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Iowa Lottery sales reached record high in 2016, report says

Scratch ticket sales were up 10 percent and Powerball ticket sales grew by 43 percent in 2016.
iowa lottery

DES MOINES (AP) — A new report says sales of Iowa Lottery tickets spiked in the budget year that ended June 30 and generated the most revenue in the program’s 31-year history.

Backed by surging sales of instant-scratch and Powerball tickets, the Lottery brought in $366.9 million in total revenue, a $42 million increase from the prior year.

A state audit released Tuesday says $88 million of that money went to the state’s general fund and to help veteran’s programs, the highest amount for the Lottery since its start in 1985. More than $221 million went toward prize expenses.

Sales of instant-scratch tickets increased by 10.2 percent to a record $233.7 million. Powerball ticket sales surged by 43 percent to nearly $75 million as players were enticed by a new formula that made for larger jackpots.

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