States and it’s outside the norm for the U.S. lottery industry.
The change will not take effect for some time yet. The lottery needs to successfully complete testing on its statewide gaming system before the change can be made. The lottery anticipates making the change in the first quarter of calendar year 2023 after providing notice to players.
The change has no monetary benefit to the Iowa Lottery: Under state law, the money from prizes that expire in Iowa without being claimed will continue to go back to players through the lottery’s prize pools for future games and promotions.
In the past three fiscal years, the annual total in Iowa Lottery prizes that expired without being claimed ranged from about $1.3 million to more than $1.7 million.
Lottery staff recommended the prize-claim change after nearly a year of research. The lottery’s review of recent drawings in the games found that the vast majority of claims happened within the first six months. In fact, less than 3 percent of prizes from those drawings were claimed after 180 days.
Iowa is currently one of only 14 U.S. lotteries with a 365-day deadline for a player to claim a prize in a multi-state lotto game. By contrast, 33 lotteries (including the three most populous U.S. states) require those prizes to be claimed within 180 days or six months (182 days).
The passage of time could lead some players to unintentionally throw away their tickets or for the tickets to become damaged or lost.
Time also is an important consideration from a security perspective. As time passes, it becomes more difficult for those involved to accurately recall the details of a ticket purchase and provide that information to the Iowa Lottery for verification purposes.
These are the prize-claim periods for other Iowa Lottery products, which will remain unchanged:
Tickets in Iowa-specific lotto games (Pick 3 and Pick 4) are valid for 90 days from the date of the drawing.
Tickets in scratch games are valid for 90 days after the announced end of the game.
Tickets in pull-tab games are valid for 90 days after the announced end of the game.
Tickets in InstaPlay games are valid for 90 days from the date of purchase.
A $1 million Mega Millions® prize that is still unclaimed in Ames will hit the three-month mark tomorrow, and the Iowa Lottery is reminding its players to double-check their tickets. Seven other prizes ranging from $10,000 up to $250,000 also are unclaimed in Iowa!
The $1 million-winning Mega Millions ticket was purchased at Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames, for the game’s drawing on Sept. 6. It was the only ticket in the country that night to match the five white balls but miss the yellow Mega Ball to win at the game’s second prize level.
The winning numbers in the Sept. 6 drawing were: 6-17-46-59-68 and Mega Ball 2. The Megaplier® number was 4.
The winner or winners of the $1 million prize have until the close of business on Sept. 6, 2023, to claim it at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive.
Gateway Expresse received a $1,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket.
Here are details about the seven other sizeable lottery prizes in Iowa that also are unclaimed (listed by prize amount):
Game
Prize Drawing
Amount Won
Retailer
Expiration
Powerball
Oct. 15, 2022
$250,000
Murphy USA, Cedar Rapids
Oct. 16, 2023
Powerball
Oct. 29, 2022
$150,000
Floyd Food & Fuel, Sioux City
Oct. 30, 2023
Powerball
Nov. 5, 2022
$150,000
Hy-Vee C-Store, Sheldon
Nov. 6, 2023
Powerball
Nov. 7, 2022
$100,000
Casey’s, Dubuque
Nov. 7, 2023
Mega Millions
May 6, 2022
$10,000
Gas & Goodies, Libertyville
May 8, 2023
Mega Millions
July 26, 2022
$10,000
Kum & Go, Marion
July 26, 2023
Super 7s Instaplay
Dec. 3, 2022
$10,000
Haddy’s, Center Point
March 3, 2023
If the winners have questions before coming forward to claim the prizes, they are welcome to call the lottery at 515-725-7900 or email to wmaster@ialottery.com.
The lottery currently offers prize claims by appointment at its offices. Full details are available on the lottery’s website here.
In the last fiscal year (FY 2022), more than $1.5 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.
Time appears to be a factor. The Iowa Lottery reviewed plays from a sampling of recent lotto drawings and found that the vast majority of prize claims occurred within six months of the drawing date. Less than 3 percent of prizes from those drawings were claimed after that point. The Iowa Lottery will continue to review how it can best encourage and remind players to claim their prizes.
The money from lottery prizes that expire in Iowa without being claimed goes into the lottery's prize pools for future games and promotions, so it will be used to pay prizes, just not those prizes that have expired.
With the holiday season underway, we offer this gentle reminder as you’re shopping.
