ialottery blog

A Stop In Mason City With 1 Month Until Expiration For $500,000 Unclaimed Prize

There’s just one month left for someone to claim a $500,000 Powerball® prize won in Mason City and the Iowa Lottery was at the store today where the winning ticket was purchased to remind players to double-check their tickets.

The $500,000-winning ticket was sold at Kwik Star, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City. The prize will expire on Sept. 12 if it isn’t claimed by the deadline. Click on the video above to see what went on at the store today!

The prize wasn’t won in a regular Powerball drawing, but rather, in the Powerball Double Play® drawing on March 16. The winning Double Play numbers that night were: 9-11-13-29-69 and Double Play Powerball 12.

The Mason City ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Double Play Powerball to win a $500,000 prize.

The Double Play® option debuted in November for Powerball in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, Powerball players can add the Double Play option to their tickets. The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

Prize Claim Details

The $500,000 prize has to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Anyone with questions about the prize or how to claim it is welcome to reach out to us at 515-725-7900 or [email protected].

What Happens To Unclaimed Prize Money In Iowa?

In the last fiscal year (FY 2024), nearly $5 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

That money 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.

Get Free Powerball Tix & Enter Contest For Prize Packages At Mason City Event Today

There’s just one month left for someone to claim a $500,000 Powerball® prize won in Mason City and the Iowa Lottery will have an event there today to remind players to double-check their tickets.

The $500,000-winning ticket was sold at Kwik Star, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City. The prize will expire on Sept. 12 if it isn’t claimed by the deadline.

The lottery will be at the Kwik Star from 10-11:30 a.m. today, calling attention to the unclaimed prize, giving away free Powerball plays to store customers, and asking them to check the results of any tickets they have. We'll also hold a contest you can enter for a chance to win a scratch-ticket prize package. We hope we’ll jog the winner’s memory in time for the $500,000 prize to be claimed!

The prize wasn’t won in a regular Powerball drawing, but rather, in the Powerball Double Play® drawing on March 16. The winning Double Play numbers that night were: 9-11-13-29-69 and Double Play Powerball 12.

The Mason City ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Double Play Powerball to win a $500,000 prize.

The Double Play® option debuted in November for Powerball in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, Powerball players can add the Double Play option to their tickets.

The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

Prize Claim Details

The $500,000 prize has to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. Anyone with questions about the prize or how to claim it is welcome to reach out to us at 515-725-7900 or [email protected].

Players in Iowa have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Powerball.

What Happens To Unclaimed Prize Money In Iowa?

In the last fiscal year (FY 2024), nearly $5 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

That money 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.

$500,000 Powerball Double Play Prize In Mason City Still Unclaimed

A $500,000 Powerball® prize won in Mason City has reached the halfway point in its claim period, so if you’ve got a ticket you haven’t checked, now is the time!

The prize is a little unusual because it was won with Powerball’s Double Play® option, which just was added to the game in November in Iowa.

The $500,000-winning ticket was purchased at Kwik Star, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City. The prize will expire on Sept. 12 if it isn’t claimed in time.

What Is Double Play & How Does It Work?

Here’s a quick recap of Double Play: For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Double Play option to their Powerball tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.) The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

It’s possible for a player to win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing on the same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Double Play Powerball in the Double Play drawing on March 16 to win a $500,000 prize.

That night’s winning Double Play numbers were: 9-11-13-29-69 and Double Play Powerball 12. The Mason City ticket was the only one in the country to win a $500,000 prize that night.

Other Big Unclaimed Prizes

The Mason City prize is among four lottery prizes of at least $20,000 in Iowa that will expire by early October if they aren’t claimed in time. Here are details about the other three (listed by prize amount):

Game	Drawing Date	Amount Won	Retailer	Expiration
Powerball	Dec. 16, 2023	$50,000	Casey's, Des Moines	June 13, 2024
Powerball	April 10, 2024	$50,000	Hy-Vee, Des Moines	Oct. 7, 2024
Mega Millions	March 26, 2024	$20,000	Kum & Go, Ankeny	Sept. 23, 2024

While all of the prizes need to be claimed at an Iowa Lottery office, the $500,000 prize in particular has to be claimed at lottery headquarters in Clive. Prize-claim hours at lottery offices are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, with offices closed on state holidays.

If you’ve got a question about how to claim an Iowa Lottery prize, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] or 515-725-7900.

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.

Check Your Tickets! Only 1 Month Left for $50,000 Powerball Prize

A $50,000 Powerball® prize won in Des Moines will expire in a month if it isn’t claimed in time, and at the Iowa Lottery, we’re reminding players to double-check their tickets!

The Des Moines prize is among five lottery prizes of at least $20,000 that are currently unclaimed in Iowa. They’ll all expire by early October if they aren’t claimed in time.

The $50,000 Powerball prize has the earliest expiration date on that list. It was won in the Powerball drawing on Dec. 16 and is set to expire on June 13. The winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 3725 Beaver Ave. in Des Moines, for the Powerball drawing on Dec. 16. It matched four of the first five numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize.

The winning Powerball numbers in that night’s drawing were 3-9-10-20-62 and Powerball 25. The Power Play® number was 3.

What’s the largest current unclaimed prize in Iowa?

The largest prize currently unclaimed in Iowa is a $500,000 Powerball Double Play® prize won in March in Mason City. That particular prize is a little more unusual because Double Play is a new option in the Powerball game.

The Powerball Double Play option made its Iowa debut in November. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Double Play option to their Powerball tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.) The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

It’s possible for a player to win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing on the same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Double Play Powerball in the Double Play drawing on March 16 to win a $500,000 prize. It was the only ticket in the country to win a $500,000 prize that night.

