Pennsylvania Lottery

Pennsylvania Lottery

Agency overview
Formed	August 26, 1971
Jurisdiction	Pennsylvania
Headquarters	Middletown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Agency executives	Drew Svitko, Executive Director James Morgan, Security Director Gary Miller, Press Secretary
Parent agency	Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
Website	www.palottery.state.pa.us

The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director. The Pennsylvania Lottery sold its first tickets on March 7, 1972 and drew its first numbers on March 15, 1972.^[1]

Lottery proceeds

By Pennsylvania law, at least 40 percent of Lottery proceeds are required to be paid as prizes, with another 27 percent towards funding programs. Currently, the Pennsylvania Lottery exceeds these requirements, as 60.9 percent is paid as prizes, 29.9 percent to programs, 6.7 percent is paid as retailer and vendor commissions and 2.5 percent is consumed as operating expenses.

For the 2009–2010 fiscal year, approximately $3.065 billion in gross revenue was acquired through proceeds and interest. Approximately $1.87 billion was paid as prizes, $915.7 million to programs, $207 million was paid as retailer and vendor commissions, and $76.6 million was paid to advertising and operations. The gross revenue for fiscal year 2009–2010 represented an increase of approximately 59 percent in sales over fiscal year 2001–02.

The Pennsylvania Lottery is the only US lottery that targets all of its proceeds to programs for its elderly residents. Since the beginning of the Lottery in 1972, more than $20.1 billion has been contributed to programs.

Pennsylvania-only draw games

Pick 2

Pick 2 is a two-digit (0–9) game which debuted on January 27, 2015. (Concurrent with the introduction of Pick 2, the Daily Number, Big 4, and Quinto were renamed to Pick 3, Pick 4, and Pick 5, respectively.) Pick 2 is drawn twice daily (at 1:10 p.m. ET, with the numbers posted on the Lottery's website after 1:35 p.m. ET, and on a live televised drawing at 6:58:50 p.m. ET), seven days a week. The minimum play is $1, and tickets can be purchased up to seven days in advance.

Pick 2 can be played in four basic ways:

Bet	Probability	Prize
Straight	1:100	$50
Box	1:50	$25
Front digit	1:10	$5
Back digit	1:10	$5

Pick 3 (formerly The Daily Number)

Pick 3 debuted on March 1, 1977 as The Daily Number. It is a three-digit (0–9) game, drawn twice a day (at 1:10 p.m. ET, with the numbers posted on the Lottery's website after 1:35 p.m. ET, and on a live televised drawing at 6:58:50 p.m. ET), seven days a week. Single tickets can be purchased in increments of 50¢, up to $5.00. Tickets can be purchased up to seven days in advance.

Pick 3 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 (if all three digits are different) 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).

Pick 4 (formerly Big 4)

Pick 4 debuted on November 22, 1980 as Big 4. It is a four-digit game, drawn twice a day (at 1:10 p.m. ET, with the numbers posted on the Lottery's website after 1:35 p.m. ET, and on the live televised drawing at 6:58:50 p.m. ET), seven days a week. Single tickets can be purchased for the same amounts as in Pick 3, up to seven days in advance.

Pick 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 match (in this case four different digits), regardless of their order, match the winning number, the player wins.	200 to 1
		A winning boxed number including three of the same digit (regardless of the remaining single digit).	1,200 to 1
		A winning boxed number including two pairs of digits.	800 to 1
		A winning boxed number including one pair of digits (regardless of the other two digits).	400 to 1

Pick 5 (formerly Quinto)

Pick 5's first drawing was on August 26, 2008, under the name Quinto. It is a five-digit game, drawn twice a day (at 1:10 p.m. ET, with the numbers posted on the Lottery's website after 1:35 p.m. ET, and on the live televised drawing at 6:58:50 p.m. ET), seven days a week. The minimum play in Pick 5 is $1. Players can purchase tickets up to seven days in advance.

