Iowa Lottery

The Iowa Lottery Authority is run by the state of Iowa. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which administers games on behalf of the member lotteries. The Iowa Lottery portfolio includes Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America, Lucky for Life, Pick 3, Pick 4, plus numerous instant scratch ticket, InstaPlay and pull-tab games.

The largest jackpot won in Iowa so far was in October 2018. Lerynne West of Redfield claimed a $343.9 million Powerball prize. West's ticket split the $687.8 million Powerball jackpot in the Oct. 27 drawing with a ticket purchased in New York.^[1]

History[]

Legislation creating Iowa's lottery was signed into law in April 1985; the Lottery began sales on August 22, 1985, with a kickoff celebration at the Iowa State Fair.

The first product sold by the Iowa Lottery was an instant-scratch game called Scratch, Match and Win; players bought more than 6.4 million tickets during its first week.

Since the lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $4.5 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised $2 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans. Today, lottery proceeds in Iowa have four main purposes. They provide support for our state's veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund; support through the Iowa Public Safety Survivor Benefits Fund for the surviving family members of Iowa peace officers and fire fighters who die in the line of duty; help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund; and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions in the state and build and repair schools.

The Lottery sells tickets in four general categories: instant-scratch, InstaPlay, pull-tab and online games. Lottery products are sold at nearly 2,400 retail locations.

The Iowa Lottery has over 110 employees who work at its headquarters in Clive and its regional offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Mason City and Storm Lake.

In 1994, Iowa became the first state in the US that required lottery players to be at least 21 years of age. (Louisiana became the second in 1998, followed by Arizona in 2003, then Mississippi in 2019)

In September 2007, the Iowa Lottery (along with the Kansas Lottery) began the first US multi-jurisdictional scratch game, Midwest Millions.

Iowa's Pick 3 and Pick 4 numbers were previously drawn by the Illinois Lottery at the WGN-TV studios in Chicago using their Pick 3 and Pick 4 results until April 16, 2014, when the Iowa Lottery began drawing their own numbers two months after WGN America, which previously televised all Illinois Lottery drawings, discontinued airing their 9 p.m. newscasts, along with the diverging winning options for each game between each lottery over the years.^[2] As of July 1, 2017, the Iowa Lottery now utilizes Indiana's Hoosier Lottery results from their Daily 3 and Daily 4 drawings for Pick 3 and Pick 4 numbers in Iowa, with the latter's Super Ball doublers disregarded in Iowa.

Current Iowa-only games offered[]

Pick 3[]

Pick 3 is drawn 14 times weekly (twice daily). Options and prizes vary.

Players choose three digits, each from 0 through 9, or let the lottery terminal select them (Easy Pick).

Play types:

• Straight – match all digits in the exact order drawn.
• Box – match all digits in any order.
• Straight/Box – match in exact order to win both wagers; in any order for box payout.
• Front pair – match the first two digits in the exact order drawn.
• Back pair – match the last two digits in the exact order as drawn.

Pick 3 players may wager up to 14 consecutive drawings.

Midday drawings are held daily at 12:20 p.m. and evening drawings are held daily at about 10:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased until noon on the day of the drawing for midday drawings and until 9:40 p.m. on the day of the drawing for evening drawings.

Pick 3 prizes must be claimed within 90 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Pick 4[]

Pick 4 also is drawn 14 times weekly. Options and prizes vary.

Players choose four digits, each from 0 through 9, or let the lottery terminal select them (Easy Pick).

Play types:

• Straight – match all four digits in the exact order as drawn.
• Box – match all four digits in any order.
• Straight/Box – match in exact order to win both wagers; in any order for box payout.
• Front pair – match the first two digits in the exact order drawn.
• Back pair – match the last two digits in the exact order as drawn.

Pick 4 players may wager up to 14 consecutive drawings. Drawings are held at the same time as Pick 3.

Pick 4 prizes must be claimed within 90 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Current multi-jurisdictional games offered[]

Powerball[]

Since 1988, the Iowa Lottery has been a member of MUSL. Powerball sales began in Iowa in 1992.

Powerball costs $2 per play; $3 with the Power Play® option.

Choose 5 out of 69 numbers for the white balls; then choose 1 out of 26 numbers for the Powerball.