The lucky ticket was purchased at Kwik Star, 1502 Federal Ave. in Mason City. It will expire on Sept. 12 if the prize is not claimed in time.

Here are details about the other two sizeable lottery prizes in Iowa that remain unclaimed (listed by prize amount):

Game	Drawing Date	Amount Won	Retailer	Expiration
Powerball	April 10, 2024	$50,000	Hy-Vee, Des Moines	Oct. 7, 2024
InstaPlay	May 10, 2024	$38,851.35	Kwik Star, Davenport	Aug. 8, 2024
Mega Millions	March 26, 2024	$20,000	Kum & Go, Ankeny	Sept. 23, 2024

While all of the prizes need to be claimed at an Iowa Lottery office, the $500,000 prize in particular has to be claimed at lottery headquarters in Clive. Prize-claim hours at lottery offices are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, with offices closed on state holidays.

What happens to unclaimed prize money in Iowa?

In the last fiscal year (FY 2023), more than $1.7 million in lotto and InstaPlay prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

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.

$1 Million Powerball Prize Won In Newton

The jackpot hub-bub is over for now – until the next big one comes along!

While the jackpot in last night’s $1.326 billion Powerball® drawing was won in Oregon, an Iowa ticket was just one number away from having a share of the grand prize. That Iowa ticket, purchased in Newton, won a $1 million prize.

The Powerball jackpot had climbed for more than 3 months and tied the game’s record for the longest string of consecutive drawings without a winner before it was won last night. The jackpot had been won on New Year’s Day, then rolled for 41 drawings in a row without a winner. That had only occurred twice before, in 2021 and 2022.

Last night’s jackpot was the 4th-largest Powerball prize and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery prize. The jackpot now returns to $20 million annuity, $9.4 million lump-sum option, for Powerball’s next drawing tomorrow night.

Iowa Sales and Total Prizes Won

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 45,721 Powerball prizes last night ranging from $4 up to $1 million. A total of about $2.4 million in Powerball tickets for last night were purchased in Iowa.

One Iowa ticket was just 1 number away from having a share of last night’s jackpot, matching the first 5 numbers but missing the Powerball to win a $1 million prize. That winning ticket was purchased at Hy-Vee, 1501 First Ave. E. in Newton.

It was one of 7 tickets across the country to win a $1 million prize in last night's drawing.

Last night's winning Powerball numbers were: 22-27-44-52-69 and Powerball 9. The Power Play number was 3.

The $1 million prize must be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. If the winner or winners have questions before claiming the prize, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

Details About ‘Coverage’ & Easy Picks

Two details get a lot of attention in Powerball drawings: the coverage estimate and the percentage of easy picks.

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 purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for last night’s Powerball drawing was about 31.1 percent. A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it’s not a definite.

Sales details also show how many of the tickets purchased are easy picks, meaning that the lottery terminal randomly selected the numbers printed on the ticket, as compared to manual plays, where the player selected their own numbers.

Nearly 92 percent of the tickets purchased in Iowa for last night’s Powerball drawing were easy-pick tickets.

With that huge percentage of tickets purchased being easy picks, more of the winners will come from easy-pick tickets as well. That does not mean those tickets are luckier, it just means there are a lot more of them.

Powerball Jackpot Climbs To $1.3 Billion, Iowa Ticket Was 1 Number Away Last Night

Update on April 5: Strong sales in Iowa and across the country have pushed the Powerball jackpot even higher for Saturday's drawing! The jackpot for Saturday now stands at an estimated $1.3 billion annuity, $608.9 million lump-sum value.   

Powerball® has tied the game’s record for the most drawings in a row without a grand-prize winner.

The jackpot was last won on New Year’s Day. Saturday’s drawing will be the 41st in the current jackpot run. The Powerball jackpot has only ever rolled this long without a winner twice before, in 2021 and 2022.

The current jackpot is the 4th-largest Powerball prize and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

Total Iowa Prizes Won In Last Night’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 30,704 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing ranging from $4 up to $150,000.

One Iowa ticket was just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball to initially win a $50,000 prize. But the player who bought the ticket added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which tripled the winnings to $150,000.

The $150,000-winning ticket was purchased at Casey’s, 916 E. Main St. In Marshalltown.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 11-38-41-62-65 and Powerball 15. The Power Play number was 3.

The $150,000 prize can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winner has questions before claiming the prize, they’re welcome to call the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

A Note About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in a game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for last night’s Powerball drawing was about 22.6 percent. The coverage estimate for Saturday’s drawing is currently about 25.5 percent and could climb higher as ticket sales increase.

A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we ask our players to remember that you are gambling when you buy a ticket -- there’s no guarantee you’ll win. Please be sure that playing the lottery is something you do just for fun. Set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend as you play.

Powerball Jackpot At Est. $1.09 Billion For Tomorrow Night’s Drawing

The Powerball® jackpot continues to climb, making it through its latest drawing and becoming the 2nd U.S. lottery prize in a week to top the $1 billion mark.

The jackpot for Powerball’s next drawing tomorrow night now stands at an estimated $1.09 billion annuity, $527.3 million lump-sum option.

It follows a Mega Millions® jackpot of $1.13 billion won in that game’s March 26 drawing.

While the current Powerball jackpot is huge, it has room to grow before approaching record territory. Powerball holds the world record for a lottery jackpot, a $2.04 billion prize won in November 2022.

The current jackpot is the 4th-largest Powerball prize and the 9th-largest U.S. lottery prize.

Total Prizes Won in Iowa in Last Night’s Drawing

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 20,995 prizes in last night’s Powerball drawing ranging from $4 up to $100,000.

