Cedar Falls Man Wins $50,000 From Iowa Lottery

A Cedar Falls man said his interest in tiny houses led him to try a new Iowa Lottery scratch ticket based on the tiny home movement, and he ended up winning a $50,000 prize.

Benjamin Smith claimed the second of eight top prizes of $50,000 available in the lottery's "Tiny Home, Big Wins!" game.

"I've been into (tiny houses) for a long time and always wanted to build one," Smith told lottery employees Tuesday as he claimed his prize at the lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.

The 34-year-old said he bought his winning ticket Monday at Hy-Vee, 4000 University Ave. in Waterloo. He said he thought he had a nonwinning ticket until he uncovered the very last play space.

"Then I saw the hammer; I saw a five and a zero," Smith said. "So I went, 'Wow, I won $50!' And then I scratched it all the way off and I said, 'You're kidding me!'"

Smith, a firefighter, said he plans to use his winnings to help pay for a scheduled home addition this spring.

Tiny Home, Big Wins! is a $5 scratch game. More details about how to play this game, and number of prizes still up for grabs in it can be found on the Iowa Lottery's website, www.ialottery.com.

Nonwinning Tiny Home, Big Wins! scratch tickets can be entered online or via our new mobile app in the "Tiny Home, Big Wins!" Play It Again^® promotion from now through 11:59 p.m. Aug. 29 for a chance to win gift cards of $500 from the Home Depot^® and a $60,000 gift certificate from Wind River Tiny Homes^® for a custom-built tiny home. For rules and complete details, visit www.ialottery.com.

Courtesy: Iowa Lottery