Iowa lottery jackpots to rise in 2021 after low prizes due to pandemic
Powerball and Mega Millions lottery games are trying to climb out of a 2020 pandemic funk.
Lottery jackpots took a hit in 2020. Fewer people bought Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, instead they spent more on Iowa Lottery scratch tickets.
Its more than a year since the Powerball jackpot cracked $400 million. The Mega Millions jackpot is growing too at more than $482 million. A small sign that pandemic fever may be breaking for lottery dreamers.
"This is just the third time in the history of the games that they both have had a jackpot at the same time that's more than $400 million. That's amazing because these games go back decades," said Iowa Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer.
Neubauer said the jackpot drawings are slow to increase for several reasons. Fewer people are in the office doing lottery pools, and they're not driving by the normal places to buy lottery tickets on the commute to work.
Looking at ticket sales numbers, Powerball sales in the fiscal year 2020 were about $36 million. In 2019 it was more than $54 million.
"So it kind of became this repeating cycle where if sales are lower, then jackpots are lower, and if jackpots are lower, sales are lower," Neubauer said.
She said sales of scratch tickets are up by 23%. More people are using them as entertainment when they're stuck at home, according to Neubauer. Now, there is hope the growing jackpots will put people in the winning mood.
"Maybe this is something that can just give people a moment to day dream and have a little fun and not feel all the pressure of the day to day life right now," she said.