IOWA LOTTERY ENHANCES PLAYER SECURITY
WITH “SIGN IT. IT'S YOURS.”

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For more information about the "Sign It. It's Yours." campaign, including answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

Players Must Sign Lottery Tickets Before Retailers Can Check or Cash Them

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Lottery is enhancing player security procedures with new initiatives taking effect this spring.

The first change will be implemented Saturday. As of that day, players presenting Iowa Lottery tickets to retailers will have to sign the backs of their tickets before they can be checked or cashed.

As part of its commitment to player security, the Iowa Lottery also is implementing a new public awareness campaign called “Sign it. It's yours.” The campaign will inform the public about the new procedures. Radio, television and print advertising will address players' rights and responsibilities when it comes to checking and cashing lottery tickets.

Signing the ticket is designed to protect against the possibility of fraud and ensure that players are paid the prizes they rightfully have won, said Ken Brickman, the lottery's chief operating officer and acting CEO.

“Iowa has had a very strong record regarding lottery security, and the changes we are implementing are designed to protect against even the possibility of fraud,” Brickman said. “The new procedures are part of the lottery's commitment to integrity.”

The new signature rule applies to all Iowa Lottery tickets - lotto, instant-scratch and pull-tab. Players must sign the back of any ticket before it can be checked or redeemed. For any pull-tab ticket that does not have a signature line, players will be asked to sign at the bottom of the back of the ticket. Individuals who refuse to sign the back of their lottery tickets will not be allowed to have them checked or cashed at any Iowa Lottery retail location.

In May, another initiative will begin. Receipts will be available for every instant-scratch or lotto ticket that is checked or cashed. Two receipts will be printed - one for the retailer and one for the lottery player - that will show the results of a particular ticket and whether it has won a prize. Receipts will not be involved for pull-tab tickets, as the amount of any pull-tab prize won is already printed on the front of the ticket.

The Iowa Lottery also reminds the public that there are a variety of ways to learn about the lottery and its products:

• Watch the televised drawings in lotto games.
• Check information on the lottery Web site at www.ialottery.com.
• Ask a retailer to print winning numbers reports from the lottery terminal.
• Call one of the lottery's five regional offices around the state for information.
• Listen to lottery results on local radio stations.
• Check lottery results in local newspapers.
• Call the lottery's winning numbers hot line at 515-323-4633.
• Sign up for the lottery's VIP Club and receive e-mails of winning numbers and drawing results.
• Sign up for the lottery's text-messaging service that sends winning numbers and other information directly to a player's text-enabled mobile device.

Since the Iowa Lottery's inception in 1985, more than $2.1 billion has been awarded in prizes and more than $1.1 billion has been raised for state programs.