40 Years of the Iowa Lottery: Games, Prizes, Winners, and Proceeds

For its 40th Anniversary, the Lottery has a throwback game

CLIVE, Iowa (June 11, 2025) – Four decades of lottery entertainment in Iowa has led to millions of prize winners annually, games that have become synonymous with enormous jackpots, and billions of dollars raised for meaningful state causes.

"While lotto jackpots may have grown larger and there are more choices available for consumers than when that first Iowa Lottery ticket was sold in 1985, what hasn't changed is the lottery's commitment to integrity, fair play, and being an affordable entertainment option for Iowans," said Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn.

Throwback Game

As it celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, the Iowa Lottery is giving players a look at its earliest days with a throwback version of its very first product. The 2025 version of the "Scratch, Match & Win!" scratch game began sales June 3 and is now available at lottery retail locations statewide.

Tickets in the 2025 version of the Scratch, Match & Win game feature artwork of a hand holding a coin to scratch a ticket, much like the lottery's original scratch game from August 1985. But today's version is a $5 game with instant prizes of up to $50,000 and tickets much larger in size than those from 40 years ago.

Players who don't win a cash prize on their Scratch, Match & Win ticket can enter it into a lottery promotion for a chance to win concert prize packages at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand or cash prizes of up to $100,000.

The Scratch, Match & Win promotion opened Wednesday, and players can enter eligible tickets into it through the morning of Sept. 17. The promotion will have two drawing dates. The first on July 22 will be for 83 concert prize packages to 2025 performances at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand. Each Grandstand ticket prize package includes four concert tickets, four Iowa State Fair admission tickets, a parking pass for the Fair, and $400 spending money.

The promotion's second drawing date on Sept. 18 will award 51 cash prizes ranging from $1,000 up to the grand prize of $100,000.

40 Years Of Lottery History

Legislation authorizing a lottery in Iowa was signed into law on April 18, 1985, and Iowa Lottery sales began a little more than four months later with a kick-off celebration on Aug. 22, 1985, at the Iowa State Fair.

In the four decades it has been in operation, the Iowa Lottery has evolved from offering a single scratch game at its start into an organization with dozens of games on the market at a time and technology that continues to evolve to meet consumer expectations.

"Today's consumers expect variety and convenience. The Iowa Lottery strives to meet those expectations," Strawn said. "Players now can buy tickets at a lottery terminal, from self-service kiosks in many locations, and in the checkout lanes in select grocery stores. Players can also check the results of their tickets on the go with the lottery's mobile app or by using a self-checker or the lottery terminal in stores."

Over the years, there has been a constant for the Iowa Lottery: scratch tickets have remained its top-selling product. Through April, the latest month for which complete figures are available, scratch games had accounted for nearly 67 percent annual Iowa Lottery sales in fiscal year 2025. Lotto tickets made up about 23 percent of the lottery sales for the year, InstaPlay tickets were about 7 percent of annual lottery sales, and pull-tab games were about 3 percent of annual sales.

The Lottery's Impact By The Numbers

By the numbers, here is a look at 40 years of lottery history in Iowa (figures current through April 30, 2025, unless otherwise noted):