Two Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball. One of those tickets won a $50,000 prize, while the other won a $100,000 prize. The player who bought the $100,000-winning ticket added the Power Play® option to the purchase, which doubled the prize.

The winning numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing were: 19-24-40-42-56 and Powerball 23. The Power Play number was 2.

The $50,000-winning ticket was purchased at Kimmes Carroll Country Store, 422 W. Sixth St. in Carroll.

The $100,000-winning ticket was purchased at Kwik Star, 111 E. Donald St. in Waterloo.

Those two prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions beforehand, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we offer this reminder amid the giant jackpots: You are gambling when you buy tickets and there’s no guarantee you'll win. Playing the lottery is something you do just for fun.

Powerball Jackpot Becomes 2nd In A Week To Reach $1 Billion

This is no April Fool’s joke: For the 2nd time in a week, a lottery jackpot of $1 billion is on the line.

This time, it’s in Powerball®, where the jackpot for that game’s drawing tonight now stands at an estimated $1 billion annuity, $483.8 million lump-sum option. It follows a Mega Millions® jackpot of $1.13 billion won in that game’s March 26 drawing.

The two jackpots climbed together for nearly three months, simultaneously topping $800 million for the first time in late March.

With Mega Millions being won, the bulk of the jackpot attention is now on Powerball as it continues to grow. The Powerball jackpot was last won on New Year’s Day. And while the jackpot is huge, it has a lot of room to go before it would hit record territory. Powerball holds the world record for a lottery jackpot, a $2.04 billion prize won in November 2022.

Withholding Rates In Iowa For A Jackpot Prize

At the Iowa Lottery, we’ve been fielding tax-related questions about the giant jackpots. We can answer some of them, but others would need to be addressed by a tax expert. That’s just one of the reasons we always encourage our winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help them put together a plan for their winnings.

Here are the specifics the lottery can provide: For any jackpot prize claimed in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically deducted before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover a prize winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year.

Scammers Unfortunately Notice Big Jackpots, Too

Scam attempts have been at all-time highs in recent years, and while the criminals behind them run cons of all types, they turn their attention to impersonating lotteries when jackpots are high.

Scammers have fraudulently used the names and logos of lotteries and well-known lottery games, along with the names of lottery winners and lottery officials in an attempt to steal people’s money.

The scams can involve persistent telephone calls and official-looking emails, text messages, social media postings and letters. They promise big prizes and will try to lure you into thinking you’ve won. But it’s a scam. A common thread is that the unsuspecting “winner” is asked to pay money up front for things like taxes, processing fees or delivery charges.

The scammers can sound really convincing. But it’s important to remember this simple truth: There is never a fee to claim a real lottery prize. If you’re asked to pay money up front, it’s a scam.

When you win a prize in a game like Powerball or Mega Millions, 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 we don’t know the winner’s identity until that person comes forward to claim the prize.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other security reminders as a permanent feature on its website to help consumers stay safe.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we want our players to enjoy the moment when it comes to big-jackpot fun, but remember that you are gambling when you buy tickets. There is no guarantee you'll win. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

Giant Jackpot Run Ends In Mega Millions, Powerball Still Going

Update on March 28: The Powerball jackpot has made it through another drawing, now standing at an estimated $935 million annuity, $449.7 million lump-sum option for the game's next drawing on Saturday. That's still the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

An Iowa ticket came within 1 number of last night's jackpot! It matched 4 of the first 5 numbers and the Powerball to win a $50,000 prize. That ticket was purchased at Casey's, 1125 N. Hickory Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.   

  

The Mega Millions® giant jackpot run has ended, while Powerball® is still going. Three Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of last night’s Mega Millions jackpot that topped $1 billion.

The $1.13 billion jackpot in last night’s Mega Millions drawing was won with a ticket in New Jersey.

With that game’s grand prize now returning to its starting amount, the bulk of the jackpot attention turns to Powerball, where its jackpot stands at an estimated $865 million annuity, $416.1 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in the history of that game.

This week marked the first time that the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots had simultaneously topped $800 million.

Total Prizes Won Last Night In Iowa

Iowa Lottery players won a total of 25,018 prizes in last night’s Mega Millions drawing ranging from $2 up to $20,000.

Three Iowa tickets were just 1 number away from having a share of the jackpot, matching four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball in last night’s drawing. One of those tickets won a $10,000 prize, while two won a $20,000 prize. The players who bought the $20,000-winning tickets added the Megaplier® option to their purchase, which doubled their prize.

The $20,000-winning tickets were purchased at: Kum & Go, 165 SW Magazine Road in Ankeny and Amoco Jet Stop, 2760 Mount Pleasant St. in Burlington.

The $10,000-winning ticket was purchased at: Kwik Star, 2685 Dodge St. in Dubuque.

Those three prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery office. If the winners have questions before claiming their prize, they’re welcome to call us at the Iowa Lottery at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

The winning numbers in last night’s Mega Millions drawing were: 7-11-22-29-38 and Mega Ball 4. The Megaplier number was 2.

Could One Person Win Both Jackpots?

With one of the giant jackpots being won but the other still going, this question has come up: Could one person win the jackpot in both games?

The short answer is: Yes. But the odds of that occurring are extremely long.

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. (Those figures 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.
There are a lot of zeroes involved in the outcome! The odds of winning both jackpots are about 1 in 88.5 quadrillion (that’s 88,500,000,000,000,000).

Winning both jackpots is something fun to daydream about, but it’s perhaps the ultimate long shot. That’s why the Iowa Lottery emphasizes healthy play. Have fun playing the lottery, but remember to play with your head, not over your head.

A Note About ‘Coverage’

By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in a game have been purchased for a particular drawing. It’s called coverage – how many of the combinations have been purchased, or “covered.”

