Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is the state lottery of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was created by the Pennsylvania Legislature on August 26, 1971 and that October, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first Executive Director. The Lottery premiered on March 7, 1972.
Lottery proceeds
By state law, at least 40 percent of lottery proceeds is required to be paid as prizes and at least 30 percent is required to fund programs. Currently, the Pennsylvania Lottery exceeds these requirements, for 55.1% is paid as prizes, 34.5% is paid to programs, 8.0% is paid as retailer and vendor commissions, and 2.4% is consumed as operating expenses.
For the 2003-2004 fiscal year, approximately $2.37 billion in gross revenue was acquired through proceeds and interest. Approximately $1.306 billion was paid as prizes, $817.8 million was paid to programs, $189.6 million was paid as retailer and vendor commissions, and $56.9 million was paid to advertising and operations. The gross revenue for fiscal year 2003-2004 represents an increase of approximately 40.6% in sales over the past five years (since fiscal year 1998-1999).
The Pennsylvania Lottery is the only lottery in the United States that exclusively targets all of its proceeds to programs for older residents. Since the beginning of the Lottery in 1972, more than $14.6 billion has been contributed to programs. Such programs include:
- Property tax and rent rebates
- Shared/Free Ride Program
- PACE (Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Elderly)
- PACENET (Enhanced Tier PACE)
- 52 Area Agencies on Aging
- 650 Senior Community Centers
- Hot Meals Program
- Home-delivered meals
The Pennsylvania Lottery website contains more detailed information about its lottery proceeds and associated programs. [1]
Current online games
The Pennsylvania Lottery currently has several online (lottery terminal) games in operation.
Daily Number
The Daily Number is a three-digit game, drawn twice a day (at 1:10 p.m. and 6:58:50 p.m. ET) 7 days a week. Single tickets can be purchased in amounts of $0.50, up to $5.00. Additionally, tickets can be purchased up to seven days (one week) in advance.
The Daily Number can be played in five basic ways:
| Way to play | To play | To win | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight | The player chooses any three digits. | If the three digits, and their order, match the winning number drawn, the player wins. | 500 to 1 |
| Boxed | If the three digits, regardless of their order, match the winning number, the player wins. | 80 to 1 | |
| The payout differs if a winning boxed number includes two of the same digit. | 160 to 1 | ||
| Front Pair | The player chooses any two digits. | If the two digits, and their order, match the front (left) two digits of the winning number, the player wins. | 50 to 1 |
| Back Pair | If the two digits, and their order, match the back (right) two digits of the winning number, the player wins. | 50 to 1 | |
| Super Straight | The player chooses any three digits. | The online system plays all six possible combinations of the number. Consequently, tickets cost six times the normal price of a ticket. A win is, therefore, treated like a Straight win. | 500 to 1 |
| If a Super Straight number includes two of the same digit, the cost is three times that of the regular cost, since there are only three possible winning combinations (instead of six). |
Big 4
Big 4 is a four-digit game, drawn twice a day (at 1:10 p.m. and 6:58:50 p.m. ET) 7 days a week. Single tickets can be purchased in amounts of $0.50, up to $5.00. Additionally, tickets can be purchased up to seven days (one week) in advance.
Big 4 can be played in two basic ways:
| Way to play | To play | To win | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight | The player chooses any four digits. | If the four digits, and their order, match the winning number drawn, the player wins. | 5,000 to 1 |
| Boxed | If the four digits, regardless of their order, match the winning number, the player wins. | 200 to 1 | |
| A winning boxed number includes three of the same digit (regardless of the remaining single digit). | 1,200 to 1 | ||
| A winning boxed number includes two pairs of digits. | 800 to 1 | ||
| A winning boxed number includes one pair of digits (regardless of the other two digits). | 400 to 1 |
Cash 5
The Cash 5 is a game which consists of five numbers, from 1 to 39. It is drawn once a day (6:58:50 p.m. ET) every day of the week. Tickets cost $1.00 each. Additionally, tickets can be purchased up to seven days (one week) in advance. The starting jackpot for each drawing is $100,000, unless there was no jackpot winner for the previous drawing, in which case, the jackpot increases. The Cash 5 jackpot is paid in cash (not in annuity).
