DATE OF SEPT. 9, 2009, PROVES POPULAR
WITH IOWA LOTTERY PLAYERS

Number Combinations Involving 9s Sell Out In Lottery Pick 3 & Pick 4 Games

DES MOINES, Iowa – Just as it's proven popular for couples getting married, today's date is a big draw for Iowa Lottery players buying tickets in the Pick 3 and Pick 4 games.

Two combinations of numbers have sold out for Wednesday's evening Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings. In Pick 3, players bought out the combination 9-9-9. And in Pick 4, players bought out the combination 9-9-0-9. The Iowa Lottery cuts off sales when the state's liability on a payout reaches $225,000 in Pick 3 and $600,000 in Pick 4.

"Every so often, a particular number combination sells out," Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said Wednesday. "Dates are often big sellers. We anticipated that many of our players would choose a combination that involved some form of Sept. 9, 2009."

Rich said the lottery has seen similar patterns in the past. For example, on July 7, 2007, several combinations sold out in Pick 3 and Pick 4, including 7-7-7, 7-7-7-7 and 7-7-0-7.

Offices around the country that issue marriage licenses saw huge demand from couples to be married on Sept. 9, 2009. Rich said that lottery players also must consider certain number combinations lucky.

"It just makes for a fun topic of discussion to see whether those 'lucky numbers' will come up," Rich said.

Players in the Pick 3 game choose three numbers, from 0 to 9. Players in the Pick 4 game choose four numbers, from 0 to 9. The numbers chosen may be repeated. In addition, players decide the type of bet they wish to make. Players can wager 50 cents up to $5 on each set of numbers. The possible bets are:

• Straight – Win by matching all numbers in the exact order drawn;
• Box – Win by matching all of the numbers in any order;
• Straight/Box – Win by matching the numbers in the exact order and/or in any order;
• Front Pair – Win by matching the first two numbers in exact order.
• Back Pair – Win by matching the last two numbers in exact order.

Pick 3 and Pick 4 drawings are held at 12:40 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and at 9:20 p.m. on Sundays. Prizes in Pick 3 range from $30 to $3,000, while Pick 4 offers prizes from $30 up to $30,000.

Winning numbers may be checked at the lottery Web site at www.ialottery.com or through the winning numbers' hot line at (515) 323-4633. Winning numbers may also be checked with lottery retail outlets or by calling the lottery at (515) 725-7900 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Since the Iowa Lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $2.4 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion for state programs.