(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Lottery C-E-O Matt Strawn says sales have picked up as they head toward the midpoint of their fiscal year. “Iowa lottery sales and proceeds have seen double-digit percentage growth over last fiscal year as gross lottery sales and net proceeds are exceeding both budget forecasts and last year’s actuals,” Strawn says. Speaking to the Lottery Commission at their meeting today (Tuesday), he says sales are nearly 193 million dollars through November.

“Represents a year over year sales increase of 11-two-percent. Relative to the budget forecast, it’s a 13-point-four-percent sales increase,” he says. Proceeds turned over to the state are more than 41 million dollars through November. “Represent a year over year proceeds increase of 24-point-four percent, or relative to the budget, a 37-point-two-five percent increase,” he says. Large Powerball jackpots have lifted up sales.

“These revenue and proceeds totals are positively influenced by sales of Powerball during the first half of fiscal ’26.” Strawn says. “Powerball sales have more than doubled when compared with the first five months of last fiscal year.” Strawn the sales increase comes as a drought for mega jackpots ended. “There was not a single Powerball jackpot that exceeded 600 million dollars during fiscal ’25 ,” he says. And we have now had two to exceed that billion dollar amount actually during the first half of fiscal ’26.”

Strawn says the September Powerball jackpot that grew to one-point-eight billion dollars before it was won and the current Powerball jackpot is estimated at more than one Billion.