Odds and payouts for Pick 5 are as follows:

Bet	Probability	Prize
Straight	1:100,000	$50,000
5 Way Box	1:20,000	$10,000
10 Way Box	1:10,000	$5,000
20 Way Box	1:5,000	$2,500
30 Way Box	1:3,333.3	$1,700
60 Way Box	1:1,666.7	$850
120 Way Box	1:833.3	$425
Front 4	1:10,000	$5,000
Back 4	1:10,000	$5,000
Front 3	1:1,000	$500
Back 3	1:1,000	$500
Front Pair	1:100	$50
Back Pair	1:100	$50

The payout percentage is 50.04% (slightly higher on "box" wagers).

Wild Ball

The Wild Ball is an add-on to the Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4, and Pick 5 games introduced on September 13, 2016. Activating the Wild Ball doubles the cost of the play.

Before the Pick games are drawn, a single digit from 0 to 9 is drawn and designated as the Wild Ball number. The Wild Ball number may then be used by the player to replace any one digit in any of the Pick games. For instance, if the player selects 123 in the Pick 3 game, and the number actually drawn is 124, but the Wild Ball is a 3, the player may replace the 4 with a 3 to create a winning combination.

Because the Wild Ball creates multiple additional ways to win, a win using the Wild Ball generally pays a lesser amount than a win using the base play (with the exceptions of the front and back digit plays in Pick 2), however, a player can win both from the Wild Ball and from the base play if the Wild Ball matches one of the digits naturally.

Payouts using the Wild Ball are as follows:

Pick 2

Bet	Probability	Prize
Straight	1:50	$30
Box	1:25	$15
Front digit	1:10	$6
Back digit	1:10	$6

Pick 3

Bet	Probability	Payout
Straight	1:333.33	200 to 1
6-way Box	1:55.56	36 to 1
3-way Box	1:111.11	72 to 1
Front Pair	1:50	30 to 1
Back Pair	1:50	30 to 1

Pick 4

Bet	Probability	Payout
Straight	1:2,500	1,500 to 1
4-way Box	1:625	390 to 1
6-way Box	1:416.67	260 to 1
12-way Box	1:208.33	130 to 1
24-way Box	1:104.17	60 to 1

Pick 5

Bet	Probability	Prize
Straight	1:20,000	$12,000
5 Way Box	1:4,000	$2,400
10 Way Box	1:2,000	$1,200
20 Way Box	1:1,000	$600
30 Way Box	1:666.67	$400
60 Way Box	1:333.33	$200
120 Way Box	1:166.67	$100
Front 4	1:2,500	$1,500
Back 4	1:2,500	$1,500
Front 3	1:333.33	$200
Back 3	1:333.33	$200
Front Pair	1:50	$30
Back Pair	1:50	$30

Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt's first drawing was on May 8, 2007. It involves selecting five numbers from a field of 30. It is drawn daily at 1:10 p.m. ET, and the results are released at 1:35 p.m. ET on the Lottery's website. It is the Lottery's only game held exclusively during the non-televised midday drawings, as well as its only game always selected via a computer instead of printed balls. The minimum jackpot is $10,000, although sales often allow the actual prize level to be higher. Prizes are also won by matching four, three, or two of the winning numbers. Treasure Hunt has a payout percentage of 58%.

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.

Cash 5

Cash 5 consists of picking five numbers from 1 through 43 (originally 1-39). It is drawn during the live televised nighttime drawings at 6:58:50 p.m. ET, seven days a week. Games cost $1 each; tickets can be purchased up to seven days in advance. The minimum jackpot $125,000 (originally $100,000), increasing until there is a 5-of-5 winner. Cash 5 jackpots also are always paid in lump sum.

Cash 5 has four available prize amounts:

Numbers matched	Probability	Payout	Average prize (if known)
5 of 5	1:962,598.00	Varies; 67.94% after deduction of fourth-level ($1) prizes, divided among all 5-of-5 winners.
4 of 5	1:5,066.30	Varies; 11.90% after deduction of fourth-level ($1) prizes, divided among all 4-of-5 winners.	$250
3 of 5	1:136.90	Varies; 20.16% after deduction of fourth-level ($1) prizes, divided among all 3-of-5 winners.	$11
2 of 5	1:11.40	Fixed at $1

Match 6

Match 6 consists of picking 6 numbers, from 1 through 49. It is drawn during the live televised Lottery drawings at 6:58:50 p.m. ET on Mondays and Thursdays. Players get three games for $2 (see below); bettors can play in increments up to 26 drawings. The jackpot begins at $500,000; it always is paid in a lump sum.

