The first product sold by the Iowa Lottery was an instant-scratch game called Scratch, Match and Win; players bought more than 6.4 million tickets during its first week.
The Lottery sells tickets in four general categories: instant-scratch, InstaPlay, pull-tab and online games.
The Iowa Lottery has over 110 employees who work at its headquarters in Clive and its regional offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Mason City and Storm Lake.
Players choose four digits, each from 0 through 9, or let the lottery terminal select them (Easy Pick) via a $1 straight/box play type.
Hot Lotto was available through 14 lotteries, including Iowa's and the District of Columbia's; its drawings were held each Wednesday and Saturday.
Players could add the Sizzler option to their tickets (similar to Powerball's Power Play); it tripled non-jackpot prizes.
On May 12, 2013, the Hot Lotto game dropped its annuity option; eight "white balls" were added to the original 39.
The game acquired some notoriety in 2015, when it was revealed that Eddie Tipton, an employee of the Multi-State Lottery Association, attempted to rig a 2010 drawing to claim a $16.5 million prize.
Since its jackpot was not won in the final drawing, the money was rolled into the start of the Lotto America game.