Iowa Lottery World Record Scratch-Off at the Fair

[Travis Graven] You occasionally run into some lines at the fairgrounds, maybe waiting to see the butter cow or to buy one of the popular new foods. But this is a really, really long line, and it's full of people waiting for a chance to win some cash, but also maybe be part of history. The Iowa Lottery is trying to set a new Guinness World Record for the most people scratching off a scratch ticket at once.

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[Matt Strawn, Iowa Lottery CEO] Ah, Travis, I can't think of a better way to celebrate 40 years of the Iowa Lottery. When you think of that first ticket that was sold here at the fairgrounds, Aug. 22, 1985. For Iowans to show up and help us attempt to set a Guinness World Record with scratch tickets 40 years later, I can't think of a better way to celebrate 40 years of the Iowa Lottery giving back.

[Travis] Becky, why are you here?

[Becky Schneider, Vinton] Because I feel lucky and I brought my lucky pigs. That's what I was gonna tell you. Here you go. I give them out to people. You take two and give one to someone else. Take three. There you go.

[Travis] So you're feeling lucky today.

[Becky] Feeling lucky.

[Travis] Are you feeling lucky? Is that why you came?

[Scott Duden, Ames] Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm always lucky.

[Travis] Are you a regular scratch ticket player?

[Scott] I am. Well, not too many scratch tickets. More lotto. The lotto. I play that one.

[Travis] Are you feeling lucky today?

[Tanner Nygard, Des Moines] Yes, very lucky.

[Travis] Well, that's half the battle right there.

[Tanner] Yeah.

[Travis] And you can't win if you don't play, Right?

[Tanner] Right. Exactly.

[Travis] Now, if you won one of the big prizes, you got any specific plans?

[Tanner] Um, hmm. Probably a new car.

[Travis] What would you do if you won one of the big prizes?

[Becky] That is a really good question. Um, enjoy. Just do something enjoyable.

[Travis] Something you wouldn't normally do.

[Becky] Correct.

[Emcee] When I say win, you say…

[Crowd] Money!

[Matt] It was that $1 Scratch Match and Win ticket that was sold here on the fairgrounds 40 years ago. And it's awesome that fast forward 40 years later, there was a $5 Scratch Match and Win ticket in the hands of all the Iowans attempting to set a new Guinness World Record.

Tonight, we thought it would be cool to create a special gold plated commemorative scratcher for the occasion. So everybody that's here tonight is going to get that and they're gonna scratch with that. And of course, we'll make sure they have a t-shirt. So as they're walking around town, everybody can know, hopefully, that they were part of setting a new Guinness World Record.

[Michael Empric, Guinness World Records Adjudicator] Everyone in the black shirts is a steward. They are watching to make sure you don't scratch until we say go.

[Emcee] Ready?

Go.

[Woman 1] What are you supposed to do?

[Woman 2] You gotta match three.

[Matt] Of course, we're the Iowa Lottery, so we've gotta have a little bit of fun beyond trying to set a new world record. So we had three cash prizes for everybody in attendance as well, that we anticipate giving away. A $4,000 prize, a $4,000 prize, and, of course, a $40,000 cash prize.

So those are going to be given away while we're waiting for the Guinness World Adjudicator to officially sanction the attempt.

[Michael] I can announce that today in Des Moines, we have a total of 1,380.

(Crowd cheering)