The coverage estimate for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing was about 25 percent. The coverage estimate for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing is currently about 13.5 percent.

A higher coverage percentage can mean it’s more likely there will be a jackpot winner, but it is not a definite.

New Threshold: First Time the Jackpots Simultaneously Hit $800 Million Or More

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots have reached another new threshold: This is the first time they’ve simultaneously been at or above $800 million.

The Powerball jackpot faces the next big test in that game’s drawing tomorrow night. The jackpot for that drawing now stands at an estimated $800 million annuity, $384.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $1.1 billion annuity, $525.8 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing on Tuesday night. That’s the 5th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 8th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

How Have The Jackpots Grown So Large?

Time and ticket sales are why the jackpots have grown so large.

The Mega Millions jackpot now has been growing for nearly four months, last won in the drawing on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for nearly three months, last won on New Year’s Day.

The jackpots grow from drawing to drawing when there is no grand prize winner, and sales generally increase as the jackpots climb. Higher sales, in turn, push the jackpots even higher.

The Deadline To Buy

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

Play Healthy

The Iowa Lottery reminds players to enjoy the moment but remember that you are gambling when you buy tickets and there is no guarantee that you’ll win. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works. 

Heading into the Weekend: Fast Facts About the Giant Jackpots

The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are heading into their next big tests this weekend. This is just the 3rd time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $700 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $467 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 6th largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

And not to be forgotten, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night is an estimated $750 million annuity, $360.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 9th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

Lots Of First-Time & Occasional Players Jumping In

When the jackpots really get up there like they are now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. There also is a spike in office pools and people buying tickets together with friends and family.

Here’s a quick brush-up if you want to play but aren’t sure how: The simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a local store for an easy-pick play in Powerball or Mega Millions. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the ticket will be printed for you.

In most drawings, more than 90 percent of the tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays.

If you want more details about how to buy a ticket for a chance at one of the big jackpots, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos available on its website. We also have reminders about keeping lottery group play fun and hassle free.

Play Healthy

At the Iowa Lottery, we remind our players to enjoy the moment, but we ask everyone to set a limit and stay within it for how much they’ll spend when they're buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun – it’s not an investment and you're not guaranteed to win.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

The Latest About The Giant Jackpots

The Mega Millions® jackpot has survived its latest test and is nearing $1 billion, while the giant Powerball® jackpot will be on the line in that game’s drawing tonight.

This is just the fourth time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $600 million.

The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $461 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing on Friday. That’s the sixth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

Not to be left out, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing Wednesday night is an estimated $687 million annuity, $327.3 million lump-sum option.

Truth vs. Myth: The cash amount of the jackpot is the annuitized value minus taxes.

That’s a myth.

We’re hearing some mistaken beliefs out there about the cash vs. annuity amounts for a jackpot. The cash amount is not the annuity amount minus taxes. Nor is the cash amount a specific percentage of the annuity total.

Here are the actual details involved:

If a jackpot winner in either game chooses the annuity option, they would receive 30 payments over 29 years that add up to the annuity total.

In that instance, the cash on hand in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game is invested in securities. That initial amount invested plus all the interest generated through the years adds up to the annuity amount of the jackpot. Withholdings would be 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 their estate. The lottery would make future payments as determined by the estate or a court.

If a jackpot winner chooses the cash option, they receive a one-time payment for the amount in the jackpot pool from the sale of tickets in the game. There is no interest income in that scenario because the money isn’t invested. The winner receives the lump-sum amount in one payment, with withholdings applied to the entire amount.

Withholding Rates In Iowa

Here in Iowa, 24 percent federal withholding applies to a jackpot prize along with 5 percent state withholding. Those amounts are automatically applied before the prize is paid and can’t be modified or waived.

The withholdings are designed to cover the jackpot winner’s tax liability from claiming a large lottery prize. But the total taxes that a winner would owe are dependent upon that person’s financial circumstances outside of winning the lottery.

In some instances, the withholdings may not be enough, in other instances, they may be too much. The details would be sorted out in the winner’s income-tax filing for the year. That is one of the reasons the Iowa Lottery always encourages its winners to consult a lawyer or financial planner who can help answer their questions.

Have Fun, But Set A Limit

The Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to enjoy the moment, but set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

You’ll find these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on the lottery’s website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how lottery games work.

Giant Jackpots Still Climbing, Mega Millions Gets Latest Bump

Status update on the giant jackpots: PowerbalI® made it through its latest test and continues to climb, while Mega Millions® will be on the line in its drawing tonight.

This is the fourth time that the huge prizes have simultaneously topped the $600 million mark.

Mega Million is currently the larger of the two, standing at an estimated $893 million annuity, $421.4 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tonight. That is the sixth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.

The Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $687 million annuity, $327.3 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tomorrow night. While that amount is really up there, it is not yet in the Top 10 list of jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than three months, while the Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months.

The two games’ jackpots also simultaneously topped $600 million in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

Truth vs. Myth: I Have A Lucky Store & a Lucky Day To Buy My Tickets

While that may be something fun to talk about, it’s a myth that there are lucky stores or lucky days to buy a ticket. Every ticket in Powerball or Mega Millions has the same odds of winning, no matter when or where it was purchased.

That’s because the odds in each game are based solely upon the numbers you can play.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that is how many ways the numbers in the game (five numbers from a pool of 1-70 for the white balls, one number from 1-25 for the yellow Mega Ball) can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities. So are the set of numbers in each play.

The same definition applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

The Deadline To Buy

Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing.

Play Just For Fun

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds you to enjoy the moment, but remember to set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something to do just for fun.