Players can use a play slip to choose their own numbers or request an "easy pick" from the clerk and the lotto terminal can choose the numbers for them. Players can play more than one drawing by marking the "multi-draw" box on the play slip for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 consecutive drawings.

Drawings are held Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:59 p.m. Tickets may be purchased until 8:59 p.m. on the evening of the drawing.

The jackpot begins at $40 million and grows until it is won.

Win the jackpot by matching all 5 white ball numbers and the Powerball.

Powerball prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Participating Lotteries: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions[]

On October 13, 2009 the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL reached an agreement in principle to cross-sell Mega Millions and Powerball in U.S. lottery jurisdictions. On November 16, 2009, the Iowa Lottery Board approved the introduction of Mega Millions to Iowa. Mega Millions sales in Iowa began on January 31, 2010; the first drawing including Iowa was on February 2, 2010.

Mega Millions costs $2 per play; $3 with the Megaplier® option.

Choose 5 numbers from 1 - 70 then pick your Mega Ball number from 1 - 25.

Players can use a play slip to choose their own numbers or request an "easy pick" from the clerk and the lotto terminal can choose the numbers for them. Players can play more than one drawing by marking the "multi-draw" box on the play slip.

Drawings are held at 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Tickets may be purchased until 8:59 p.m. on the evening of the drawing.

The jackpot begins at $40 million and grows until it is won.

Win the jackpot by matching all 5 white ball numbers and the Mega Ball®.

Mega Millions prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Participating Lotteries: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, U. S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Lotto America[]

Sales in Lotto America began on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017.

Lotto America costs $1 per play; $2 with the All Star Bonus® option.

Choose 5 out of 52 numbers for the white balls; then choose 1 out of 10 numbers for the Star Ball®.

Players can sse a play slip to choose their own numbers or request an "easy pick" from the clerk and the lotto terminal can choose the numbers for them. Players can play more than one drawing by marking the "multi-draw" box on the play slip for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 consecutive drawings.

Drawings are held Wednesdays and Saturdays at approximately 10 p.m. Tickets may be purchased until 8:59 p.m. on the evening of the drawing.

The jackpot begins at $2 million and grows until it's won.

Win the jackpot by matching all 5 white ball numbers and the Star Ball.

Lotto America prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Participating Lotteries: Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Dakota and West Virginia.

Lucky for Life[]

Lucky for Life costs $2 per play.

Choose 5 out of 48 numbers for the white balls; then choose 1 out of 18 numbers for the Lucky Ball.

Players can use a play slip to choose their own numbers or request an "easy pick" from the clerk and the lotto terminal can choose the numbers for them. Play more than one drawing by marking the "multi-draw" box on the play slip for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 consecutive drawings.

Drawings are held at approximately 9:38 p.m. Central Time on Mondays and Thursdays. Tickets may be purchased until 8:30 p.m. on the evening of the drawing.

Win the top prize of $1,000 a day for LIFE by matching all 5 white balls and the Lucky Ball. The game's second prize - for matching all five white balls without the Lucky Ball - is $25,000 a year for LIFE.

Lucky for Life prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Participating Lotteries: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

Previous games offered[]

All or Nothing[]

Iowa, along with Minnesota, offered the MUSL version of the All or Nothing lottery game. Due to low sales, the game was ended and the final drawing for the All or Nothing game was held on June 30, 2017.

Hot Lotto[]

Hot Lotto was available through 14 lotteries, including Iowa's and the District of Columbia's; its drawings were held each Wednesday and Saturday. Hot Lotto drew five "white balls" numbered from 1 through 47, and one orange "Hot Ball", numbered 1 through 19. The starting jackpot was $1,000,000 (all-cash, and "taxes paid"), increasing by at least $50,000 if there is no top prize winner. Hot Lotto, normally $1 per play had a $2 option. Players could add the Sizzler option to their tickets (similar to Powerball's Power Play); it tripled non-jackpot prizes.

On May 12, 2013, the Hot Lotto game dropped its annuity option; eight "white balls" were added to the original 39.

The game acquired some notoriety in 2015, when it was revealed that Eddie Tipton, an employee of the Multi-State Lottery Association, attempted to rig a 2010 drawing to claim a $16.5 million prize. Hot Lotto held its final drawing on Oct. 28, 2017. Since its jackpot was not won in the final drawing, the money was rolled into the start of the Lotto America game.

External links[]

• IALottery.com - Official site

References[]