Players automatically receive two free "quick picks" for each $2 played; unlike the former game Super 6 (see below), the automatic quick-picks are necessary. This is because, in addition to winning in the normal fashion (matching at least three numbers in one game, "base play"), a player also can win by matching enough numbers on all 3 lines ("combined play"). In "combined play", the 18 numbers across the three lines often repeat. Only when there are enough "repeats" across the three lines is it possible to win the highest possible prize in the "all three lines category" (see list of prize amounts).

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

The overall probability of winning on a $2 play is approximately 1 in 5.9.

Match 6 originally ran from January 28, 2004 to March 10, 2009. The final jackpot of this run was $900,000, and was won by one set of six numbers. The jackpot would have rolled down if there had been no winner. Match 6 was replaced by the revival of Super 7, which in turn was retired in April 2010 due to poor sales.

On June 1, 2010, however, Match 6 returned, this time replacing Mix & Match. Match 6's gameplay did not change from the previous version, although the drawing days are different than before. It is now drawn on Mondays and Thursdays, instead of its former Tuesdays and Fridays. It also has an average payout of 57.95%, up from 53% in the previous version. This extra money goes into the jackpot, as the lower tier prize amounts did not change.

Multi-state games offered in Pennsylvania

Cash4Life

Pennsylvania joined Cash4Life on April 7, 2015; it began in New Jersey and New York the previous year. (Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee also offer Cash4Life).

Players choose 5 of 60 numbers in one field, and 1 of 4 green "Cash Ball" numbers in the second field. Drawings are Mondays and Thursdays. The top prize (win or share) $1,000-per-day-for-life, or the cash option. Second prize is $1,000-per-week-for-life or the cash option.

Mega Millions

Mega Millions was originally known as The Big Game, which began in 1996. The current name was adopted in 2002. On October 13, 2009, an agreement was reached between the Mega Millions and Powerball groups. On January 31, 2010, Pennsylvania was among the lotteries that added the "other" game, in this case Mega Millions, on the cross-sell expansion date. Forty-six lotteries, including those of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, currently offer both games.^[2]

The current Mega Millions game requires players to choose 5 of 75 "white ball" numbers, and a gold-colored "Mega Ball" from a pool of 15 numbers. Plays remain $1 each, or $2 if the Megaplier is activated.

The first Mega Millions drawing that included Pennsylvania (held on February 2, 2010) produced three winners of $250,000; two were in areas new to the game: one each in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Neither ticket holder had activated the Megaplier, which would have won $1,000,000, as the Megaplier was 4. Eventually, a second-prize Mega Millions ticket with Megaplier activated was guaranteed to win $1,000,000, regardless of the multiplier drawn.

Powerball

Pennsylvania joined Powerball in 2002; it was MUSL's most-populous member until Florida joined in 2009.

Monopoly Millionaires' Club (sales suspended)

Pennsylvania was among 23 jurisdictions participating in the launch of the Monopoly Millionaires′ Club (MMC) drawing game on October 19, 2014. The game was drawn Fridays beginning October 24. With the December 12 drawing, Texas suspended sales of MMC tickets; the 22 other MMC members participated in two more drawings. (A game show featuring MMC players had episodes taped; they aired beginning March 28.) Pennsylvania's MMC payouts for the December 26 drawing were pari-mutuel, and were much higher than the fixed payouts for each prize tier.

In late March 2015, MMC returned as a scratch-off game; as of April 6, there were nine lotteries offering it. Pennsylvania has committed to offering the $5 instant game; as with the draw game, players of the MMC scratch ticket can win a trip-for-two to Las Vegas to participate in a taping of the MMC television game show, which is hosted by Mike & Molly's Billy Gardell, a native of Pittsburgh.

