Iowa Lottery Posted Wrong Powerball Numbers—but Temporary ‘Winners’ Get to Keep Money

Iowa Lottery Posted Wrong Powerball Numbers—but Temporary ‘Winners’ Get to Keep Money
A display panel advertises tickets for a Powerball drawing at a convenience store, on Nov. 7, 2022. Keith Srakocic/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:
0:00

DES MOINES, Iowa—Powerball losers in Iowa were actually winners for about seven hours this week after the state’s lottery mistakenly posted the wrong winning numbers for the game.

Lottery officials blamed an unspecified “human reporting error” for the wrong numbers being posted for Monday night’s Powerball drawing. The incorrect numbers were posted on the Iowa Lottery’s website about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday and it took until 7:15 a.m. before anyone noticed the mistake, took down the numbers and halted payoffs.