We know that lottery tickets will be among the items that you may give as presents and put in stockings. And here at the Iowa Lottery, we’re glad to be included in the fun!
But please remember that our tickets – while colorful, entertaining and affordable – may not be something you want to give to those underage.
That’s true for lots of products: The content of some video games and movies may not be appropriate for all ages. Alcohol and tobacco-related products have their own age restrictions. Even toys have age-recommendation guidelines.
In Iowa, you have to be at least 21 years old to buy lottery tickets, and we’ve always considered our products something for adults. You are gambling when you play the lottery.
To minimize the risks associated with youth gambling, be sure to give youngsters age-appropriate gifts. And when you give lottery tickets as presents, please keep the person's age in mind.
As always, if you or someone you know is being impacted by problem gambling, help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by text, live chat or calling 1-800-BETSOFF (1-800-238-7633) or visiting https://yourlifeiowa.org/gambling.
A new team member has joined the Iowa Lottery, and you may have already been helped by his work.
His name is Dave and he’s a chatbot. When you visit ialottery.com, you now see a blue chat symbol in the lower right corner of the screen. The symbol tells you that the Iowa Lottery has a digital assistant available to help answer questions.
If you click on the symbol, the chatbot screen opens. Five popular search topics come up, or you can use the screen to type in your own question.
Now, Dave obviously isn’t a real person. Chatbot software uses artificial intelligence to mimic a conversation. Statistics show that nearly 70 percent of global consumers have used a chatbot in the past year, and the use of chatbots continues to rise.
Best-practice tips say that a chatbot should have a name and personality in line with the organization it represents. We wanted our chatbot to be friendly and engaging with an obvious Iowa connection.
So, you’ll notice that Dave is definitely an Iowa bot, and he’s got a happy smile.
Dave can already answer more than 200 questions about the Iowa Lottery and its products. As we see new questions being asked through the chat screen, we add in more answers.
Our goal in adding a chatbot to our website is to help you easily find information about the Iowa Lottery and its products. The bot helps us deliver customer service 24/7, even at times when our offices are closed.
So why is our chatbot named Dave? Go ahead, ask him. He can tell you. He’s got thoughts about the weather, too. But Dave's main purpose is that he knows a lot of in-depth details about the Iowa Lottery.
A quick scheduling reminder: Iowa Lottery offices will be closed until Monday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
I hope that you can take some time to relax this weekend, spend time with family and friends, and just be in the moment.
If you have a ticket winning a prize of more than $600 or need our assistance with anything else, our offices will open again for business at 8 a.m. Monday (Nov. 28).
A Forest City woman said she spent about a month after winning a $2 million Powerball® prize gathering details and making a plan before she stepped forward to claim the prize.
Tamara Sheehan said that she and her husband, Stephen, spent the time “just being very quiet, getting a lot of questions answered, specifically more on the financials and the taxes.”
Tamara said things started to feel a lot more real as they drove up to Iowa Lottery headquarters to claim the prize.
Her $2 million prize was among the millions won in Iowa during the Powerball jackpot run that culminated in the game’s Nov. 7 world-record $2.04 billion drawing.
Tamara, who works in human resources, said that it was fun hearing the buzz around Forest City as she kept quiet and made plans to claim the prize. She said it was a BIG buzz in a small town.
Tamara’s $2 million-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 1132 U.S. Highway 69 S. in Forest City. Her easy-pick ticket came within one number of winning the game’s $403.9 million jackpot in the Oct. 10 drawing.
She initially matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. But with the Power Play® option added to the purchase, the prize at the Match 5 level was multiplied to $2 million. Tamara’s ticket was the only one in the country to win a $2 million prize in the Oct. 10 drawing.
The winning numbers that night were: 3-6-11-17-22 and Powerball 11. The Power Play number was 2.
Casey’s received a $2,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the $2 million-winning ticket.
Tamara says that she and her husband have plans for the winnings, including paying it forward by helping charities focused on issues near and dear to them. She said they plan to invest and will take a couple trips.
Tamara’s prize is the sixth of at least $1 million claimed in Iowa in 2022. And another $1 million prize remains unclaimed more than two months after it was won in Ames.
The $1 million unclaimed prize in Ames was won in the Sept. 6 drawing of the Mega Millions® game. It matched the first five numbers but missed the Mega Ball that night to win $1 million. It was purchased at the Gateway Expresse, 2400 University Blvd. in Ames.