Recurring games

Millionaire Raffle

The Millionaire Raffle is normally offered biannually. Tickets cost $20; each ticket is assigned a unique eight-digit number starting from 00000001 (quantities being limited). Numbers are assigned in the order that the tickets are purchased; thus, the 100,000th ticket purchased for a given raffle will have the number 00100000. At the drawings, the four $1,000,000-winning ticket numbers, as well as the second prize winners, are drawn by random number generator. To date, there have been 22 Millionaire Raffles.

Discontinued drawing games

The Pennsylvania Lottery has offered several games which would later be discontinued due to low sales and/or relative obsolescence.

These games include (in order of introduction):

(Wild Card) Lotto

Lotto was the third game offered by the Pennsylvania Lottery and replaced the traditional "passive draw" games. The first version ran from April 1982 until February 1988.^[3] The game was played by selecting 6 numbers from a field of 40. Players got two games for $1, having to play an even number of games. Players won the jackpot, which was paid in 21 annual installments (with no cash option), by matching the first six numbers drawn. Players won by matching at least four of the first six numbers drawn. Players also would win by matching 5 of the first 6, plus a seventh, "alternate", number if no game matched the first six numbers.^[4]

The prize structure with one or more jackpot winners was as follows:

Matches	Prize Category	Avg. Prize	% of Sales	Odds (per $1)
6 of 6	Regular First Prize	Jackpot	24.5%	1:1,919,190
5 of 6 + Alternate	Alternate First Prize*	$0	0%	1:319,865
5 of 6	Second Prize	$921.50	9.80%	1:9,407.79
4 of 6	Third Prize	$33.50	14.70%	1:228.07
*Alternate 1st Prize available if there were no jackpot winner(s)				Overall odds of winning: 1 in 222.644

The prize structure with no jackpot winner was as follows:

Matches	Prize Category	Avg. Prize	% of Sales	Odds (per $1)
6 of 6	Regular First Prize	Jackpot	19.6% (carried over to next draw)	1:1,919,190
5 of 6 + Alternate	Alternate First Prize*	$15,673.00	4.9%	1:319,865
5 of 6	Second Prize	$921.50	9.80%	1:9,407.79
4 of 6	Third Prize	$33.50	14.70%	1:228.07
*Alternate 1st Prize available if there were no jackpot winners				Overall odds of winning: 1 in 222.644

In February 1988, the game became Wild Card Lotto (WCL). The game's changes included the addition of two prize categories and a "permanent" prize for matching 5 of the first 6 numbers drawn along with the "alternate" number (now called the "Wild Card Number").

The new game was played by selecting 6 numbers from 48. Players continued to get two plays for $1, again having to purchase games in pairs. Drawings were now Tuesdays and Fridays. Prizes were won by matching at least four numbers, with or without the "Wild Card" number. The jackpot continued to be paid in 21 annual payments with no cash option..^[5]

The first WCL prize structure:

Matches	Avg. Prize	% of Sales	Odds ($1 purchase)
6 of 6	Jackpot	29.4%	1:6,135,756
5 of 6 + Wild Card	$25,054.00	2.45%	1:1,022,626
5 of 6	$1,099.50	4.41%	1:24,942.10
4 of 6 + Wild Card	$488.50	4.90%	1:9,976.84
4 of 6	$24.00	4.90%	1:498.84
3 of 6 + Wild Card	$11.00	2.94%	1:374.13
Overall odds of winning: 1 in 207.5135

On October 31, 1995, the Friday drawing was dropped, only to be reinstated on March 12, 1996. On March 26, 1996, Pennsylvania's first cash option was introduced; WCL players were now required when purchasing tickets (instead of after winning, as in present-day Mega Millions and Powerball) to choose between receiving a jackpot prize in the 21-payment annuity or in a lump sum.

