News writer
Today at the Iowa State Fair, 1,380 visitors gathered in one area for an unprecedented event: a massive scratch-off.
The scratch-off ticketholders weren't just trying their luck in a peculiar way - they were attempting to break a unique Guinness World Record in honor of the Iowa Lottery's 40th anniversary. And they succeeded.
Yes, it's a legitimate Guinness World Record
Believe it or not, "Most people scratching scratch tickets simultaneously" is a category in the Guinness World Records, and the Iowa Lottery had a mission to crush it tonight.
Attendees were invited to Elwell Family Park for the Iowa State Fair and given free Scratch, Match & Win! tickets. At 5:15 p.m. Central Time tonight, participants 21 and over gathered to scratch their tickets at the same time, hoping to beat the previous record of 550 people.
As the crowd gathered to hear the official results for the record-breaking attempt, the speakers blared:
I can announce that today, Des Moines, Iowa, USA, you have a total of 1,380 participants.
The crowd went wild.
And the new record is…
The previous Guinness record of 550 people scratching tickets at the same time was set in May 2023, according to Guinness. The record-holder was Totalizator Sportowy Lotty in Warsaw, Poland.
It was a no-brainer that Iowa could beat it. As one of the largest and oldest agricultural expos in the country, the Iowa State Fair attracts about 1 million people each year, according to the fair. It draws fairgoers from across the country and even the globe.
For the scratch event, the Lottery drew VIP players via online promotions in advance. Other attendees waited in line for free entry into the big moment.
Pending review by Guinness, the Iowa Lottery is now the proud recordholder with 1,380 lottery players scratching cards at the same time.
But, who knows for how long. Iowa's widely-publicized bid at the record shone a spotlight on this obscure but fun and achievable record. Other US state lotteries will likely try to top it, which sounds like an entertaining competition. Scratch-off flash mobs could become the hot new lottery trend every year.
Bonus incentives
The Iowa Lottery sweetened the deal for fairgoers who joined the scratch party.
Each player was given a free throwback version of the Scratch, Match, and Win! ticket dating back to the treasured game's inception in 1985.
But free scratch tickets weren't enough to break the record. The Iowa Lottery threw in plenty of incentives, including a free T-shirt and commemorative coin scratcher. Following the scratch-off event, participating scratchers were entered into a drawing, winning one $40,000 prize and two $4,000 prizes.
Additionally, players who didn't win a cash prize on their Scratch, Match & Win! ticket during the fair can enter their tickets into a second-chance promotion draw by 9:59 a.m. on September 17. This draw comes with 51 cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $100,000.
The Iowa Lottery certainly wanted people to show up for the record. Future contenders of the Corn State will have to step up.
The Scratch Match & Win! Game
Scratch Match & Win! was the first scratch ticket ever sold by the Iowa Lottery. If they reveal three identical prize amounts, the Scratch Match & Win! ticketholder wins that amount, which was increased to up to $50,000 in June. Revealing an Iowa Lottery logo on the ticket also wins $40 instantly. The current ticket costs $5, while the original ticket cost $1 and came with a $5,000 top cash prize.
Odds of winning the grand $50,000 prize are 1 in 125,902.50. Odds of winning any prize - as low as $5 - are 1 in 3.65.
A gift for Iowa Lottery's 40th? Sales dips
For 40 years, scratch tickets have maintained a stronghold as the top-selling Iowa Lottery product. However, in 2025, sales of scratch games were down 4% from the previous year - from $302.1 million to $290.1 million - which comprises 67% of the Iowa Lottery's sales. Powerball and Mega Millions sales took massive nosedives, too. The Guinness World Record event is an innovative way to boost their lucrative tradition.
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