The Iowa Lottery turns 40 in 2025 and has raised more than $2.4 billion in proceeds for programs to help initiatives across the state. Beginning in 1985, the Iowa Lottery has supported the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund and the state’s General Fund to help with infrastructure, education, the arts, agriculture, and more.
Iowa’s primary claim to fame from a lottery standpoint is being one of the original six states plus Washington D.C. to offer Lotto America in 1988, which would become Powerball in 1992.
The Iowa Lottery is different from most lotteries in the United States in that you must be 21 or older to play. Most states set the age at 18, but not the Hawkeye State, so keep that in mind if you reside in Iowa or are traveling through.
Iowa Lottery Games
Iowa continues to offer Powerball, as well as Mega Millions. It also remains part of the multi-state Lotto America drawing, as well as the multi-state Lucky For Life drawing.
Iowa also offers a couple of state-specific draw games to go along with instant-win games in the form of InstaPlay, Scratch-Offs, and Pull-Tabs.
Games are only for purchase at approved Iowa retailers, so there are no online purchases. Iowa also has sports betting and casinos, but those are operated independent of the Iowa Lottery.
Iowa Lottery Draw Games
Powerball
As mentioned, Iowa is one of 45 states to be part of the Powerball drawing and was one of the original adopters of the game as Lotto America in 1988. Each Powerball play costs $2 with an optional add-on for the Power Play feature. There is also a Double Play feature in Iowa. Both options cost $1 additionally, or you can just think of it as bundling a ticket for $4.
Players can pick or have the computer pick five numbers ranging from 1 to 69 and then a Powerball from 1 to 26. Matching all of them wins the grand prize rolling Jackpot, which starts at $20 million and grows until somebody wins.
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 9:59 p.m. CT. Ticket sales cut off an hour prior on drawing nights.
Mega Millions
Iowa is also one of 42 states to participate in the Mega Millions draw. The majority of states adopted Mega Millions in 2010 and Iowa was one of them, adding the game in January of that year along with more than 20 states and jurisdictions.
Drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday at 9:59 p.m. CT and ticket sales cut off an hour prior.
Players select or have the computer auto pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and then a Mega Ball from 1 to 25. Each play costs $2 with a $1 optional add-on for the Megaplier to increase the size of the prizes.
Iowa offers a “Play ‘Em All” option for $50 to cover all of the Mega Ball options.
Lotto America
Lotto America is a throwback to the original lottery by that name with a five-ball draw and then a Star Ball number. The five numbers range from 1 to 52 and the Star Ball goes from 1 to 10. Each play costs $1 and there is an All Star Bonus $1 add-on to increase non-Jackpot prizes.
Drawings for Lotto America are around 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and ticket sales cut off about 15 minutes before the draw on those nights.
The states that participate in Lotto America are Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Lucky For Life
Lucky For Life is another multi-state draw game with a grand prize of $1,000 a day for life. Each play costs $2 and there are 48 numbers plus a Lucky Ball from 1 to 18. Matching all five numbers plus the Lucky Ball wins the grand prize Jackpot. Matching five numbers without the Lucky Ball is worth $25,000 a year for life.
This drawing is daily at 9:38 p.m. CT and ticket sales cut off about an hour beforehand.
The states that participate in Lucky For Life are Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
Pick 4
Iowa only has two state-specific draw games and they mirror what most states offer with basic Pick 4 and Pick 3 drawings. The Pick 4 in Iowa ranges from 50 cents to $5 and can be played Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Front Pair, Back Pair.
Drawings are held twice a day at 12:20 p.m. CT and 10 p.m. CT and ticket sales cut off 20 minutes before the draw. Players select four numbers ranging from 0 to 9 and there are no add-ons or bonus balls. The max prize up for grabs is $30,000.
Pick 4 started in September 2003 for the Iowa Lottery and Sunday drawings were added in 2010.
Pick 3
The Pick 3 is just like the Pick 4, just with one fewer number and smaller prize amounts. Drawings are daily at 12:20 p.m. CT and 10 p.m. CT. Plays cost from 50 cents to $5 and numbers can be played Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Front Pair, and Back Pair.
The top prize here is $3,000 on a maximum $5 ticket. Just like the Pick 4, ticket sales cut off 20 minutes before the drawing.
Pick 3 started in July 1998 and a second draw was added in 2003. Sunday drawings began in 2010.
Iowa Lottery InstaPlay Games
The Iowa Lottery calls its InstaPlay Games “scratchless scratch tickets”. Iowa Lottery terminals spit out quick-win games ranging from $1 to $30 and there are some seasonal specialty games for the different holidays.
Players don’t have to do anything other than look at their tickets to see if they have won by matching up the symbols or play numbers. The Iowa Lottery has upwards of 15 InstaPlay Games at any given time.
Iowa Lottery Scratch Tickets
Iowa Lottery scratch-offs range from $1 to $50 and there are dozens of options for players, including specialty holiday tickets. Games like Monopoly and Scrabble are year-round options. Scratch-offs were the beginnings of the Iowa Lottery, debuting some games in August 1985.
The Iowa Lottery website will show the remaining top prizes for each title and also shows the seasonal titles that make great gifts.
Even though tickets cannot be purchased online, the Iowa Lottery App does have a barcode scanner to see if your ticket was a winner.
Iowa Lottery Pull-Tab Tickets
The Iowa Lottery sells Pull-Tab tickets in bars, restaurants, and convenience stores as another form of an instant-winner ticket. Pull-Tabs began in 1987 and range from 50 cents to $5.
Tickets are dispensed from an Iowa Lottery vending machine and prizes up to $600 can be redeemed right there at the point of purchase. The biggest prizes for the Pull-Tab tickets will vary, but mostly top out around $3,500.
Iowa Lottery App
The Iowa Lottery App is also a means of entry into the VIP Club, where players can enter second-chance drawings and take advantage of other promotions. They can also scan their tickets to see if they have won. With no pro sports teams in the state, many drawings and sweepstakes center around the college athletics in the Hawkeye State.
How To Claim Iowa Lottery Prizes
Prizes up to $600 for Lotto, InstaPlay, and Scratch Games can be redeemed at any approved Iowa Lottery retail location. Pull-Tab tickets must be redeemed at the point of purchase, unless they are over $600.
Prizes up to and including $25,000 can be claimed at a lottery office in Clive, Storm Lake, Mason City, or Cedar Rapids.
Iowa Lottery prizes can also be redeemed by mail to Iowa Lottery, 13001 University Avenue, Clive, IA, 50325.
Unlike some states, Iowa Lottery prizes must be claimed with 90 days of the draw game or the end of a scratch-off game. Some states allow for 180 days, but Iowa does not.
Iowa has a 5% state withholding tax on prizes of $600 or more.
Iowa Lottery Frequently Asked Questions
There are more than 2,400 approved lottery retailers in the state of Iowa.
Players must be 21 years of age or older to enjoy the Iowa Lottery.
No. Iowa Lottery tickets can only be purchased at an approved retailer.