Lottery-Ticket Purchases at Checkout Make Iowa Debut at Fareway Stores
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Production Notes:
High-definition video of a ticket being sold at the cash register in an Iowa Fareway grocery store is available to download from the Iowa Lottery's Dropbox account here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/
A JPEG image of an Iowa Mega Millions ticket being printed at the check-out is available here: https://ialottery.com/images/
A JPEG image of an Iowa Powerball ticket that has been printed at the check-out is available here: https://ialottery.com/
If you can't open these link, visit ialottery.com and click on Press Room.
New ‘Easy Play’ Option Adds Customer Convenience
CLIVE, Iowa — Powerball® and Mega Millions® tickets can now be purchased in checkout lanes at select Fareway® Stores in Iowa, marking the state debut of this new convenience in lottery purchases.
The new purchase process allows the printing of easy-pick tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions at the cash register. The tickets involved are produced on the same paper as store receipts, but printed separately.
Called Easy Play, this new purchase option from the Iowa Lottery debuted Feb. 24 in select Fareway stores and is planned to roll out by the end of March to all Fareway locations in Iowa that sell lottery tickets. Customers at those stores will be able to buy easy-pick tickets (meaning the numbers in the play are randomly assigned) in Powerball and Mega Millions in any checkout lane staffed by a cashier.
Prior to this month’s debut of Easy Play, Iowa Lottery tickets could only be purchased at a lottery terminal or self-service kiosk in a retail location.
“Think of Easy Play as an express lane while the lottery terminal provides a full-service approach for all lottery products,” said Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn. “We recognize consumer expectations for convenience and are thrilled to work with a partner like Fareway to deliver that experience.”
Mike McCormick, Chief Retail Officer with Fareway Stores, Inc., said his company welcomes the new option.
“We are excited to partner with the Iowa Lottery to be the first retailer in the state to provide customers with the convenience of Easy Play,” McCormick said. “At Fareway, the customer experience is a top priority and adding Easy Play will elevate that experience for our lottery playing customers.”
The Easy Play process allows customers at the cash register to buy easy-pick tickets with 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 plays for the next drawing in Powerball and Mega Millions. Easy Play tickets do not allow the Power Play®, Double Play® or Megaplier® options to be added and are not available at self-service checkouts.
Customers who want to cash a winning ticket, choose their own numbers to play in a lotto game, or buy tickets in the full selection of lottery games available at the store will still go to the lottery terminal for those transactions.
Strawn said that development and implementation of the Easy Play technology has been a years-long endeavor for the Iowa Lottery. He emphasized that Easy Play tickets adhere to the same exacting security standards as those from a lottery terminal or self-service kiosk. And, any Fareway cash registers utilized for Easy Play transactions ensure that lottery purchases are made with cash or the equivalent, not credit.
Easy Play tickets can be checked or cashed at any retail location in Iowa. Tickets printed from a store’s cash register look similar to those from a lottery terminal, but feature the Easy Play logo to help identify them. And as with tickets from a lottery terminal or self-service kiosk, excessive heat or light can damage Easy Play tickets.
The technology that allows Iowa Lottery tickets to be printed from cash registers in Fareway stores involves technology from three distinct platforms: the statewide central gaming system that provides and tracks Iowa Lottery sales transactions in real-time; the point-of-sale system utilized at Fareway store cash registers; and a systems communications bridge that securely links the two.
The systems bridge is provided through a technical partnership with ABACUS. Using the North American State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) API, the ABACUS Fusion Platform has been integrated with the lottery’s central gaming system provided by Scientific Games to enable in-lane sales of the two major national lottery games.
ABACUS, in conjunction with its retail vendor partners, has built the connectivity that facilitates the sale of lottery tickets on the retailers’ point-of-sale systems. This solution enables the quick and seamless deployment of lottery products into retail.
Simon Butler, the CEO of ABACUS said, “We are pleased to be working with the Iowa Lottery and Fareway Stores who will be the first U.S. lottery and grocer, and among the first in North America, to adopt this print-on-receipt lottery solution. ABACUS are innovators in the lottery industry and help lead the U.S. lottery market in improving retail lottery operations.”
Scientific Games, the Iowa Lottery’s systems and retail point-of-sale technology provider, worked with the Lottery and Abacus to connect the solution to its central gaming system.
Fareway’s point-of-sale software solution is provided by LOC Software, which has been a leader in retail technology for more than 30 years.
LOC Founder and Chief Technology Officer Stephan Mercier said, “At LOC Software, we are committed to providing innovative retail solutions that enhance both retail operations and customer convenience. The integration of Easy Play with LOC’s point of sale solution demonstrates our ability to streamline transactions while maintaining the security and efficiency that retailers and consumers expect.”
Gilles Lapierre, Chief Executive Officer of LOC Software, said that the company’s partnership with ABACUS allows retailers like Fareway to efficiently integrate lottery sales into their existing operations.
“At LOC Software, we are dedicated to developing innovative solutions that simplify business processes, enhance customer convenience, and improve overall operational efficiency for our retail partners,” Lapierre said.
About ABACUS Solutions International Group
ABACUS – the gateway of choice to connect retailers and lotteries with their consumers in the global market. Abacus believes the future of lottery lies in integrating into existing retailer infrastructures by providing a highly secure transaction gateway. The Abacus Fusion Platform sits at the heart of this process with the Abacus team managing integration from start to finish. The Abacus gateway enables lotteries and retailers to respond to the ever-changing consumer market with speed, agility, reliability and integrity.
About Fareway
Fareway Stores, Inc., is a growing Midwest grocery company currently operating 139 stores in a seven-state region. Fareway’s mission is to provide the highest quality products, while treating customers like family, and valuing dedicated employees. Its stores are known for their unmatched, full-service meat departments, farm-fresh produce, and exceptional to-your-car customer service. Fareway is a family-owned business, recognized as a top 10 employer in Iowa, and has more than 12,000 total employees. Visit Fareway.com for more information or shop online by visiting Shop.Fareway.com.
About the Iowa Lottery
Since the lottery's start in 1985, its players have won more than $5.9 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $2.5 billion for state programs.
Today, lottery proceeds help our state in multiple ways. They support Iowa veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. They help with ongoing insurance costs for the families of Iowa peace officers, firefighters and corrections employees who die in the line of duty. And they provide help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund.
About LOC Software
For more than 30 years, LOC Software has been at the forefront of retail technology. LOC’s all-in-one solution gives high-volume, independent merchants the tools to optimize retail performance. Its flagship modular software suite, ThriVersA, includes point of sale, back office, host, eCommerce, self-service, loyalty, and more, giving retailers the freedom to design the solution that supports their unique processes and workflows.
About Scientific Games
Scientific Games is a global leader in retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services that drive profits for government-sponsored lottery and sports betting programs. From enterprise gaming platforms to exciting entertainment experiences and trailblazing retail and digital solutions, we elevate play every day. We are industry pioneers in instant games, data analytics, retail solutions and iLottery. Built on a foundation of trusted partnerships since 1973, Scientific Games combines relentless innovation, performance and unwavering security to responsibly propel the industry forward. For more information, visit scientificgames.com.
Contacts for more information:
ABACUS Solutions International Group
Simon Butler, CEO
Fareway Stores, Inc.
Elias Johnson, Vice President of Corporate Outreach & Communications
515-824-0312 or
Iowa Lottery
Mary Neubauer, Vice President of External Relations and Social Responsibility
515-725-7906 or
Loc Software
Rene Stai, Director of Marketing
Scientific Games