When you play Lotto America® in Iowa right now, you may get a nice surprise: a free ticket.
From now through the end of the day next Friday (Nov. 25), for every fifth ticket purchased statewide in Lotto America, the lottery terminal or self-service kiosk will automatically generate a free $1 ticket in the game. You’ll hear the “Surprise, player bonus!” sound from the machine as the free play prints out.
With the Lotto America jackpot at its highest level ever -- $30.39 million for Saturday night's drawing -- this seemed like the perfect time to add some extra fun for players in the game.
Every Lotto America purchase of at least $1 counts as one ticket in the promotion, regardless of the number of plays on the ticket.
The free plays kicked in with the start of the business day this morning and will continue through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25.
Remember that it’s not every fifth ticket purchased from a specific lottery terminal or kiosk that's eligible for a free play. It’s every fifth ticket purchased statewide, so the free-play bonus will hit in stores all across Iowa during the next eight days,
So listen for the “Surprise, player bonus!” sound when you buy a Lotto America ticket!
The world-record jackpot drawing has been held, things have quieted down a little, and we’re stopping to simply say: Thank you.
Thank you for buying tickets, thank you for being part of this Powerball® moment, thank you for playing responsibly, thank you for having fun.
Some numbers really jumped out when I looked back at the drawings in the world-record jackpot run that just ended. Remember that the jackpot started growing in early August and kept rolling through dozens of drawings until it was finally won in the drawing for Nov. 7.
During the world-record Powerball run, Iowa Lottery players won millions of prizes, including:
1 prize of $2 million
1 prize of $1 million
1 prize of $250,000
1 prize of $200,000
2 prizes of $150,000
2 prizes of $100,000
12 prizes of $50,000.
Some of those prizes are still waiting to be claimed, so if you have a ticket, please go check it! You could be the winner of a significant prize. But no matter what, your Powerball purchases have made a difference for Iowa causes.
A California ticket has won that world-record $2.04 billion Powerball® jackpot, but 4 Iowa tickets were just one number away from having a share of the big prize.
The jackpot ended up at $2.04 billion annuity, $997.6 million cash option in last night’s Powerball drawing. Strong sales across the country lifted the final jackpot amount even higher than the latest estimates before the drawing.
The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 10-33-41-47-56 and Powerball 10. The Power Play® number was 2.
Total Prizes Won In Iowa
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 97,022 prizes in last night’s drawing ranging from $4 up to $100,000.
Four Iowa tickets matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to each win a $50,000 prize. But the players who bought two of the tickets added the Power Play option to their purchases, which multiplied their winnings to $100,000 each.
The $50,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Yesway, 1905 SE 37th St. in Grimes; and Casey’s, 2245 Karr Ave. in Early.
The $100,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Walmart, 415 Industrial Ave. in Grinnell; and Casey’s, 5505 Asbury Road in Dubuque.
Those four prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they are welcome to call the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email to: Wmaster@ialottery.com.
Last Night’s Drawing Was Delayed
One of the lotteries that sells tickets in the Powerball game needed extra time to complete the required security protocols for last night’s drawing. The delay ultimately pushed the drawing back by several hours.
At the Iowa Lottery, we’re proud that our team cleared all the security protocols for the drawing. We expected that the drawing to take place on schedule, but understand that the rigorous security procedures in Powerball and all our games exist to protect the integrity and fairness of the lottery.
It's vital the game that the security steps are followed by every lottery, even if that means a delay.
The Powerball drawing is occasionally delayed as lotteries complete their security procedures. Last night’s drawing just drew huge attention because of the jackpot that was on the line.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $5.5 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $4.4 million in tickets that day alone.
But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $7, or about four plays per ticket. It’s nice to see that Iowans had fun playing and didn’t go overboard.
Update at 8:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8:The Powerball jackpot drawing has now been held! Click on the video above to see the drawing for Nov. 7, which was delayed.
The winning numbers for Nov. 7 are: 10-33-41-47-56 and Powerball 10. The Power Play number was 2.
The huge jackpot ended up at a world-record $2.04 billion annuity. We'll see later today how Iowa did and if anyone nationwide matched all six numbers to win the jackpot!
Thank you for playing Powerball and being part of this unprecedented moment. We also appreciate you bearing with the drawing delay.
One of the 48 lotteries that sell Powerball tickets needed extra time to complete the required security protocols for the drawing. The delay ultimately lasted for several hours, and the drawing was held this morning.
