$25,000 LOTTERY TICKET SOLD IN COUNCIL BLUFFS

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Brian Bowman Wins Top Prize Playing "Snowman Bingo" Scratch Game

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Omaha, Neb. man was traveling through Council Bluffs when he stopped to pick up a "Snowman Bingo" scratch ticket and ended up winning a $25,000 prize!

Brian Bowman said he plays the lottery's different Bingo scratch tickets because his mom always liked to play them.

"It used to be one of her favorite scratch-offs, so I still play them every once in a while," Bowman said as he claimed his prize Monday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Council Bluffs.

Bowman, 34, works as a mechanic for Meineke Auto in Council Bluffs and scratched the ticket while he was waiting for his car to warm up after work. He said his co-workers were just as surprised at the win as Bowman.

"They were shocked. They had never seen one before," he said.

Bowman said he plans to use his winnings for a down payment on a house. He has three children ages 15, 12 and 11 who he said are looking forward to moving.

Bowman bought his winning ticket at Bucky's Express, 3501 Broadway in Council Bluffs.

Snowman Bingo is a $2 scratch game. Players try to match any complete horizontal, vertical or diagonal line, four corners, or an "X" pattern on one of the four Bingo cards to win the corresponding prize in the prize arrow that points to their card. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are 1 in 3.57.

Bowman claimed the first of six top prizes of $25,000 in Snowman Bingo. There are still 10 prizes of $2,500 left in the game, as well as 17 prizes of $500 and 200 prizes of $150 and $250.

Since the Iowa Lottery's inception in 1985, more than $2.4 billion has been awarded in prizes and nearly $1.2 billion has been raised for state programs.