MARSHALLTOWN MAN WINS $25,000

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Antonio Saldana Wins Top Prize in New Scratch Game

DES MOINES, Iowa - A Marshall County man has won the first top prize in a new Iowa Lottery scratch game.

Antonio Saldana of Marshalltown won $25,000 playing the “Ruby Red 7's Bingo” instant-scratch game. He purchased the ticket at Kum & Go, 916 E. Main Ave. in Marshalltown.

Saldana claimed the prize at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Des Moines.

Ruby Red 7's/Sapphire Blue 7's Bingo is a $2 scratch game. Players try to match any complete horizontal, vertical or diagonal line, four corners, all numbers in a highlighted “7” pattern or an “X” (consisting of eight numbers plus a “Free” space) on one of their four Bingo cards to win the corresponding prize in the prize legend for that card.

The overall odds of winning in the game are 1 in 3.80.

Twenty-one top prizes of $25,000 have yet to be claimed in the game, along with 21 prizes of $7,777, approximately 40 prizes of $2,500, about 40 prizes of $777 and several other hundreds of prizes from $500 to $77.

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.