We know you were eager for that work to be finished, and we were, too!
We're proud that our team here at the Iowa Lottery had cleared all the security protocols for the drawing.
We expected that the drawing would be held on schedule, but the rigorous security procedures in Powerball and all our games exist to protect the integrity and fairness of the lottery. It's imperative that the security steps be followed in every jurisdiction, even if that means a delay.
(The remainder of this blog entry contains details originally posted on Sunday, Nov. 6.)
Three Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 101,223 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, including three tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the giant jackpot.
Two of those tickets each won a $50,000 prize while the other won $150,000.
The three tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. But the person who bought one of the tickets also added the Power Play option to their play, which multiplied their winnings to $150,000.
The $50,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Kwik Star, 911 S. 14th St. in Clinton; and K&J Hop-N-Shop, 416 Broad St. in Sabula.
The $150,000-winning ticket was purchased at: Hy-Vee C-Store, 1999 Park St. in Sheldon.
The three prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they are welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at wmaster@ialottery.com.
Last night’s winning numbers were: 28-45-53-56-69 and Powerball 20. The Power Play® number was 3.
Retail Locations Setting Up Powerball-Specific Lines
With Powerball sales remaining strong in Iowa and across the country, some retail locations are setting up customer-service lines specifically for lottery sales. That keeps Powerball transactions moving quickly and allows customers with other needs to be helped in a different line.
Sales in the past week demonstrate what has always been the case: Iowa Lottery players buy tickets where they’re already running other errands. And, stores with high customer traffic counts sell a lot of lottery tickets and all sorts of other products.
Here are the Top 10 retailers for Iowa Lottery sales in the past week (Oct. 30-Nov. 5). 1. Hy-Vee, 1843 Johnson Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids 2. Hy-Vee, 5050 Edgewood Road NE in Cedar Rapids 3. Hy-Vee, 1823 E. Kimberly Road in Davenport 4. Hy-Vee, 20 Wilson Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids 5. Hy-Vee, 2323 W. Broadway in Council Bluffs 6. Hy-Vee, 1725 Jordan Creek Pkwy. in West Des Moines 7. Hy-Vee, 3600 U.S. Highway 151 in Marion 8. Kwik Star, 1001 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Cedar Rapids 9. Hy-Vee, 2510 SW State St. in Ankeny 10. Hy-Vee, 3221 SE 14th St. in Des Moines.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $5.9 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $3.1 million in tickets yesterday alone.
But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for last night’s drawing remained about $7, or about four plays per ticket. It’s good to see that a lot of people are having fun playing and they haven’t gone overboard.
Yes, The Next Drawing Is Tomorrow
Powerball’s next drawing is tomorrow. That is not a typo. Some people in recent days have questioned it when they heard that Powerball has drawings on Mondays.
Monday drawings have been part of the game for more than a year.
In August 2021, Powerball moved from having two drawings a week to drawings on three days each week. The game now has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The change was designed to produce more winners and generate larger, faster-growing jackpots, and that has occurred.
The Difference These Powerball Sales Will Make For State Causes
The final details won’t be available until later, but the impact of this month’s strong Powerball sales will mean more help for meaningful state causes in Iowa. Powerball players will have played a big part in helping our state.
Each year, 100 percent of Iowa Lottery proceeds go to support state causes. In its latest financial year, the Iowa Lottery raised more than $101.7 million for state programs that help everything from veterans and law enforcement to education, parks and conservation, agriculture, and human services.
Since its start in 1985, the Iowa Lottery has raised more than $2.2 billion for state programs. More details are here.
Where Can I Watch The Drawing?
The Powerball drawing is livestreamed on the Iowa Lottery website as it occurs at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Video of the latest drawing then remains on the site until the next drawing occurs.
The livestream is on the Powerball page of the lottery’s website here.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The Iowa Lottery keeps “Play Smart, Be Informed” details here.
Update at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5: The winning numbers in tonight's huge Powerball drawing are: 28-45-53-56-69 and Powerball 20. The Power Play number is 3.
Tonight's jackpot ended up at a world-record $1.657 billion annuity. We'll see in the morning how Iowa did and if anybody nationwide won the truly GRAND prize! Thank you to everyone who played and was part of this moment. Good luck on your tickets!
Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers
The vast majority of tickets purchased in games like Powerball and Mega Millions® are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal assigns the numbers printed on the ticket. About 93 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa for tonight’s drawing were easy picks.