We keep these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on the lottery website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

Rollin, rollin, rollin: Giant Jackpots Keep Climbing

Which one will get hit first? For now, the huge Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are both still climbing. They’ve simultaneously topped the $600 million mark for just the 4th time.

Powerball faces the next big test with its drawing tonight. The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $645 million annuity, $307.3 million lump-sum amount for the drawing. And while that’s a huge amount, it’s not yet in the Top 10 list of jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot stands at an estimated $875 million annuity, $413.5 million lump-sum amount, for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than 3 months. It was last won on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than 2 months, last being won on New Year’s Day.

The two games’ jackpots also simultaneously topped $600 million in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

$500,000 Iowa Powerball Double Play Winner On Saturday

Here in Iowa, we’re waiting to meet our latest big winner in Powerball!

A Powerball Double Play® ticket purchased at the Kwik Star convenience store, 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City, won a $500,000 prize in Saturday’s drawing.

The Double Play option has been offered in Powerball since November here in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Double Play option to their Powerball tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.) The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in Saturday’s Double Play drawing to win a $500,000 prize. It was the only ticket in the country to win a $500,000 prize that night.

Truth vs. Myth: Are most tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions easy picks?

Most tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal selects the numbers on the ticket.

Years ago, about 65 to 70 percent of plays in the games were easy picks. But today, that percentage has climbed to around 90 to 95 percent. It’s a convenience factor: Players can ask for an easy-pick play at their local lottery retailer and the ticket is printed for them on demand.

Some players do choose their own numbers, and either type of play has the same odds of winning. But with 90 to 95 percent of the plays being easy picks, 90 to 95 percent of winning tickets in the games also are easy picks. It does not mean they are luckier, there are just a lot more of them.

Play Healthy

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone to enjoy the moment, but please set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend when you’re buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other “Play Smart, Be Informed” details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.

St. Patrick's Luck in Iowa: $500,000 Powerball Double Play Prize in Mason City

St. Patrick’s Day brings news of lottery luck in Iowa: Someone who bought a Powerball® ticket with the popular new Double Play® option added to it won BIG yesterday.

A Powerball Double Play ticket purchased at the Kwik Star convenience store at 1502 S. Federal Ave. in Mason City won a $500,000 prize last night.

The Double Play option made its Iowa debut in November in the Powerball game. For an extra $1 per play, you can add Double Play to your Powerball ticket. A Powerball play costs $2, and with Double Play added, a ticket costs $3.

The numbers on your ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing that same night. It’s possible for you to win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing on the same night.

In the case of the Mason City ticket, it matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in last night’s Double Play drawing to win a $500,000 prize. It was the only ticket in the country to win a $500,000 prize last night.

Here’s how Double Play works: If you've added the Double Play option, the set of numbers on your ticket is then eligible for both the Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing that same night.

Double Play has the same odds of winning as Powerball. But while Powerball has a rolling jackpot, Double Play has a set top cash prize of $10 million.

In both drawings, five winning numbers are selected from a main pool of 1-69 (in Powerball, the drawing balls are white; in Double Play, they’re black), and one red Powerball number is selected from a pool of 1-26.

To win the top prize in either drawing, your ticket needs to match all six winning numbers. But there are eight other ways to win in each drawing, starting with a prize for matching just the Powerball alone.

Last night’s winning Double Play numbers were: 9-11-13-29-69 and Double Play Powerball 12.

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

In the Powerball game overall, its giant jackpot continues to grow. No one won the jackpot last night, so the big prize has jumped up to an estimated $645 million annuity, $307.3 million lump-sum option for the game’s next drawing tomorrow night.

Last night’s winning Powerball numbers were: 12-23-44-57-61 and Powerball 5. The Power Play number was 2.

Prizes of $500,000 have to be claimed at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Clive. The lottery’s offices are open Monday through Friday, and appointments are strongly encouraged for those claims.

To make an appointment or contact the lottery with questions, winners are welcome to call us at 515-725-7900 or email us at [email protected].

Powerball Double Play prizes won in Iowa have to be claimed within 180 days of the drawing where they were won.

For 4th Time, Both Giant Jackpots Simultaneously At $600 Million Or Higher

For just the 4th time, the Powerball® and Mega Millions® jackpots have hit or topped the $600 million mark at the same time.

Mega Millions faces its next big test in its drawing tonight. That game’s jackpot stands at an estimated $815 million annuity, $385.1 million lump-sum amount, for tonight’s drawing. That’s the 6th-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.

The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $600 million annuity, $285.9 million lump-sum amount, for its next drawing tomorrow night. And while that amount is huge, it’s not yet in the Top 10 for jackpots in the Powerball game.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing for more than three months. It was last won on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for more than two months, last won on New Year’s Day.

The three previous times that the jackpots have simultaneously reached $600 million or higher were in 2018, 2021 and 2023.

The Deadline To Buy

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

Truth vs. Myth: Do The Odds Get Longer As the Jackpot Grows?

Here’s a truth or myth question we get a lot at the lottery: Are the odds of winning tougher when the jackpot is high and more people are buying tickets?

The answer: No. That’s a myth.

The odds of winning in Powerball and Mega Millions do not change. They’re based upon the numbers you can play in the game, not how many tickets have been purchased.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million because that is how many ways the numbers available to play in the game can be combined to make a play. When the winning numbers are selected, they’re one of about 302.6 million possibilities.

The same definition applies in Powerball: The odds of winning its jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million because that is how many ways the numbers available in the game can be combined to make a play.

Play Healthy

As always, the Iowa Lottery reminds everyone that it only takes one ticket to win. Have fun playing, but set a limit and stay within it for how much you’ll spend. Playing the lottery is something to do just for fun.

