(Clive, IA) -- Iowa Lottery sales in the just-ended fiscal year topped $481-(M) million. The Lottery says the prize payout was over 305-(M) million. More than 108-(M) million went to state causes. Commissions to local businesses selling tickets totaled 31-(M) million. The Lottery says preliminary numbers show an 11-percent increase from the previous year of nearly $433 million.
“Thank you to Iowa Lottery players, retail partners, and the Lottery's hard-working team, who all contributed to producing a record year of sales and proceeds for the good causes in Iowa that rely on lottery sales," said Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn. "Our team never forgets the ‘Iowa’ part of the Iowa Lottery as we meet our promise to responsibly offer entertaining games, products and promotions to the public. That focus continues to produce unprecedented results for Iowans."
Lottery proceeds to state causes in FY 2023 increased 10.5 percent from the previous year, and prizes to players increased 11.3 percent from the previous year’s total. Lottery sales commissions to Iowa businesses increased 10.8 percent from the previous year.
Strawn says two main factors drove up the numbers: a rebound in sales of scratch games and significant jackpots in national lotto games.
The jackpots in Mega Millions® and Powerball® both topped the $400 million mark in October 2022, with the Powerball prize continuing to grow to $2.04 billion for that game’s drawing on Nov. 7, 2022. That is the world record for a lottery prize.
Lotto America also saw a sales surge for the year. Its jackpot reached $40.04 million, a record for that game, in its drawing on April 1, 2023. A Dubuque man won the jackpot that night.
Scratch game sales rebounded in FY 2023 after falling the previous year amid surging fuel prices and inflationary pressures.