But players also can choose their own numbers. They choose five numbers from a pool of 1 to 69 for the white balls and one number from a separate pool of 26 for the red Powerball.
Neither option is luckier. The odds of winning are the same for every ticket purchased in the game. There are more winners from easy-pick tickets simply because the majority of tickets purchased are easy picks.
A player wins the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a Powerball drawing. However, there are a total of nine prize levels in Powerball ranging from $4 up to the jackpot, so the Iowa Lottery reminds its players to be sure to check your tickets for all the prizes you may have won.
What Does ‘Coverage’ Mean & Why Does It Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate heading into tonight’s Powerball drawing was about 60 percent.
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it’s not a definite.
Two Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 68,008 prizes in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, including two tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the big jackpot.
The two tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. In an interesting twist, they were purchased at the same store: the Kwik Star at 1800 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Hiawatha.
A group of 21 co-workers at a Hiawatha engineering firm claimed one of the $50,000 prizes on Thursday. And a group of 10 co-workers at a Hiawatha manufacturer claimed the other $50,000 prize yesterday.
The members of both groups pitched in money at work for office-pool tickets, agreeing to split any winnings.
The co-workers who claimed their prize Thursday call themselves Hallin’ Cash. They’re all employees at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. in Hiawatha.
The group that claimed its prize yesterday calls itself “One Link Short.” All of its members work at RUD Chain in Hiawatha, a company that produces chains for tires.
Wednesday’s winning numbers were: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play® number was 2.
While each group’s winning easy-pick tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball, the numbers on their tickets were slightly different. The Hallin’ Cash ticket missed white ball 22, while One Link Short’s ticket missed white ball 35.
Where Can You See The Drawing?
The Powerball drawing is livestreamed on the Iowa Lottery website as it occurs at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Video of the latest drawing then remains on the site until the next drawing occurs. The livestream is on the Powerball page of the lottery’s website here.
As the drawing time approaches, a countdown clock will show in the video box on the page.
How Has The Jackpot Grown By So Much?
As the Powerball jackpot has continued to climb, the amounts by which it has increased between drawings have grown larger. The Iowa Lottery has gotten questions from players wondering how it can jump up by so much.
Sales are a driving factor behind the jackpot amount. And sales follow the jackpot up. As the jackpot climbs, sales increase. And that in turn causes the jackpot to climb even higher.
When the jackpot is in the stratosphere like it is now, it can increase by millions of dollars between drawings. That huge increases show just how many people are playing the game across the country in the 48 jurisdictions that sell Powerball tickets.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The mantra that applies: Playing smart is a lot more fun.
The Powerball® jackpot is now in world-record territory, with strong sales in Iowa and across the country pushing the giant prize even higher for tomorrow night’s drawing. The jackpot is now at an estimated $1.6 billion annuity, $782.4 million cash option.
The latest estimate was bumped up this morning after lottery officials reviewed sales figures nationwide.
The previous record Powerball jackpot was a prize of $1.586 billion won in the drawing on Jan. 13, 2016.
Two Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 68,008 prizes in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, including two tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the big jackpot.
The two tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. In an interesting twist, they were purchased at the same store: the Kwik Star at 1800 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Hiawatha.
A group of 21 co-workers at a Hiawatha engineering firm claimed one of the $50,000 prizes yesterday. And a group of 10 co-workers at a Hiawatha manufacturer claimed the other $50,000 prize today.
The members of both groups pitched in money at work for office-pool tickets, agreeing to split any winnings.
The co-workers who claimed their prize yesterday call themselves Hallin’ Cash. They’re all employees at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. in Hiawatha.
The group that claimed its prize today calls itself “One Link Short.” All of its members work at RUD Chain in Hiawatha, a company that produces chains for tires.
Wednesday’s winning numbers were: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play® number was 2.
While each group’s winning easy-pick tickets matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball, the numbers on their tickets were slightly different.
The Hallin’ Cash ticket missed white ball 22, while One Link Short’s ticket missed white ball 35.
Where Can You Watch The Drawing?
The Powerball drawing is livestreamed on the Iowa Lottery website as it occurs at 9:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Video of the latest drawing then remains on the site until the next drawing occurs. The livestream is on the Powerball page of the lottery’s website here.
As the drawing time approaches, a countdown clock will show in the video box on the page.
How Is The Jackpot Growing By So Much?