The Cash 5 has four available prize amounts:
| Numbers matched | Probability | Payout | Average prize (if known) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 of 5 | 1:575,757 | Varies; 53.15% after deduction of fourth-level ($1) prizes, divided among all 5-of-5 winners. | |
| 4 of 5 | 1:3,386.81 | Varies; 22.24% after deduction of fourth-level ($1) prizes, divided among all 4-of-5 winners. | $300 |
| 3 of 5 | 1:102.63 | Varies; 24.61% after deduction of fourth-level ($1) prizes, divided among all 3-of-5 winners. | $10 |
| 2 of 5 | 1:9.62 | Fixed at $1 | |
MATCH 6
The MATCH 6 is a game which consists of six numbers, from 1 to 49. It is drawn once a day (6:58:50 p.m. ET) on Tuesdays and Fridays. Tickets cost $2.00 each. Additionally, tickets can be purchased up to 26 drawings (13 weeks) in advance. The starting jackpot for each drawing is $500,000, unless there was no jackpot winner for the previous drawing, in which case, the jackpot increases. The MATCH 6 jackpot is paid in cash (not in annuity).
When a player purchases a MATCH 6 ticket, two additional lines of numbers are generated along with the one line selected by the player. Therefore, not only can a player win by matching three through six of the six numbers drawn (called the "base play"), but a player can win additional prizes by matching three through six numbers on each of the two additional lines, or combine the numbers on all three lines, as well (called the "combined play"). In the combined play, multiple instances of the same number count as many times as it appears.
The MATCH 6 has 11 available prize amounts:
| Numbers matched | Probability | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 6 of 6 | 1:4,661,272.3 | Jackpot amount |
| 5 of 6 | 1:18,067.3 | $1,000 |
| 4 of 6 | 1:344.5 | $20 |
| 3 of 6 | 1:19.2 | $2 |
| 10+ of 18 | 1:597,302.6 | $2,500 |
| 9 of 18 | 1:45,267.4 | $1,000 |
| 8 of 18 | 1:4,440.4 | $50 |
| 7 of 18 | 1:590.9 | $25 |
| 6 of 18 | 1:106.7 | $10 |
| 5 of 18 | 1:26.4 | $5 |
| 4 of 18 | 1:9.1 | $2 |
Match 6 has a 53 percent payout, above normal for such games.
Mix & Match
Mix & Match is game that involves selecting five numbers from 1 to 19, as well as the order that they will be drawn. There are two ways to win: one for matching three or more numbers in any order ("mixing"), and the other for matching at least one number in its correct position ("matching"). The jackpot starts at $50,000 (lump sum), and is won by matching all 5 numbers in the order they are drawn. The price of one play is $2. Mix & Match is drawn Mondays and Thursdays.
| Numbers matched in exact order ("Match") | Probability | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 5 of 5 | 1:1,395,360 | Jackpot |
| 4 of 5 | 1:19,934 | $1,000 |
| 3 of 5 | 1:661.3 | $100 |
| 2 of 5 | 1:22.75 | $4 |
| 1 of 5 | 1:4.77 | Free Ticket |
| Numbers matched in any order ("Mix") | Probability | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 5 of 5 | 1:11,268 | $2,000 |
| 4 of 5 | 1:166 | $20 |
| 3 of 5 | 1:12.8 | $2 |
Overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.57. Odds are rounded.
Treasure Hunt
Treasure Hunt is game that involves selecting 5 numbers from a field of 30. It is drawn daily at 1:10 p.m. ET. The jackpot has a minimum value of $10,000 to a single winner, although sales often bring the top prize to single winner higher than that. Prizes are also won by matching 4, 3, or 2 of the winning numbers. Treasure Hunt, on average, contributes 58% of sales back into prize money.
| Numbers matched | Probability | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 5 of 5 | 1:142,506 | Jackpot |
| 4 of 5 | 1:1,140.05 | $100 |
| 3 of 5 | 1:47.5 | $6 |
| 2 of 5 | 1:6.2 | $1 |
Overall odds of winning are 1 in 5.45. Odds are rounded.
Powerball
The Powerball is a multi-state game operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), of which the Pennsylvania Lottery is the most active member. The Lottery joined the Powerball with the June 29, 2002 drawing. The Powerball is drawn every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. See Powerball for detailed gameplay information.
