Iowa couple stunned after winning $250,000 lottery prize

After playing the lottery, an Iowa couple said they couldn't believe their luck when they discovered they had won $250,000.

Eric Guetter, aged 50, and his wife Deanne, won $250,000 from the Lucky 7 Bonus after purchasing a handful of tickets at Morning Star Station in Worthington, Iowa. They scratched the tickets at home.

Upon uncovering the winning symbol on his lottery ticket, Guetter said he was confident that he had won $25, but his excitement was short-lived as he scratched off the prize amount and discovered a series of zeros indicating a much larger sum.

"I got the magnifying glass out to look a little closer, then I looked at my wife and was like, 'Babe, we won a quarter-million dollars," Guetter said.

They brought the winning ticket to the gas station where an employee confirmed the win using the store's lottery terminal.

"It's disbelief at first until I made sure my eyes weren't lying to me," Guetter said. "And then it was like a great weight lifted off me because we can actually pay off our house now. Wow, it just feels great."

On October 30th, Guetter and his wife claimed their prize at the Iowa Lottery headquarters in Cedar Rapids. 

"You play out of fun with the hopes of winning, but I never expected to win like that," Guetter said. "I always thought it would be nice, but when it actually happened, I just couldn't believe it."

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What is the Lucky 7 Bonus?

Lucky 7 Bonus is a scratch-off game that was launched on February 1st, 2023, and cost $20. The game features 20 top prizes of $250,000 and 76 prizes of $10,000.

What are the odds of winning the Lucky 7 Bonus?

The Lucky 7 Bonus has overall odds of 1 in 2.88, with the top prize having odds of 1 in 118,277.25.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?  

Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.  

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.