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Northeast Iowa Man Wins Big InstaPlay Lottery Prize

James Bergmann Wins Jackpot Prize of More Than $17,000

James Bergmann

CLIVE, Iowa — A northeast Iowa man said he did a double-take after winning a lottery prize of more than $17,000.

"My first thought was, 'Was it real?'" James Bergmann, 59, of Frederika, said on Thursday as he claimed his JACKPOT PARTY® Progressive InstaPlay prize of $17,366. "I had to scan it again to make sure I won it."

The JACKPOT PARTY Progressive jackpot starts at $10,000 and increases with each ticket sold statewide until it is won. Bergmann purchased his winning ticket at Frederika Tap, 108 Third St. in Frederika, a Bremer County community of about 200.

"I was just down playing a few games, pull-tabs and InstaPlays, and I played an Extreme Green [Progressive InstaPlay ticket] and a JACKPOT PARTY [ticket]," Bergmann said. "I thought I had lost, and I checked it and it came up as the winning progressive."

Bergmann claimed his prize Thursday at the lottery's Cedar Rapids regional office. He said he hasn't decided what he'll do with his winnings.

"It wasn't quite enough to retire, but it is a nice prize," he said.

The InstaPlay product combines features from instant-scratch and lotto games. InstaPlay tickets are called "scratchless" because they have no security coating that needs to be removed to determine the prize won. And rather than having supplies of tickets printed in advance like those in traditional scratch and pull-tab games, InstaPlay tickets are printed on demand from the lottery terminal.

InstaPlay games range in price from $1 to $20. For more information, visit www.ialottery.com.