As the Powerball jackpot has continued to climb, the amounts by which it has increased between drawings have grown larger. The Iowa Lottery has gotten questions from players this week who wondered how it can jump up by so much.
Sales are a driving factor behind the jackpot amount. And sales follow the jackpot up. As the jackpot climbs, sales increase. And that in turn causes the jackpot to climb even higher.
When the jackpot is in the stratosphere like it is now, it can increase by millions of dollars between drawings. That huge increases show just how many people are playing the game across the country in the 48 jurisdictions that sell Powerball tickets.
Why Does ‘Coverage’ Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate for tomorrow night’s Powerball drawing is now about 60 percent.
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.
I Don’t Know How To Buy A Ticket …
When the Powerball jackpot really gets up there like now, lots of first-time players want to jump in. Some of them have reached out to us at the lottery, saying they don’t know how to play and don’t want to look silly.
We’ve shared with them that the simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a store for an easy-pick Powerball play. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the lottery terminal will print out the ticket. Nearly 93 percent of the tickets purchased for last night’s drawing were easy-pick plays.
In addition to first-time players, we’re hearing from a lot of people who are dreaming about winning and what they would do if they win. There are specifics to consider, and to help, check out our video called: You Won! Now What?
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The mantra that applies: Playing smart is a lot more fun.
The Powerball® jackpot continues to climb into the stratosphere, now at an estimated $1.5 billion annuity, $745.9 million cash option, for Saturday’s drawing. That’s getting close to the record in the Powerball game, which also is the largest lottery prize ever offered in North America.
The record Powerball jackpot was a prize of $1.586 billion won in the drawing on Jan. 13, 2016. Will Saturday’s jackpot end up topping the record? We will see what the next couple days bring! Strong sales across the country pushed last night’s jackpot past the latest estimates heading into that drawing.
Two Iowa Tickets Came SO CLOSE
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 68,008 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, including two tickets that were just one number away from having at least a share of the big jackpot.
The two tickets each matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. In an interesting twist, they both were purchased at the same store: the Kwik Star at 1800 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Hiawatha.
A group of 21 co-workers at a Hiawatha engineering firm claimed one of the $50,000 prizes this morning! But the group does not have the other $50,000- winning ticket, so we will wait to see who claims that prize.
The co-workers call themselves Hallin’ Cash and all are employees at Hall & Hall Engineers Inc. Hiawatha.
Last night’s winning numbers were: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play® number was 2.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Strong sales in Iowa and across the country pushed last night’s jackpot past the estimates heading into the drawing. The jackpot ended up at $1.248 billion annuity, $620.4 million lump-sum option.
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $3.9 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $2.9 million in tickets yesterday alone. But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing was about $7, or about four plays per ticket. We're glad that a lot of people are having fun playing and haven't gone overboard.
Why Does ‘Coverage’ Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it’s not a definite.
The coverage estimate for last night’s drawing was about 46 percent. The estimate for Saturday’s drawing is about 49 percent.
I Don’t Know How To Buy A Ticket …
When the Powerball jackpot really gets up there, lots of first-time players want to jump in. Some of them have reached out to us at the lottery, saying they don’t know how to play and don’t want to look silly.
We’ve shared that the simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a store for an easy-pick Powerball play. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the lottery terminal will print out the ticket. Nearly 93 percent of the tickets purchased for last night’s drawing were easy-pick plays.
In addition to first-time players, we’re hearing from lots of folks who are dreaming about winning and what they would do if they win. There are specifics to consider, and to help, check out our video called: You Won! Now What?
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. The mantra that applies: Playing smart is a lot more fun.
Update at 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2: The winning numbers in tonight's Powerball drawing are: 2-11-22-35-60 and Powerball 23. The Power Play number is 2.
Tonight's final jackpot amount ended up at $1.248 billion annuity. We'll see in the morning how Iowa did and if anybody nationwide won the huge jackpot! Thank you to everyone who played and was part of the fun. Good luck on your tickets!
Tonight’s jackpot is the second-largest prize ever offered in Powerball game and it’s getting closer to Powerball’s record jackpot amount of $1.586 billion.
The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been this big since March 2019. This time around, it’s been growing for nearly three months. The jackpot was last won on Aug. 3.
What Does ‘Coverage’ Mean & Why Does It Matter?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.”
The coverage estimate for tonight's drawing was about 46 percent.
(The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million because that’s how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined to make a play. The winning numbers selected will be one of those combinations. Will your ticket match?)