The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website. Whether you play the lottery or not, we want everyone to have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works!

Player Question: Tell Me Again About Double Play?

With our new promotion that’s open for entries for race-ticket packages, we’re getting questions from players who have just heard about the Double Play® option in Powerball®. They want to know how it works and what they can win if they add the Double Play option to their Powerball ticket.

Powerball Double Play tickets are what you’ll need to enter the promotion, so now is a good time for a refresher!

The Double Play option has been part of the Powerball game for 4 months here in Iowa. It gives you the chance to play and win with the same set of numbers in two drawings rather than just one.

For an extra $1 per play, you can add Double Play to your tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with the Double Play option added, a ticket costs $3.) You’ll still only have one set of numbers. But you can win twice with them – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million.

You could win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing AND the Double Play drawing on the same night!

Here’s how Double Play works: If you add Double Play to your ticket, your numbers will be good for the Powerball drawing and that same night’s Double Play drawing.

Double Play has the same odds of winning as Powerball. But while Powerball has a rolling jackpot, Double Play has a fixed top cash prize of $10 million.

In both drawings, five winning numbers are selected from the main pool of 1-69. In Powerball, the drawing balls for those first five numbers are white. In Double Play, they’re black. And in both drawings, one red Powerball is selected from a pool of 1-26.

To win the top prize in either drawing, your ticket has to match all six winning numbers. But there are eight other ways to win in each drawing, starting with a prize for matching just the Powerball alone.

The Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

And for Power Play® fans: It’s still part of the Powerball game, and it hasn’t changed. You can add both the Power Play and Double Play options to your ticket, and if you do that, your Powerball play will cost $4.

While Power Play multiplies Powerball winnings at all prize levels except the jackpot, it does not apply to Double Play winnings.

Powerball® Double Play® Promo = Chance to win tickets to Iowa Speedway® and 2024 NASCAR Championship Weekend™

Iowa Powerball® players now have a chance to win exclusive trackside prize packages to this summer’s NASCAR® races at Iowa Speedway® AND the 2024 NASCAR Championship Weekend™ races at Phoenix Raceway!

The Iowa Lottery’s promotion featuring the “Summer NASCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway” opened for entries this morning. Players can enter the promotion with any Powerball ticket with the Double Play option added (minimum $3 play) purchased in Iowa from Feb. 18 through the end of the promotion’s entry period on the morning of June 19.

Up for grabs on the promotion’s first drawing date on May 7 are 215 ticket prize packages for NASCAR Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway in June! Tickets to the NASCAR Cup Series™ race at Iowa Speedway are SOLD OUT, so this promotion gives you the chance to win tickets to one of the summer’s hottest events!

Players will select the race date of their choice when they enter the promotion.

The promotion’s second drawing date on June 20 offers a trip prize package to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ in November at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., as well as 20 other qualifying spots in the national NASCAR Powerball Playoff promotion that ultimately will award four additional trips to the championship race weekend and a $1 million prize.

First up in the promotion are ticket prize packages to all three NASCAR races this summer at Iowa Speedway. Some of those ticket packages are for single-day grandstand seats, some are for single-day VIP Suite Experiences, and some are for 3-day grandstand seat packages for the entire weekend of racing!

For the ARCA Menards Series™ race on June 14, the NASCAR Xfinity Series™ race on June 15, and the NASCAR Cup Series™, Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol race on June 16, we’re giving away 50 grandstand ticket packages and 15 VIP Suite packages for each day of racing. In addition, we’re giving away 20 grandstand ticket packages for all three days of races!

The winners of those prize packages will all be selected in the promotion drawings on May 7 (from entries accepted through 9:59 a.m. May 6).

Each single-day VIP Suite Experience ticket prize package to Iowa Speedway includes:

• 2 suite tickets
• complimentary food, soda and water at the suite
• a guided garage tour
• pace car ride for 2 on the track
• preferred parking at Iowa Speedway
• merchandise swag bag with branded clothing items.

Each single-day grandstand ticket prize package to Iowa Speedway includes:

• 4 grandstand admission tickets
• general parking in Iowa Speedway lots
• merchandise swag bag.

Each three-day Race Weekend grandstand ticket prize package to Iowa Speedway includes:

• 2 grandstand admission tickets for all 3 days of races
• general parking in Iowa Speedway lots
• merchandise swag bag.

Then in the promotion drawing on June 20 (from entries accepted through 9:59 a.m. June 19), we’ll select the winners of prize packages to attend the NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway. That day, we’ll select the winner of a trip for two to the 2024 NASCAR Championship Weekend™!

The NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway ticket prize package includes:

• 2 grandstand admission tickets at Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship™ race on Nov. 9 AND the NASCAR Cup Series Championship™ race on Nov. 10
• round-trip coach airfare from the winner’s closest primary airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport
• 3-night double-occupancy hotel stay in downtown Phoenix
• round-trip deluxe motorcoach transfer between hotel and track
• 2-day Hospitality Lounge access at the track
• 2-day Infield Experience pass at the track
• event program, scanner rental, and swag bag with branded merchandise
• $750 spending money paid in a check from the Iowa Lottery.

In addition on June 20, we’ll select the 20 Iowa Lottery qualifiers for the national NASCAR Powerball Playoff promotion that ultimately will award four trips to the 2024 NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway where one of the finalists will win $1 million. All 20 of the Iowa Lottery’s qualifiers will receive an initial $1,000 prize and have the chance to win even more!

Powerball players in 25 participating states can enter the NASCAR Powerball Playoff this spring and summer. Each state lottery will initially hold a drawing to determine its qualifiers in the national promotion. Then from among all those qualifiers across the country, 16 national semifinalists will be selected.