On February 24, 1998, the game went through a final overhaul. A seventh prize category was added, a $1 prize for matching 3 of the first 6 numbers. The percentage of sales allocated to the jackpot also increased. The remaining prize categories were decreased as a result.^[6]

Matches	Avg. Prize	% of 49% Prize Pool	Odds (per $1)
6 of 6	Jackpot	74.17% After Deduction of 3-of-6 Prize	1:6,135,756
5 of 6 + Wild Card	$20,041.50	4.305% After Deduction of 3-of-6 Prize	1:1,022,626
5 of 6	$488.50	4.305% After Deduction of 3-of-6 Prize	1:24,942.10
4 of 6 + Wild Card	$195.50	4.305% After Deduction of 3-of-6 Prize	1:9,976.84
4 of 6	$19.50	8.61% After Deduction of 3-of-6 Prize	1:498.84
3 of 6 + Wild Card	$7.00	4.305% After Deduction of 3-of-6 Prize	1:374.13
3 of 6	$1.00 (Fixed)		1:28.78
Overall odds: 1 in 25.274

On September 11, 1998, the final WCL drawing was held. The game, along with Keystone Jackpot, was replaced with Super 6 Lotto (see below for both games).

Super 7 (1986–1995)

Super 7, a jackpot game similar to keno, was originally introduced on August 14, 1986.

The original Super 7 was played by selecting 7 of 80 numbers; each game cost $1. On Wednesday nights, the Lottery drew 11 numbers. If all 7 numbers in a game matched 7 of the 11 drawn, they won a jackpot that was paid in 26 installments; unlike the 2009-2010 revival of Super 7, there was no cash option.

Originally, the first version of Super 7 offered only three prize levels; players needed to match at least 5 of the 11 numbers drawn. Soon after the game began, a $7 prize was created for matching 4 of 11 numbers.

Except for the $7 prize, all prizes were parimutuel.

The original Super 7's odds were as follows:

Matches on Ticket	Odds
7 of 7	1: 9,626,413.3
6 of 7	1: 99,652.3
5 of 7	1: 2,931.0
4 of 7 ($7 fixed)†	1: 183.7
Overall odds of winning: 1 in 172.591†

†Originally, Super 7 had only three prize levels.

On April 10, 1991, the game’s format was changed, with 10 numbers drawn instead of 11 and 74 numbers to choose from instead of 80. Players still selected 7 numbers for each game.

The prize structure from April 10, 1991, to game’s end was as follows:^[7]

Matches on Ticket	Avg. Prize	% of 49% Prize Pool	Odds
7 of 7	Jackpot	70%	1: 14,996,492.2
6 of 7	$4,189.50	25% after deduction of jackpot & 4-of-7 prize	1: 133,897.3
5 of 7	$332.50	75% after deduction of jackpot & 4-of-7 prize	1: 3,542.3
4 of 7	$15.00 (fixed)		1: 205.7
Overall odds of winning: 1 in 194.108

On July 10, 1993, drawings were moved from Wednesdays to Saturdays.

On October 28, 1995, the Lottery held the last drawing of the original Super 7.

Saturday/Million Dollar Spin (1987–1998)

The original Saturday Spin was weekly beginning on March 7, 1987. Each week, five players who had mailed non-winning instant tickets had their names on a special wheel, the player whose name the wheel stopped on would win $50,000 or $100,000 in cash, or a $1 million annuity.

On May 5, 1990, Saturday Spin was changed to Million Dollar Spin. In the second version of the game, 10 players were selected each week, and a second wheel selected a prize of $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000 cash or a $1,000,000 annuity. Each of the other nine finalists received $5,000.

Million Dollar Spin was played until December 26, 1998. On the final playing, all prize values were doubled.

Hearts & Diamonds

Hearts & Diamonds began on October 5, 1994.

The game involved selecting 5 of 26 playing cards (from the hearts and diamonds suits only; hence the name). This is the only Pennsylvania Lottery game to date (including raffles) where all ticket selections were by "quick-pick". The game was also Pennsylvania's first to be drawn by random number generator (computer) as opposed to mechanical ball machine(s); this method would later be employed to draw midday games.

