State Accidentally Posts the Wrong Powerball Winning Numbers — But 'Winners' Will Still Get to Cash In The Iowa Lottery issued an update on the situation on Wednesday.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The only thing less likely than winning the lottery might be winning the lottery by accident after the wrong numbers are printed.

Such was the case for some not-exactly-winners of the Iowa Lottery Powerball, who believed they had won prizes ranging from $4 to $200 but, in reality, had not. Fortunately, those in possession of these tickets will still be able to cash in on the accidental wins.

Related: Man Wins $22M Lottery But Won't Tell His Children, Parents

"The Powerball drawing was conducted correctly as scheduled Monday night, and official results were produced. But the Iowa Lottery's redundant reporting procedures failed after the drawing," the Iowa Lottery — said in a blog post on Wednesday. "It takes time to correct an error like that on the lottery's statewide gaming system, which links all the lottery terminals and self-service kiosks in the state. Lottery staff were able to complete the corrections by yesterday afternoon."

The Iowa lottery chalked the mishap up to human error and noted that would-be winners who had turned in their tickets when the incorrect numbers were posted (which was from approximately 12:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. local time on Monday) would be compensated for the winnings they thought they had won.

A staffer noticed the error around 7:15 a.m. and suspended the Powerball results on the lottery terminals, though a delay in the system statewide had the incorrect numbers up for hours.

Lottery: Virginia Woman Hits Jackpot in Second Lottery Win That Week

The correct winning numbers were posted at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The only tickets affected by the error were Powerball tickets purchased in the state for Monday's drawing.

It was estimated that 3,998 purchased Powerball tickets were declared winners.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Leadership

Strong Leaders Thrive in Complexity — Here Are 5 Leadership Level-Ups for 2025

Leadership isn't static. It's a journey of continual learning and evolution. Here are some lessons for leaders this year.