Since Pennsylvania is a MUSL member, it is eligible to offer any or all of its other games, including Hot Lotto; however, the game would have to change its jackpot odds if it admitted Pennsylvania, as it by far has the largest population of any MUSL member.
Instant games
Besides conducting online games, the Pennsylvania Lottery has many instant games (such tickets are usually referred to as "scratch off tickets"). In fact, approximately 42% of all lottery proceeds are from instant ticket sales. The Pennsylvania Lottery website maintains an updated list. [2]
Pennsylvania instant games range in price from $1 to $20, with higher priced tickets typically putting out a higher percentage of sales back into prizes. The ranges of payout percentages for each price point are as follows:
| $1 | $2 | $3 | $5 | $10 | $20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52%-58% | 60%-64% | 62%-65% | 68%-70% | 70%-73% | 73% |
Lottery offices
The Pennsylvania Lottery maintains seven area lottery offices, including its headquarters:
- Area 1: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Area 2: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
- Area 3: Middletown, Pennsylvania (headquarters)
- Area 4: Clearfield, Pennsylvania
- Area 5: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Area 6: Erie, Pennsylvania
- Area 7: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Claiming a winning ticket
Pennsylvania Lottery retailers can pay prizes up to, and including, $2,500 for online tickets and $500 for instant tickets. In such cases, no personal information needs to be disclosed by the winner. Claiming a prize over either amount, though, requires a standard claim form to be filed with a lottery retailer. However, for instant games that make annuity payments, as well as the top prizes in Cash 5 or MATCH 6, a claim should be filed at an area lottery office. For Powerball jackpots, a claim must be filed at Lottery Headquarters.
Winnings and taxes
When filing a standard claim form, the claimant, the retailer, and the Pennsylvania Lottery each receive a copy (the form is triplicate). The Pennsylvania Lottery then reports all winnings to the IRS. For federal income tax purposes, any lottery winnings over $600 in a fiscal year are taxable. However, when the winning amount is greater than $5,000, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue withholds the proper amount of federal income tax before a check is mailed to the claimant. Pennsylvania Lottery winnings are not taxable for state or local tax purposes.
Pennsylvania Lottery fix of 1980
In 1980, the host of the Pennsylvania lottery drawing, Nick Perry and seven others participated in a plot to rig the Daily Number, colloquially known as the "Triple Six Fix."
On the night of April 24, 1980 the number "666" was drawn and a handful of players came forward to claim $1.8 million of the then record $3.5 million pay-out.
Lottery authorities and local bookmakers became suspicious after word on the street came out that the game was fixed. Tickets sales showed a heavy bias towards tickets purchased containing all combinations of 4s and 6s.
The lottery was fixed by Perry and Fred Luman, who managed to switch the normal ping pong balls with ones weighted with latex paint for all numbers except 4 and 6. Later viewing of the drawing tapes by the FBI conclusively showed that only the numbers 4 and 6 were light enough to enter the tube to be drawn.
Perry, in conjunction with Peter Margos, Jack Margos, Jerry Hammer and 5 other men were either convicted or entered plea-bargains for their involvement.
The 2000 film “Lucky Numbers”, starring John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow, was loosely based on Perry’s story.
Other Online Games
Millionaire Raffle
The Millionaire Raffle is the only online game shown on the nightly broadcast that uses a computerized random number generator. The cost of a ticket is $20 USD, and that ticket is assigned a unique 8-digit number from 00000001 up to the number of tickets available (quantities being limited). As of this writing, there have been three Millionaire raffles, each run as one-time special events.
The first Millionaire raffle was held on December 31, 2005. The ticket numbers went up to 00500000. Four numbers were selected on-air, with the holders of those tickets winning $1 million. A further five numbers were selected on-air, representing five $100,000 winners. Then 500 other numbers were selected off-air, winning those players $1,000 each. This resulted in a total payout of $5 million USD.
A second Millionaire Raffle was held on July 4, 2006. The field of tickets was expanded to include numbers to 00625000. An additional million-dollar winner (for a total of five) was added to the matrix, as were a further 250 that won $1,000 (for a total of 750), and therefore a total payout of $6.25 million USD.
A third Millionaire Raffle was held Saturday December 30, 2006 with sales on the raffle beginning November 21, 2006. The number of tickets and prizes were the same as the July 4th drawing. A fourth Millionaire Raffle drawing will take place on July 7th, 2007 [3], [4]