The prize structure was:^[8]

Matches	Avg. Prize	% of Sales	Odds
5 of 5	$20,062.50	30.5%	1:65,780
4 of 5	$72.00	11.5%	1:626.5
3 of 5	$2.50	8.0%	1:31.3
Overall odds: 1 in 29.819

Hearts & Diamonds ended on March 10, 1996.

Keystone Jackpot

Keystone Jackpot began on October 29, 1995, replacing the original Super 7. Keystone Jackpot was the first US single-lottery game to draw from two number pools (a la Mega Millions or Powerball); it also is the only US game to date using two number pools drawing a total of seven numbers.

Keystone Jackpot was played by selecting 6 of 33 numbers in one pool, and a seventh, blue, Key Ball from another field of 33. To win, players needed to match 4 or more numbers from the first set, or, as in Mega Millions or Powerball, automatically winning by matching the Key Ball. Jackpots were paid in 26 installments; there was never a cash option (although Pennsylvania's first cash option began during Keystone Jackpot's run). Games cost $1 each.

The prize structure went as follows:^[9]

Matches	Avg. Prize	% of Sales	Odds
6 + Key Ball	Jackpot	29.3412%	1:36,549,744
6	$77,793.50	6.811%	1:1,142,179.5
5 + Key Ball	$7,771.50	3.4447%	1:225,615.7
5	$77.00	1.0927%	1:7,050.5
4 + Key Ball	$77.00	1.1074%	1:6,942.0
4	$7.00	3.2291%	1:216.9
3 + Key Ball	$7.00	1.1221%	1:624.8
2 + Key Ball	$1.00	1.47%	1:138.8
1 + Key Ball	$1.00	2.7%	1:75.5
Key Ball only	$1.00	1.65%	1:123.5
Overall odds: 1 in 28.526

The $1 prize for matching the Key Ball with 2, 1, or 0 white balls was a fixed prize.

Keystone Jackpot underwent no changes during its history; its final drawing was held September 5, 1998, being replaced by Super 6.

Super 6

Super 6 began on September 6, 1998, replacing Wild Card Lotto and Keystone Jackpot.

Super 6 was one of the first jackpot games in North America where players received automatic "Quick Picks", instead of being allowed to choose all of their numbers. Players selected 6 numbers from 69 in each game, receiving two "free plays" of automatic Quick-Picks, for a total of 3 plays for $1. Matching all 6 numbers in a game won a jackpot, paid either in 26 installments or, if selected when playing, in a lump sum. Players won by matching at least 3 numbers in a game.

The prize pool was arranged as follows:^[10]

Matches	Avg. Prize	% of Sales	Odds ($1 play)
6 of 6	Jackpot	39.52%	1:39,959,157.33
5 of 6	$4,397.50	4.16%	1:105,712.06
4 of 6	$53.00	3.90%	1:1,364.03
3 of 6	$2.00	4.42%	1:50.31
Overall odds: 1 in 48.5

When Super 6 began, it was drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays; in June 2002, its drawings were moved to Tuesdays and Fridays as Pennsylvania was joining Powerball.

Super 6's final drawing was on January 27, 2004. Because there was no jackpot winner, the jackpot pool was added into the lower prize pools instead of into the game's replacement's (Match 6) jackpot, which Pennsylvania had done with previous game changes.

Lucky for Life

Lucky for Life began on September 30, 2004;^[11] its first drawing was held October 2.

Lucky for Life was played by picking 6 of 38 numbers; each game cost $2. Players won by matching 3 or more numbers, and/or the game's "instant win" feature. Matching all 6 numbers won an annuity prize of $3,000 per month, with a $1 million guarantee. There was no cash option, which may have led to the game being retired within three years.

The prize structure was as follows:

Matches	Prize	Odds
6 of 6	$3,000/month	1:2,760,681
5 of 6	$2,000	1:14,378.5
4 of 6	$40	1:371.1
3 of 6	$3	1:27.8
Overall odds: 1 in 25.841
Instant win	$10	1:20.0
Overall odds (with Instant Win): 1 in 11.5

The game initially was drawn Wednesdays and Saturdays; in August 2005, the draws switched to Mondays and Thursdays.