Each of the 16 semifinalists will win a cash prize. The number of semifinalists will continue to be whittled down until just four finalists remain. The longer a semifinalist stays in the running, the more they’ll win.

Each of the four finalists will win a VIP prize package to the 2024 NASCAR Championship Weekend. During a live drawing with Powerball broadcast from Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10, one of the four finalists will win a $1 million prize.

Here is the schedule of drawings in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff:

Prize Amount	Winners	Date	Winners Announced	Impact
$1 million + trip to Arizona	1	Nov. 10	NASCAR race Nov. 10 in Avondale, AZ	1 grand-prize winner selected
$10,000 + trip to Arizona	3	Nov. 10	NASCAR race Nov. 10 in Avondale, AZ	4 finalists attend race
$7,500	4	Oct. 17	NASCAR race Nov. 3 in Martinsville, VA	Semifinalists narrowed to 4
$5,000	4	Oct. 3	NASCAR race Oct. 13 in Concord, NC	Semifinalists narrowed to 8
$2,500	4	Sept. 12	NASCAR race Sept. 21 in Bristol, TN	Semifinalists narrowed to 12
Selection of semifinalists	16	Aug. 13	NASCAR race Sept. 1 in Darlington, SC	16 semifinalists selected

As with past Powerball promotions in Iowa, each eligible ticket entered into the NASCAR Powerball Playoff promotion with Iowa Lottery will count as one entry, regardless of the purchase price of the ticket or the number of plays on it.

Entries not selected by the Iowa Lottery in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff promotion drawings on May 7 will remain eligible for the promotion’s second drawing date on June 20. Players can win only one prize for each race day. Winners of the three-day Race Weekend Package at Iowa Speedway cannot win another grandstand admission package or a VIP Suite Experience.

NASCAR, LLC, Iowa Speedway, LLC, Phoenix Speedway, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix Raceway, Comcast Cable, LLC, and Menards, Inc., are not sponsors of this promotion.

NASCAR®, NASCAR Cup Series Championship Weekend™ and NASCAR Cup Series™ are trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC, and used with expressed permission. ARCA Menards Series™ word mark is used under license by the Automobile Racing Club of America, LLC, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC, and Menards, Inc. NASCAR Xfinity Series™ word mark is used under license by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC, and Comcast Cable, LLC. All rights reserved.

Phoenix Raceway® and its logo are registered trademarks of Phoenix Speedway, LLC, and are used with permission.

Iowa Speedway® is a registered trademark of Iowa Speedway, LLC.

SNEAK PEEK: Powerball® + NASCAR® Winning Moments Are Returning This Year To Iowa!

You bet Iowa will be part of these 2024 NASCAR® moments!

Check back with us on Tuesday, Feb. 27, for full details about how YOU can have a chance to be in on it!

And starting this Sunday (Feb. 18), save the Iowa tickets you buy for Powerball with the Double Play® option added! They’ll be what you need to get in on the action.

 

NASCAR, LLC, Phoenix Speedway, LLC d/b/a Phoenix Raceway, and NASCAR Enterprises, LLC are not sponsors of this promotion. NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC. All trademarks are used with permission by their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.

Human Error Temporarily Delayed Iowa Results in Monday’s Powerball Drawing

We provided updates about this throughout the day yesterday, and now we know that a human reporting error caused the winning numbers for Monday’s Powerball® drawing to initially be reported incorrectly here in Iowa, and then led to a delay in the drawing results in the state for several hours.

The Iowa Lottery was able to correctly enter the official drawing results yesterday afternoon and then we resumed paying prizes from the drawing.

The Powerball drawing was conducted correctly as scheduled Monday night and official results were produced. But the Iowa Lottery’s redundant reporting procedures failed after the drawing. It takes time to correct an error like that on the lottery’s statewide gaming system, which links all the lottery terminals and self-service kiosks in the state. Lottery staff were able to complete the corrections by yesterday afternoon.

We at the Iowa Lottery sincerely apologizes for the interruption.

The mistake impacted only the Iowa Lottery’s reporting of the official results for Monday’s Powerball drawing. All other lottery tickets could be purchased, checked and cashed as usual at lottery terminals across the state and the results for all other lottery drawings were recorded correctly.

The CORRECT winning numbers in Monday’s Powerball drawing were: 2-21-38-61-66 and and Powerball 12. The Power Play® number was 2.

The Powerball Double Play® winning numbers were: 9-29-51-53-61 and Double Play Powerball 20.

Those are the winning numbers for which the lottery will pay prizes.

As part of the Iowa Lottery’s procedures, two different people in two different locations both enter the results from lotto drawings before they are officially recorded on the lottery’s statewide gaming system. But when the winning numbers from Monday’s Powerball drawing were being inputted, some of the numbers were mistakenly entered incorrectly.

The mistake initially caused the lottery to report incorrect results from Monday’s Powerball drawing on its statewide gaming system and the lottery website. The incorrect results went live about 12:30 a.m. yesterday and remained available until about 7:15 a.m. that day.

Lottery staffers noticed the error shortly after 7 a.m. yesterday and suspended the results for the Powerball drawing on lottery terminals, knowing that correcting the information on the statewide gaming system would take longer.

The lottery was able to go live with corrected official results about 3:30 p.m. yesterday and resumed cashing Powerball tickets.

Lottery records show that a total of 3,998 in Powerball plays purchased in Iowa won prizes ranging from $4 up to $200 for a total of $24,382 in winnings from Monday’s drawing.

Under the incorrect results initially reported, Powerball prizes won likewise would have ranged from $4 up to $200. Prizes were paid for any of those tickets presented during the time period that the incorrect results were posted.

