News : Vinton man wins $30,000 in Iowa Lottery Crossword game

Don Campbell holds Iowa Lottery check after winning $30,000; he bought ticket at John's Qwik Stop.

A Vinton man won the top prize of $30,000 playing the lottery’s “Crossword” instant-scratch game.

Don Campbell claimed his prize Monday, March 7, at the Iowa Lottery’s regional office in Cedar Rapids. He purchased his winning ticket at John’s Qwik Stop, 814 C Ave. in Vinton.

Crossword is a $3 scratch game. Players win a prize by uncovering at least three complete words in the ticket’s puzzle. If a player uncovers 10 words, he/she wins $30,000. The overall odds of winning in the game are 1 in 3.82.

Twenty-eight prizes of $30,000 are still up for grabs in Crossword as well as 42 prizes of $3,000, 590 prizes of $300 and more than 2,800 prizes of $100.

Since the lottery’s start in 1985, its players have won more than $2.6 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans.

Today, lottery proceeds in Iowa have three main purposes: They provide support for veterans, help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund, and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions in the state and build and repair schools.