The game ended on January 22, 2007, replaced with Mix & Match, which lasted until May 31, 2010.

Despite Lucky for Life (not related to the current multi-state game of that name) not being a total success, Pennsylvania joined the multi-state Cash4Life on April 7, 2015. Unlike the Pennsylvania LFL, Cash4Life has two lifetime prize tiers; winners of either can choose the lifetime annuity or the cash option.

Super 7 (2009–2010)

Super 7 was re-introduced on March 11, 2009; the first drawing of the Super 7 revival was two nights later. It was a revival of the game of the same name which ran from 1986 to 1995.

This version of Super 7 was played by selecting seven numbers from a field of 77, with each selection costing $2. Every Tuesday and Friday night during the live evening televised drawings at 6:59 p.m. ET, the Lottery drew 11 numbers from 77 numbered balls. If all 7 numbers on a player’s ticket matched any 7 of the 11 balls drawn, the player won a jackpot that is paid either in 30 annual installments, or in lump sum, depending on the player's choice. Unlike in Mega Millions or Powerball, where the jackpot choice is made after winning, Super 7 players were required to make the choice when playing; the payment option could not be changed after winning. Except for the $2 fifth prize, all payouts were parimutuel.

The prize structure was as follows:

Numbers matched	Probability	Payout	Average prize (if known)
7 of 11	1:7,287,298	Varies; 48.16% after deduction of fifth-level ($2) prizes, divided among all 7-of-11 winners.
6 of 11	1:78,866.9	Varies; 13.42% after deduction of fifth-level ($2) prizes, divided among all 6-of-11 winners.	$10,000
5 of 11	1:2,426.7	Varies; 21.81% after deduction of fifth-level ($2) prizes, divided among all 5-of-11 winners.	$500
4 of 11	1:159.3	Varies; 16.61% after deduction of fifth-level ($2) prizes, divided among all 4-of-11 winners.	$25
3 of 11	1:20.2	Fixed at $2
Overall odds of winning: 1 in 17.81

The payout percentage in Super 7 is 52.19% (the original Super 7's payout percentage was 49%).

On April 13, 2010, the Pennsylvania Lottery announced that the revival of Super 7, which had begun just over a year earlier, would hold its final drawing on April 27, 2010. The Lottery cited the addition of Mega Millions to its portfolio early in the year; Super 7 was drawn on Tuesday and Friday nights, the same as Mega Millions. The jackpot was not won the final drawing; the jackpot rolled down to those matching at least 4 numbers (those matching 3 numbers won $2). Super 7 was not replaced, although, about a month later, an updated version of Match 6 replaced Mix & Match.

Mix & Match

Mix & Match involved selecting five numbers from 1 through 19, as well as the order in which they will be drawn. There were two ways to win: A) for matching three or more numbers in any order ("mixing"), and B) for matching at least one number in its correct position ("matching".) The jackpot started at $50,000 (lump sum) and was won by matching all five numbers in the order in which they were drawn. Games cost $2 each. Mix & Match was drawn during the live nighttime televised drawings at 6:58:50 p.m. ET 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 were 1 in 3.57.

The Lottery had planned to retire Mix & Match on November 3, 2009, replacing it with a new game, Double Play. These plans were put on hold by Lottery officials the previous month, and Double Play ultimately never materialized.

Mix & Match did eventually end, however. It held its final drawing on May 31, 2010, and was replaced by a revival of Match 6.

The Connecticut Lottery was to introduce a similar game; however, its complex play structure prevented it from being properly programmed into Connecticut's lottery terminals. This led to Lucky4Life being introduced in 2009; it now is a quasi-national game

Instant games

Besides offering terminal-based games, the Pennsylvania Lottery has many instant games (such tickets are usually referred to as "scratch off tickets"). Approximately 42% of Lottery proceeds are from instant ticket sales. The Lottery website maintains an updated list.

