Iowa Lottery installing new terminals, fully operational in July

Iowa Lottery officials are rolling out their upgraded, computerized terminals that will allow players to more quickly check their tickets to see if they're a winner or a loser.

Terry Rich, lottery chief executive officer, showcased the new terminals and self-checkers Monday at the Grab A Snack Shack at a local shopping mall – one of up to 2,500 lottery retailers in Iowa that are getting the new Scientific Games International terminals that are replacing the familiar red ticket dispensers that have been in use since 2001.

Once the new terminals are installed, the new system will go live on July 3, said lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer. The machines are part of a 10-year, $50 million contract that will give the lottery the capability to use the machines to issue messages statewide, such as Amber alerts, city by city or individually to lottery retail locations, she said.

The machines that print and cash lottery tickets and the look of lotto tickets themselves are being updated as the Iowa Lottery transitions to a new statewide computerized gaming system. Along with the self-checkers, the upgrades will include lighted signs that will automatically update the latest big jackpot amounts for Powerball and Mega Millions that will allow players to keep informed while pumping gas or entering stores to make other purchases.

“We're excited to bring our players and retailers a state-of-the-art system,” Rich said. “It gives us new capabilities while at the same time providing the reliability and security players have always expected from the Iowa Lottery.”

Georgia-based Scientific Games International supplies the lottery's current equipment, so Rich said the changeover will allow the old lottery terminals to be removed from retail locations as the new equipment is being installed. The statewide roll-out began this month and the entire new system is scheduled to become operational in July.

It is anticipated that the new equipment will be in use in Iowa for seven to 10 years, he said. Rich said the changeover is a huge undertaking but, like any electronic equipment, he noted that lottery systems need to be replaced over time.

“Each time we've updated our system here in Iowa, we've concentrated on equipment that's easier for retailers to use while also providing faster service and more convenience for customers,” Rich said.

The new lottery terminals feature touch-screen technology and thermal printers that use heat instead of ink to print lotto tickets on a new style of paper, so the tickets in games like Powerball will look a little different in Iowa than they have in the past, Neubauer said. Customers also will notice flat-screen monitors in many locations that will display jackpot information and game details at the point of sale.

Initially, the self-checkers will only read lotto tickets, but once the entire new system goes live in July, customers also will be able to check instant-scratch tickets on the devices, she added.

Customers may experience some interruptions in service as the lottery conversion continues in the weeks and months ahead, Rich said.

“There may occasionally be an inconvenience and we apologize for that,” he said. “But we'll have the new system up and running as soon as possible and we think our retailers and customers will like the changes we've made.”