Iowa Lottery: Iowa lottery offering receipts
Players who buy lottery or scratch tickets in Iowa now can receive a receipt, a move designed to enhance players' security.
The receipt system is the second phase of the Iowa Lottery's enhanced player security program. The program began in March.
Receipts will be available for every instant-scratch or lottery ticket that is checked or cashed. Two receipts will be printed — one for the retailer, and one for the player.
The receipts were offered for the first time starting yesterday.
The move is the second effort in recent weeks by the lottery to combat fraud. In March, the state lottery began its "Sign it. It's yours" campaign. It requires players to sign the backs of their lottery tickets before they can be cashed with an Iowa Lottery retailer.
Lottery officials said adding receipts is designed to make sure that players are paid the prizes they are rightfully owed.
When a player wins a prize, the receipt will show the amount won, eliminating any confusion about the pay out.
"The Iowa Lottery wants to do everything it can to prevent even the slightest possibility of fraud," acting Iowa Lottery CEO Ken Brickman said in a statement. "By having the players sign the back of the ticket and having a receipt available any time a lottery or scratch ticket is checked or cashed both the player and the retailer are protected."
The security changes come after lottery officials and the state ombudsman's office agreed to work together in an investigation into the lottery's complaint process and whether retailers could be claiming customer winnings.
A preliminary investigation by Ombudsman William Angrick raised questions about one store clerk who won the lottery six times in 12 months, collecting $264,000.
Some critics have complained about the additional burdens of the new security procedures including the amount of paper that will be used, the need for pens and the number of receipts that will tossed around lottery retailers' businesses.
Lottery officials have said they will give retailers additional trash bins for the receipts as well as more pens for people to sign tickets. The lottery also has a public information campaign to acquaint customers with the changes.
The Iowa Lottery began in 1985 and has awarded more than $2.1 billion in prizes.