Powerball Jackpot Grows to $425 Million

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“I don’t usually buy lottery tickets,” the conversation begins. But who couldn’t use $425 million?

As the jackpot surpasses $425 million, Powerball fever has some West Des Moines residents rushing to convenience stores or their neighborhood grocery stores.

That’s not a record jackpot, but if no one wins Wednesday, that could change, Iowa Lottery officials said. The largest Powerball jackpot in history – $590.5 million – was claimed Gloria Mackenzie of Florida in May.

Some places in West Des Moines to buy Powerball tickets include:

Dahl’s Foods

Hy-Vee Food Stores

Kum & Go

Casey’s General Store

Strong sales across the country are the reason the prize is taking big jumps now. Wednesday’s estimated jackpot is about $118 million higher than the $307.3 million prize that was up for grabs in Saturday’s drawing, Iowa Lottery officials said.

The cut-off for ticket sales for Wednesday’s drawing is at 8:59 p.m. the day of the drawing.

Players are encouraged to sign the back of their tickets and to keep them in a safe place. The lottery also suggests that jackpot winners should seek financial and legal advice as they make plans to enjoy their new winning experience.

“And don’t forget to check your ticket for other prizes,” said Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich. “In addition to the jackpot, there are eight other prize levels in Powerball, ranging from $4 for matching just thePowerball up to $2 million for matching the first five numbers with the Power Play®.”

Winning numbers may be checked at the lottery website at www.ialottery.com or through the winning numbers hot line at (515) 323-4633. Winning numbers may also be checked with lottery retail outlets or by calling the lottery at (515) 725-7900 from8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Players may visit the Iowa Lottery at 2323 Grand Ave. in Des Moines or go to one of the lottery’s regional offices in Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Mason City or Cedar Rapids to claim prizes.

Since the lottery’s start in 1985, its players have won more than $3.1 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.4 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans.

Today, lottery proceeds in Iowa have three main purposes: They provide support for veterans, help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund, and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions in the state and build and repair schools.

DISCUSS: What would you do with the money if you won the Powerball jackpot?