History

Legislation creating Iowa's lottery was signed into law in April 1985 and the lottery began sales on Aug. 22, 1985, with a kickoff celebration at the Iowa State Fair.

The first game sold by the Iowa Lottery was an instant-scratch product called "Scratch, Match and Win" and players bought more than 6.4 million tickets during the first week of play.

In the years since, the Iowa Lottery has raised more than $1.1 billion dollars for state programs while awarding more than $2.2 billion in prizes to players. Sometime in March 2006, an Iowa Lottery player purchased the ticket that helped push lottery profits to state programs over that $1 billion threshold.

Lottery profits have helped the state in a variety of ways through the years. When legislation authorizing the Iowa Lottery was signed into law in 1985, lottery profits were earmarked for the Iowa Plan, a long-term economic development program.

In 1991, lottery profits were designated for environmental and cultural programs. But after one year, all lottery proceeds were directed to the state general fund. Most lottery revenues have continued to go to the general fund since that time. More than 60 percent of the money in the general fund goes to Iowa's public K-12 schools and higher education. Other programs that receive money from the general fund include justice programs, health and human services and agricultural programs.

The Lottery also provides a portion of its revenues to the state Gambling Treatment Program, which administers the 1-800-BETSOFF helpline for those concerned about program gambling. Through the years, the lottery has provided more than $14.8 million in funding to the gambling treatment program.

Lottery revenues also were used to secure financing for the Vision Iowa program. Vision Iowa was created in 2000 to provide funding for tourism attractions and school repairs in the state. Bonds for the program were issued with direct funding provided by state revenues from racetracks and casinos, and lottery revenues used as a backup over the 20-year payback period of the bonds.

The Lottery sells tickets in three general categories: instant-scratch, pull-tab and lotto games. Lottery products are sold at more than 2,600 retail locations in Iowa.

The Iowa Lottery currently has 117 employees who work at its headquarters in Des Moines and its regional offices around the state in Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Mason City and Cedar Rapids.