CRESTON WOMAN WINS $30,000 LOTTERY PRIZE

Mary Williamson Wins Top Prize Playing the "Jingle Bell Crossword" Scratch Game

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Creston woman has won the top prize of $30,000 playing the lottery's "Jingle Bell Crossword" instant-scratch game.

Mary Williamson claimed her prize Tuesday at the Iowa Lottery's headquarters in Des Moines. She bought her winning ticket at Casey's, 403 E. Townline in Creston.

Jingle Bell 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.

Sixteen prizes of $30,000 are still up for grabs in Jingle Bell Crossword as well as 25 prizes of $3,000, more than 290 prizes of $300 as well as more than 1,430 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 nearly $1.2 billion for state programs.