WATERLOO MAN WINS $25,000 LOTTERY PRIZE

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Chris Mrzlak Wins First Top Prize Playing "Bingo Night" Scratch Game

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Waterloo man has won the first top prize of $25,000 playing the Iowa Lottery's "Bingo Night" instant-scratch game.

Chris Mrzlak claimed his prize Tuesday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids. He bought his winning ticket at Kwik Stop, 1761 Independence Ave. in Waterloo.

Bingo Night is a $2 scratch game. Players try to match any complete horizontal, vertical or diagonal line, four corners, or an "X" pattern on one of the four Bingo cards to win the corresponding prize in the prize arrow that points to their card. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are 1 in 3.57.

Mrzlak claimed the first of 22 top prizes of $25,000 in Bingo Night. Forty-three prizes of $2,500 are still up for grabs in the game, along with 86 prizes of $500 and 830 prizes of $250 and $150.

Since the Iowa Lottery's inception in 1985, more than $2.4 billion has been awarded in prizes and more than $1.2 billion has been raised for state programs.