FAIRBANK WOMAN WINS $30,000 LOTTERY PRIZE

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Jessica Dutka Wins Top Prize Playing the "Crossword" Scratch Game

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Fairbank woman won the top prize of $30,000 playing the "Crossword" instant-scratch game.

Jessica Dutka claimed her prize Wednesday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids. She bought her winning ticket at Go America, 5350 31st Ave. in Urbana.

Crossword is a $3 scratch game. Players win a prize by uncovering at least three complete words in the ticket's puzzle. If a player uncovers 10 words, he/she wins $30,000. The overall odds of winning in the game are about 1 in 4.

Fourteen prizes of $30,000 are still up for grabs in Crossword as well as 23 prizes of $3,000, more than 345 prizes of $300 as well as more than 1,665 prizes of $100.

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.