According to the Iowa Lottery, Dean Williams of Cedar Falls and Gary Ostrem of Waterloo recently claimed an Iowa Lottery jackpot of $34,354.15 in the “MONOPOLY™ Game Tokens Progressive” InstaPlay game.
The win is a case of deja vu for the duo. In November 2025, Williams and Ostrem visited the lottery’s Cedar Rapids regional office to claim a $19,829.15 prize after hitting the jackpot in the very same $5 game. In both instances, the winning tickets were purchased at the AMVETS Post located at 1934 Irving St. in Cedar Falls.
The MONOPOLY™ Game Tokens Progressive is part of the Iowa Lottery’s InstaPlay suite. These “scratchless” tickets are printed on demand from lottery terminals, featuring a progressive jackpot that starts at $5,000 and grows with every ticket sold statewide until someone hits the winning symbols.
The pair claimed their latest, larger prize on Tuesday, once again splitting the winnings.
Lottery officials noted the statistical rarity of the win, which saw the same players, the same retailer, and the same game produce two jackpot tickets in such a short window. For Williams and Ostrem, it seems the AMVETS Post in Cedar Falls remains the ultimate lucky charm.