New film unpacks massive lotto con

A new documentary detailing a national lottery fraud case premieres online for free Tuesday, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the investigation unfolded in Iowa.

Why it matters: Americans spend billions of dollars on tickets every year and maintaining the integrity of the lottery system helps ensure they have a fair chance of winning.

• "Jackpot: America's Biggest Lotto Scam" highlights a case that revealed significant vulnerabilities in lottery systems across the country.

Flashback: Eddie Tipton had used self-deleting software for years, starting around 2005, to hijack multiple state lotteries during his tenure as head of IT security at the Multi-State Lottery Association in Urbandale.

• The scheme started to unravel in 2010 when he was captured on video purchasing a winning $16.5 million ticket at a Des Moines convenience store.
• He ultimately did about five years of prison time.

The intrigue: An Iowa law that requires winners to identify themselves and claim jackpots in person derailed Tipton's plan, former Gov. Terry Branstad noted after watching the film at a special watch party at the Varsity Cinema on Monday.

Yes, but: Multiple states still allow winner anonymity.

Fun fact: Jason is featured in the film, discussing his coverage of the Tipton case.

Watch it: The entire film is available starting at 9:00 am.