712 Digital Group - top

Lottery players continue to win large prizes across the state

News

February 16th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa Lottery say a Massena woman was the latest, big instant-scratch game winner in Cass County, during calendar year 2013. Kristen Karstens won $50,000 in the “Super Crossword” scratch-off game with a ticket purchased at 21st Century Coop C-Store, in Massena.

Iowa Lottery players won a total of $200.8 million in prizes in fiscal year 2013, the latest complete year for which the lottery has records. However, there are a significant number of prizes that expire each year without being claimed. The lottery reminds its players to double-check their tickets. In fiscal year 2013, more than $1.3 million in lotto prizes expired in Iowa without being claimed.

Prize money left unclaimed after redemption deadlines goes into the lottery’s prize pools for future games, so it will be used to pay prizes, just not those particular prizes that have expired. On the lottery’s website at www.ialotterycom, there is a current list of unclaimed lotto prizes of $10,000 or more.

Prizes in instant-scratch and pull-tab games must be claimed within 90 days of the end of the game. Scratch-game prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery retailer where the games are sold, while prizes in pull-tab games must be claimed at the location where the tickets were purchased. Players also may visit an Iowa Lottery retailer or go to one of the lottery’s offices in Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Mason City or Cedar Rapids to claim prizes.

Winning lotto numbers may be checked by visiting the lottery website or calling the winning numbers hotline at (515) 323-4633. They may also be checked by visiting a lottery retail outlet or calling the lottery at (515) 725-7900 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.