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Lawmakers to mediate spat over Iowa Lottery securityNews Story
Relations have become so strained between feuding directors of two state agencies that a couple of Iowa lawmakers have agreed to step in as mediators. The standoff pits state ombudsman William Angrick against Iowa Lottery chief executive Terry Rich. Angrick's staff, which investigates citizen complaints, has spent more than two years investigating the Iowa Lottery and has concluded that lottery players could be at risk of being cheated. Rich says he has responded fully to each of the om
Dec 14, 2009, 9:33 am - Lottery News

Iowa joins multi-state Mega Millions lotteryNews Story
Iowa Lottery players will soon be able to make their first drawing for Mega Millions, a popular multistate game that paid a record $390 million jackpot two years ago. The Iowa Lottery Board voted unanimously Monday to join Mega Millions, which will give lottery players another opportunity to buy chances for a Powerball-style game, said Iowa Lottery Chief Executive Officer Terry Rich. Ticket sales for Mega Millions are scheduled to start in Iowa on Jan. 31 for a Feb. 2 drawing. Both games o
Nov 17, 2009, 7:29 am - Lottery News

Iowa steelworkers group claims $1 million Powerball lottery prizeNews Story
A group of 10 co-workers from a Des Moines tire-manufacturing plant stepped forward Monday to claim a $1 million Powerball prize they'd won with a ticket purchased a local convenience store. The co-workers who all produce agricultural tires at the Des Moines Firestone plant are calling themselves The Local 310 Ten because they're all members of Local 310 of the United Steelworkers Union. They've pooled their money to buy Powerball tickets together for about five years and made for a happy bun
Oct 13, 2009, 8:42 am - Lottery News

Recent checks of Iowa Lottery retailers find no fraudNews Story
Security checks at lottery ticket sale locations at about 200 locations statewide in recent months have revealed no improper payments of prizes to or by store personnel, Iowa's lottery chief told a panel of state legislators last week. Terry Rich, chief executive officer of the Iowa Lottery, played up the safety and profitability of the lottery before members of the Legislature's Oversight Committee in the wake of an expansive report by Iowa's Ombudsman of State. The April report found the lo
Jun 15, 2009, 7:14 am - Lottery News

Players can get credit for Iowa lottery errorNews Story
The Iowa Lottery says it will pay qualified players after an operator error on its computer system vendor interrupted its Big Beepin' Deal promotion. Officials say any player who made a qualifying purchase on Sunday, Monday and part of Tuesday can receive a $20 bonus by mailing the ticket to the lottery. Officials say the error prevented the promotion from running for a time. The Big Beepin' Deal began May 3. For every 20th purchase statewide of a $10 Powerball with a Power Play option,
May 27, 2009, 10:53 am - Lottery News

New report criticizes Iowa Lottery securityNews Story
Report claims lottery not investigating fraud complaints The state ombudsman issued a report Tuesday alleging Iowa Lottery officials have failed to adequately protect the enterprise's customers from fraud and theft by retailers. Iowa Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman Bill Angrick said his review of three years' worth of lottery investigations found numerous customer complaints where leads went unexplored and potential crimes were not pursued. And, Angrick said in a 210-page report, even when the
Apr 22, 2009, 12:08 pm - Lottery News

Reflecting bad times, some lotteries hit losing streakNews Story
State lotteries are down on their luck as players cut back on games of chance. From California, where sales for the past year are down 5%, to Florida, where sales slipped 7%, fewer people are gambling on scratch-off tickets and numbers games. The economy probably has affected lottery sales the way it's affected all discretionary spending, says David Gale of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. About half of Americans buy lottery tickets, according to a 2008
Apr 14, 2009, 8:47 am - Lottery News

Iowa Lottery retail check finds no cheatingNews Story
The Iowa Lottery said today it found no evidence that lottery ticket winners were cheated when it conducted security checks last month at 120 retail sites statewide. Three lottery underecover investigators posed as customers and visited 126 randomly-selected Iowa retail locations on Feb. 24 and 25, said Iowa Lottery Vice President Mary Neubauer. They presented 128 winning tickets with cash prizes ranging from $1 to $100. In every instance, the retailer paid the correct amount, Neubauer sai
Mar 13, 2009, 9:13 am - Lottery News

Powerball lottery drawings will move to FloridaNews Story
After 16 years in the Heartland, Powerball is moving south. The lottery game is moving its televised drawings from Iowa to Florida. Florida decided to join the Multi-State Lottery Association last summer and offer the game in January. It's also getting a new look, new odds and a bigger jackpot. Executive Director Chuck Strutt says details, including the location of a new studio, are still being worked out, but the first drawing from Florida is set for Jan. 7. A new face is also comin
Dec 10, 2008, 10:24 am - Lottery News

Iowa lottery offering receiptsNews Story
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.
May 6, 2008, 10:33 am - Lottery News