Receipts Are Available
As an Iowa Lottery player, be sure to get your receipt every time you have a ticket checked or
cashed at a lottery terminal. It's an easy way to verify the results of your ticket.
Remember to protect yourself by determining on your own whether your ticket has won a prize. And know
that whenever you do have a ticket checked or cashed at a lottery terminal in Iowa, receipts are
automatically printed.
If the receipt is for a scratch ticket, information at the bottom of the receipt shows the game, pack
and ticket number for the ticket involved. Those same numbers are just above the barcode on the back
of each scratch ticket, so you can check the receipt against the ticket to be sure they match.
If the receipt is for a lotto ticket in a game like
Powerball® or Mega Millions®, in the upper left is a
long string of numbers that includes the 20-digit
serial number for your ticket. That same serial
number also is in the upper left of the ticket
itself. So again, you can check the receipt against
the ticket to be sure they match.
(No receipts are involved for pull-tab tickets
because they include "built-in receipts." Any prize
won on a pull-tab is already printed underneath the
tabs on the ticket so the amount involved is very clear.)
A lot of retail locations automatically offer
nonwinning tickets back to their customers, but if
that doesn't happen, feel free to ask for your
ticket back if you have any concerns. Winning
tickets are kept by the lottery and its retailers
for record-keeping and security purposes, but
nonwinning tickets can be returned to the customer.
Players are responsible for checking the accuracy of
tickets before leaving the store, and for
determining whether or not a ticket is a winner. If
you believe you have won, and the terminal rejects,
or a retailer disputes the validity of your prize
claim, you may submit your claim directly to the
Iowa Lottery for review. All risks of redeeming the
ticket remain with the player. Iowa law prohibits
the sale of lottery tickets to those younger than
21.
For more information, see our Sign Your Ticket FAQ page.
If you ever have a concern about Iowa Lottery
products or operations, please call us at
515-725-7900 or e-mail us at wmaster@ialottery.com.