Iowa Lotteries 2024

Having come into being in 1985, over $4.5 billion in prizes has been given out to winners to date as of 2024. While lotto life in Iowa started off with one simple draw, fast forward to 2024 and you can buy Iowa lotto tickets for seven different draws and play pull tab and scratch card games. Just like the Nevada lotteries plans to, and most other states already do, the majority of the net income brought in from the Iowa state lottery goes towards public service. As of 2024, over $2 billion of lottery money has been put towards state programs that, in the lottery’s own words, have made “Iowa a better place to live, work and raise a family.”

Despite the digitally-reliant world we live in, the majority of state lotteries haven’t fully embraced a move online for one reason or another. That’s definitely not the case with the IA Lottery, who have a huge online presence via their website and no less than five different social media channels, which includes Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - where you can find helpful guide videos on how to claim and live streams of the various lotto draws.

You can get involved and benefit from Iowa lotto online by joining the VIP Club, which has multiple benefits to offer, which we’ll explain for you below. You can also make things easier and more convenient by downloading the LottoPlus App to help you keep up with things on the move. Through the site and app, you can find all of the information you need to know about all available games.

The LotteryPlus App

The main benefit of downloading the LotteryPlus App is that you can further customize your VIP membership and use it on the move. You can use the app to set alerts and check your lotto numbers, as well as your InstaPlay and scratch tickets - you can also check your “Play it Again” promotion code, which gives VIP members a second chance wins on losing tickets and scratch games. Perhaps one of the best features is that you can create ePayslips, which makes the process of buying your Iowa lotto tickets quicker and easier.

As is the case in pretty much all states you can buy tickets for the Iowa lotteries, scratch games and pull-offs at licensed lottery retailers throughout Iowa. Finding your local lotto retailer can be done quickly and easily using the store locator on the IA Lottery website or using the Lotto Plus App. Licensed retailers come in the form of gas stations, delis, convenience stores and pretty much in a small or large store you can think of really.

How Old Do You Need to Be to Buy a Ticket?

In order to buy any form of lottery tickets in Iowa, you need to be at least 21 years of age and may be asked to show ID by the cashier. This goes for other lotto games as well, including scratch offs and pull offs. However, minors can legally play and win the lottery in Iowa but a parent or guardian will also need to sign the winner’s claim form alongside the minor in question.

How Can You Pay for Iowa Lotto Tickets?

Unlike some other states, the IA Lottery doesn’t restrict the purchase of its tickets to being cash only. You can pay for your tickets by credit and debit card as well, although this is subject to the rules and/or discretion of the retailer that you’re making the purchase from - so be sure to ask.

How to Buy Iowa Lotto Tickets Online

At the time of writing in 2024, the Iowa lotto online service and the LotteryPlus app don’t yet allow you to make the full purchase of lotto tickets online. Not even for VIPs unfortunately. We used the terms “full purchase” deliberately here, as while you can’t complete your purchase using Iowa lotto online, you can start the process and make it much easier for yourself by the time you get to the retailer with the ePayslip in the LottoPlus app.

Using the ePayslip with the Iowa LottoPlus App

While, for a number of reasons, you can’t complete your ticket purchase online, you can do the majority of it using the ePayslip service in the LottoPlus App. With this virtual payslip, you can pick your numbers in advance, and once completed the full price of the ticket will already appear. Once you’re happy with it, you can head into your local retailer, show it to the cashier, pay, having your actual ticket printed and away you go - it’s that easy.

We should point out that the Iowa lotteries aren’t dated at all here - in fact, the majority of state lotteries in the US don’t permit the full purchase of lotto tickets online for various reasons. Mostly, it is to prevent fraud, minors purchasing tickets and out-of-state ticket buys in bulk. New Hampshire lotto tickets are among the few you can buy online.

It’s easy to reach out to the Iowa Lottery. Just hit the Contact Us button at the bottom of the site and here you’ll see that there’s a simple contact form you can use for sending your queries to the brand. Your queries will be answered on weekdays between 8am and 4pm. There are also phone numbers for lottery offices in Clive, Cedar Rapids, Mason City and Storm Lake. We also appreciated the fact that there was a handy FAQ section on the site.

The Iowa Lottery Authority is owned and run by the state and is responsible for all of the lottery, scratch and other games that are legal to play in the state.  Alongside Pennsylvania lotto online, the Rhode Island lotteries and a further 35 states, the Iowa lotto online is part of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), with the body being responsible for administering all of the games that the IA lottery provides.

Who Can Play and Win the IA Lottery?

Minors

We include this section because the lottery in Iowa actually has extremely flexible rules here. Although the purchase age being 21 years might seem a little high at first - it literally is just the purchase age and nothing more. Minors can 100% legally play and win the lotto in the state of Iowa, they just can’t purchase the tickets themselves and a parent or guardian will have to sign the back of the ticket and complete the winner claims form on the minor’s behalf.

Non-Iowans

If you find yourself in Iowa for business or pleasure and fancy buying a lotto ticket, playing a scratcher or a pull-off - you can do so comfortably in the knowledge that you can play and collect your winnings. You don’t even have to be from the US either - even foreigners without permanent residency can claim winnings with the Iowa State lottery. The tax forms are different for foreign nationals, however, and winnings will be subjected to more taxation than those with a US social security number.

Groups

This is perhaps somewhat unique to the Iowa lotto online, the fact that groups can play the lotto and claim winnings as a collective entity. If you wish to do this, you must lift the names and details of every single one of the eligible winners on the claims form. You can also claim as an organization or a trust as well, and the winning check can be made out as such.

If your idea of VIP clubs comes from betting sites and online casinos, you might be thinking that you have to spend big or play overly-frequently to join and reap the benefits, but that’s most certainly not the case here. Anyone can join the IA Lottery VIP Club completely free today, simply by filling out the online form with all the necessary details. To make matters better, you don’t have to be a big spender to reap the maximum rewards with the Iowa Lotteries VIPTo get the full benefit, we recommend downloading the LotteryPlus app.

What are the Benefits of VIP?

All VIP members receive exclusive codes and promotions that give you the chance to win additional cash prizes with your losing games and tickets. Additionally, they will sometimes send you surprise promotions, offers or merchandise completely at random via your email. And, perhaps the crowning jewel of VIP, free Iowa lotto tickets are sent out to VIP members every month as part of the regular newsletter.