While the number of people potentially impacted by the situation is small, the Iowa Lottery wants to hear from any players who have questions or concerns. They are welcome to contact an Iowa Lottery Security staffer by calling 515-725-7900 or emailing to [email protected].

Lottery staffers will continue to review drawing procedures with an eye toward improvements in the future.

Cashing of Powerball Tickets Resumes in Iowa

Cashing of Powerball® tickets has resumed in Iowa.

Reporting of the results from last night’s Powerball® drawing were delayed by an error here in Iowa, with the cashing of tickets suspended about 7:15 a.m. today.

Cashing resumed at about 3:30 p.m. today, with the correct results from last night’s Powerball drawing reported on the Iowa Lottery’s statewide gaming system, website and winning numbers telephone line.

Last night’s Powerball drawing was correctly conducted, but an error caused incorrect winning numbers for the drawing to be reported in Iowa. The incorrect results were available from about 12:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. today.

Lottery staffers noticed the error and disabled the results for the drawing on the lottery’s statewide gaming system about 7:15 a.m. today. The Iowa Lottery then reprocessed the Iowa results from the drawing and resumed cashing tickets as soon as that was completed.

Cashing and Checking of Powerball Tickets Currently Suspended in Iowa

Please be aware that the cashing and checking of Powerball® tickets are currently suspended in Iowa.

While last night’s Powerball drawing was correctly conducted, an error caused incorrect winning numbers for the drawing to be reported on the Iowa Lottery’s statewide gaming system, website and winning numbers telephone line.

The incorrect results were available from about 12:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. today. Lottery staffers noticed the error and disabled the results for the drawing on the lottery’s statewide gaming system about 7:15 a.m. today.

The results of last night’s Powerball drawing also are currently removed from the Iowa Lottery website. The image you can see here provides the CORRECT winning numbers for last night’s Powerball drawing.  

The Iowa Lottery is working to reprocess the Iowa results of last night’s Powerball drawing. We anticipate that work will take until midday today to complete. Cashing of Powerball tickets will remain suspended during that time.

Any players who try to scan or cash a Powerball ticket this morning in Iowa will receive this message: “Draw has not occurred, more draws remain.”    

We will provide another update when the cashing of Powerball tickets has resumed.

Popular New Powerball Feature Starts Sunday Here In Iowa

A popular new option is about to be added to the Powerball® game here in Iowa. It will give you the chance to play – and win – with the same set of numbers in two drawings rather than just one.

Beginning on Sunday, the Double Play® option will be available as part of Powerball in Iowa.

For an extra $1 per play, you can add Double Play to your tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with the Double Play option added, a ticket will cost $3.) The numbers on your ticket will then be eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million.

You could win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing AND the Double Play drawing on the same night!

Of the 48 lotteries that sell Powerball, 19 already offer Double Play. Iowa will be the 20th to add it, and the move comes after players in our state said they wanted the chance to be part of the Double Play drawings.

Here’s how Double Play works: If you add Double Play to your ticket, your numbers will be used for the Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing.

Double Play has the same odds of winning as Powerball. But while Powerball has a rolling jackpot, Double Play has a fixed top cash prize of $10 million.

In both drawings, five winning numbers are selected from the main pool of 1-69. In Powerball, the drawing balls for those numbers are white; in Double Play, they’re black. And in both drawings, one red Powerball number is selected from a pool of 1-26.

To win the top prize in either drawing, your ticket has to match all six winning numbers. But there are eight other ways to win in each drawing, starting with a prize for matching just the Powerball alone.

The Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. When the option goes live here, we’ll report the winning numbers for the Powerball and Double Play drawing on each of those nights.

The first Double Play drawing that includes Iowa will be on Monday (Nov. 6).

And for Power Play® fans, don’t worry! It will continue to be offered in Powerball and it’s not changing.

You can add both the Power Play and Double Play options to you ticket, and if you do that, your Powerball play will cost $4.

While Power Play multiplies Powerball winnings at all prize levels except the jackpot, it does not apply to Double Play winnings.

Temp. Limit Starting On Powerball Drawings You Can Play In Advance

The number of Powerball® drawings you can buy tickets for in advance will be limited for the next three weeks here in Iowa as we gear up to add a popular new feature to the game.

The stepdown on advance plays in Powerball will begin tomorrow (Oct. 14). Please note that this is for Powerball only – Mega Millions® and our other popular lotto games are not impacted.

Players normally can buy tickets for up to 10 Powerball drawings in advance in Iowa. But during the stepdown period, the number of advance plays you can buy will continue to count down until you can only buy tickets for the next drawing.

The stepdown in Powerball will continue through the game’s drawing on Saturday, Nov. 4. After that, things will reset and you’ll be able to buy tickets again for up to 10 drawings in advance.

The stepdown ensures that as updates are made in a game, the same details apply to all tickets for a particular drawing so everyone has a fair and equal chance to win.

The update we’re about to make in Powerball is something players have been asking for, so we’re excited to debut it! It’s the Double Play® add-on feature in the game. Of the 48 lotteries that sell Powerball, 18 now offer Double Play. We’ll be No. 19.

You’ll be able to buy Powerball tickets with the Double Play option in Iowa beginning on Sunday, Nov. 5.

So what is Double Play? It’s an add-on option that gives you another chance to win with your Powerball numbers.

For an extra $1 per play, you can add Double Play to your ticket. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with the Double Play option added, your ticket would cost $3.) The numbers on your Powerball ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million.

It’s possible for you to win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing AND the Double Play drawing on the same night.

The Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. When the option goes live in Iowa, you’ll see us report the winning numbers for Powerball and Double Play drawing on those nights.