The Pennsylvania Lottery uses an animatronic groundhog called "Gus", who claims that he is the "second-most-famous groundhog in Pennsylvania" (after Punxsutawney Phil), as the mascot for instant games in television commercials which appear around the beginning of every month.^[12]

Pennsylvania instant games range in price from $1 to $30. Typically, higher-priced tickets offer better odds of winning, higher top prizes (up to $1 million for a $20 game; $2,500,000 cash or a $3 million annuity for a $25 game, or $3 million cash for a $30 game), and a higher payout percentage. Payouts range from 57% of sales ($1 tickets) to 76.94% ($30 tickets).

Originally, a winning ticket was denoted by two matching letters in the play area. Later, this was updated to the winning amount being highlighted with parentheses at the top or bottom of the play area, in order, but not necessarily consecutively; for example, a $100 winner would be denoted (1)(0)(0). Still later, three letters were scattered around the play area, spelling out the winning amount; for example, a prize of $100 is denoted H U N; losing tickets are denoted with a combination of: B, J, K, P, Q, and Z. Any prize over $2,500 on newer tickets is denoted with the letters "C L M" for "claim"; tickets released prior to July 2008 used C L M for amounts over $500. Starting with tickets released at the end of November 2010, tickets no longer have validation codes; an area marked "Scratch to Cash" must be scratched off by the player, revealing a bar code. Concurrent with the removal of validation codes, the Pennsylvania lottery also removed "benday," a random pattern of squiggly lines used as a security feature.^[13]

Lottery offices

The Pennsylvania Lottery maintains seven lottery offices, including its headquarters:

• Area 1: Philadelphia
• Area 2: Wilkes-Barre
• Area 3: Middletown (headquarters)
• Area 4: Clearfield
• Area 5: Pittsburgh
• Area 6: Erie
• Area 7: Bethlehem

Claiming a winning ticket

Pennsylvania Lottery retailers can pay prizes up to $2,500. (Until June 30, 2008, the maximum on such tickets was $500.) Claiming a prize of $600 or more requires filling out a standard claim form and sending it to Lottery headquarters. For instant games that make annuity payments, as well as the top prizes in Cash 5, etc. a claim should be filed at an area lottery office. For Mega Millions or 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 Lottery then reports all winnings to the IRS. For federal income tax purposes, any lottery winnings over $2,500 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 taxable only on the federal level.

Triple Six Fix of 1980

The host of the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings, 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; of the then-record $3.5 million payout, $1.8 million was "paid" to those that were in on the fix. Lottery authorities became suspicious after rumors began that the drawing was fixed. Ticket sales showed a heavy bias towards combinations of only 4s and 6s in that drawing. Perry, in conjunction with Peter and Jack Margos, Jerry Hammer, and five other men either were convicted or entered plea-bargains for their involvement.

Game show

To celebrate the Lottery's 25th anniversary in 1997, Jonathan Goodson, who, at the time produced several other lottery game shows, produced a Pennsylvania Lottery game show, with a format similar to Illinois Instant Riches. The show was hosted by former American Bandstand, and later several incarnations of the Pyramid game show series, Dick Clark, assisted by Gigi Gordon. Players won up to $365,000 on the show; two of its games were Vortex and Freefall, both from Illinois Instant Riches (though Vortex debuted on Bonus Bonanza in Massachusetts).

The special show aired on:

• Harrisburg - WGAL
• Philadelphia - WPVI
• Pittsburgh - KDKA

Drawings

Like most US lotteries, the Pennsylvania Lottery broadcasts drawings on a network of broadcast television stations: WTAJ-TV (Altoona), WPXI (Pittsburgh), WGAL (Lancaster), WJET-TV (Erie), WTXF-TV (Philadelphia), and WNEP-TV (Scranton).^[14] Portions of the Commonwealth, particularly in the Northern Tier, are unable to see the drawings because they are served by television markets in New York (e.g. the Bradford region, which has some stations from Erie, but not WJET). Regions such as these can see the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings on the national cable and satellite feed of WGN America. Pennsylvania's midday drawings are only viewable online.

See also

• Gambling
• Lotteries in the United States

References

External links

• Pennsylvania Lottery