On Monday, John Jamtgaard claimed the second of 10 top prizes of $15,000 available in the Iowa Lottery’s new “Triple Win” scratch game. Jamtgaard also claimed scratch ticket prizes of $10,000 in June 2012 and $8,000 in June 2010.
Hy-Vee Gas, 1503 Fourth St. SE in Mason City sold Jamtgaard’s most recent winning ticket. The 72-year-old retiree said he purchased the winning ticket Saturday and scratched it off the same day.
“Then I had to hold the ticket over the weekend and it burns a hole in my pocket,” he said jokingly.
Jamtgaard said he knew right away that he’d won again, and he left a note for his wife before returning to a woodworking project.
“When she came home I left a note in the house saying, ‘Come out and see me. I had a bad day,’” Jamtgaard told lottery employees Monday as he claimed his prize at the lottery’s regional office in Mason City. “She took a look at the ticket and she couldn’t believe I won again.”
Jamtgaard said he doesn’t consider himself lucky.
“What I always say is, ‘You just have to be in the right place at the right time,’” he said.
The time of the year might have something to do with, though.
“All three winning tickets were in June. Every month should be June for me; then I could win every month,” he said.
Jamtgaard said he currently doesn’t have a plan for his most recent lottery winnings. He said he used his 2008 winnings to purchase a camper and his 2010 winnings went toward bills.
Triple Win is a $2 scratch game. The game offers players three ways to win. They can win a prize by matching any of the “Your Numbers” to either “Winning Number,” by matching three like amounts or by revealing a “Sun” symbol. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are 1 in 3.82.
Seven top prizes of $15,000 are still up for grabs in Triple Win, as well as 112 prizes of $250 and 446 prizes of $100.
