For the second time in 2026, the Lotto America jackpot has been hit – and this time it’s in Iowa!
The jackpot-winning ticket was purchased at QuikTrip at 901 SW 63rd St. in Des Moines. The jackpot in Saturday’s drawing marks Iowa’s third jackpot winner since the game’s inception. The winner will get to claim $6.14 million as annuity or take the $2.53 million cash option.
“With Iowa being a founding member of the original Lotto America, it’s always exciting when one of our players wins, especially on the jackpot,” Steve Waymire, Iowa Lottery Director said. “It goes to show, a winner can happen anytime, anywhere, but it’s nice to see the jackpot come home.”
The jackpot had been growing since July of this year — it was last hit on July 18 in Minnesota. The latest jackpot-winning ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday’s Lotto America drawing, which were: 12-13-21-40-49 and Star Ball® 2. The Des Moines QuikTrip location will receive a $5,000 bonus from the Iowa Lottery for selling the jackpot-winning Lotto America ticket.
This is the third Lotto America jackpot won in Iowa. A Davenport man won a $4.38 million jackpot in the game in May 2018, and a Dubuque man won in April 2023, which remains the game’s highest jackpot prize ever with a $40.03 million win.
The Lotto America jackpot for Wednesday’s draw is $2.05 million annuity, $840,000 cash option.
Lotto America is known as Powerball’s smaller cousin. The game costs $1 to play and has drawings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, just like Powerball®. It has the same playstyle as Powerball, with players selecting numbers from two separate pools for a chance to win. But Lotto America’s jackpots start at a smaller level and the game has easier odds of winning.
Lotto America is sold by 13 lotteries, while Powerball is offered by 48.