Scammers Unfortunately Notice Big Jackpots, Too
Scam attempts have been at all-time highs in recent years, and while the criminals behind them run scams of all types, they turn their attention to lottery games when jackpots are high.
In the past week, the Iowa Lottery has heard from multiple Iowans who got suspicious text messages, emails, or social media contacts that promised they were big lottery prize winners. The people contacted in fact had not won a prize – scammers were attempting to con them.
When you win a Powerball prize, you notify the lottery that you’re the winner, not the other way around. The Iowa Lottery has records about the winning ticket and where it was purchased, but the lottery does not know the winner’s identity until that person presents the ticket for payment.
The Iowa Lottery keeps security reminders as a permanent feature on its website to help consumers stay safe. You can find the lottery’s Player Security tips here.
Total Prizes Won In Iowa In Powerball’s Last Drawing
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 46,268 prizes in the latest Powerball drawing, and it turns out that 13 was a lucky number that night!
The winning numbers in Monday’s drawing were: 13-19-36-39-59 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number was 3.
So The Powerball Can Be The Same As …
With so many first-time and occasional players buying tickets now, lots of folks were curious about the repeat number in Monday’s drawing. The Powerball was 13 -- the same number as one of the first five white balls.
That definitely can occur and it’s exactly how the game is designed to work.
Remember that there are two separate sets of numbers involved in Powerball drawings. Players choose five numbers from a pool of 69 for the white balls and one number from a different pool of 26 for the red Powerball. It’s always possible for the Powerball to be the same number as one of the five white balls.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. Follow the mantra that “Playing smart is a lot more fun.”
For just the second time in the game’s 30-year history, the Powerball® jackpot has topped the $1 billion mark.
The jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.2 billion annuity, $596.7 million cash option, for tomorrow night’s drawing. That’s is the second-largest prize in the history of the game and it’s getting closer to Powerball’s record jackpot amount of $1.586 billion.
The Powerball jackpot hasn’t been this big since March 2019. This time around, it’s been growing for nearly three months. The jackpot was last won on Aug. 3.
Total Prizes Won Last Night In Iowa
Iowa Lottery players won a total of 46,268 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing, and it turns out that 13 was a lucky number!
The winning numbers in last night’s drawing were: 13-19-36-39-59 and Powerball 13. The Power Play number was 3.
So The Powerball Can Be The Same As …
With so many first-time and occasional players buying tickets now, lots of folks were curious about the repeat number in last night’s drawing. The Powerball was 13 -- the same number as one of the first five white balls.
That definitely can occur and it’s exactly how the game is designed to work.
Remember that there are two separate sets of numbers involved in Powerball drawings. Players choose five numbers from a pool of 69 for the white balls and one number from a different pool of 26 for the red Powerball. It’s always possible for the Powerball to be the same number as one of the five white balls.
Iowa Sales For Last Night’s Drawing
Iowa Lottery players bought more than $2.6 million in Powerball tickets for last night’s drawing, including more than $2.1 million in tickets yesterday alone. But the average Powerball purchase in Iowa for the drawing remained about $6, or about three plays per ticket. We’re glad to see that a lot of folks are having fun playing Powerball, and Iowans are not going overboard.
Wait, Powerball Has A Monday Drawing?
Another question in past few days has come from those who thought the lottery was mistaken about Powerball having a Monday drawing. That drawing has been part of the game for more than a year.
In August 2021, Powerball moved from having two drawings a week to drawings on three days each week. The game now has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The change was designed to produce more winners and generate larger, faster-growing jackpots, and that has happened.
Remember The Deadline To Buy Tickets
The majority of tickets for a particular drawing are always purchased on the day of the drawing. So, if you’re buying a Powerball ticket for tomorrow night’s drawing, remember that there is a sales cut-off time involved. Here in Iowa, the sales cut-off is at 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.
If you buy a ticket after that, you’ll still have a valid play, it will just be for a future drawing and you won’t be in on that night’s big money. The cut-off deadline is an automated procedure and can’t be pushed back.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly. Follow the mantra that “Playing smart is a lot more fun.”
As the lottery’s vice president of external relations, I’m a member of the senior management team at the Iowa Lottery, where I’ve worked since 1999. I’ve spent my years at the lottery learning as much as I can about all the ins and outs of the lottery industry. I’ll put that knowledge to work here so I can share the behind-the-scenes details with you!
