Prize Percentage
By The Numbers
The Iowa Lottery provides a variety of information about the odds in its games and the
prizes available in them. (Please click on the pages for individual games to learn more.)
The numbers will vary over time, depending upon the games offered and tickets purchased,
but here is another way of analyzing the percentages: For every $1 spent, X cents is returned to
the player in prizes.
In announcing the findings of its annual audit of the Iowa Lottery, the Auditor of State's Office provides
an analysis of lottery prizes awarded. Here is an excerpt from the Auditor's information about the lottery
for fiscal year 2022:
An analysis of prizes awarded for the year ended June 30, 2022, is as follows:
Scratch ticket prizes = 67% of Instant-scratch ticket sales
InstaPlay prizes = 73% of InstaPlay sales
Pick 3 prizes = 60% of Pick 3 sales
Pick 4 prizes = 60% of Pick 4 sales
Powerball prizes = 50% of Powerball sales
Mega Millions prizes = 50% of Mega Millions sales
Lotto America prizes = 50% of Lotto America sales
Pull-tab prizes = 62% of Pull-tab sales