The Pennsylvania Lottery is a lottery operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; from a bill sponsored by Harry Englehart. 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.
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.
In 2017, following a revenue decrease exceeding $75 million for the fiscal year 20162017, Pennsylvania passed a gaming expansion bill that authorized the sale of online lottery products. Governor Tom Wolf's budget plan for 2018 said that he and the state would use new revenues to "re-establish a $75 million reserve fund".
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 6:59 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 6:59 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 playTo playTo 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 1Boxed 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 1Super 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 6:59 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 PayoutStraight The player chooses any four digits. If the four digits, and their order, match the winning number drawn, the player wins. 5,000 to 1Boxed 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 6:59 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
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, one digit from 0 through 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 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 1 through 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 6:59 p.m. ET, seven days a week. Games cost $2 each (previously $1); tickets can be purchased up to seven days in advance. The minimum jackpot is $150,000 (originally $100,000, then $125,000), increasing until there is a 5-of-5 winner. Cash 5 jackpots also are always paid in lump sum. This game began on April 23, 1992 as a weekly game. It gradually expanded in popularity.
Cash 5 has four available prize amounts: Numbers matched Probability Payout 5 of 5 1:962,598.00 Jackpot, divided among all 5-of-5 winners. 4 of 5 1:5,066.30 Fixed at $200 3 of 5 1:136.90 Fixed at $10 2 of 5 1:11.40 Fixed at $2
Starting on March 23, 2021, the price per play increased to $2, and all second through fourth-level prizes became fixed amounts ($200, $10, and $2, respectively). Concurrent with this change, a “Quick Cash” feature was added, in which a second ticket, similar to a Fast Play ticket (see below) would be printed with one play of Quick Cash given for each play of Cash 5 purchased. Matching any of five “winning numbers” to any of five “your numbers” in the same play, wins the prize of either $2 or $6.
Match 6 Match 6 consists of picking 6 numbers, from 1 through 49. It is drawn during the live televised Lottery drawings at 6:59 p.m. ET. Nightly Players get three sets of numbers for each $2 game played (see below); betters 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 on April 27, 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 from before. It was formerly drawn on Mondays and Thursdays, and also formerly 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.
On August 28, 2017, Match 6 increased the frequency of drawings to seven nights per week. This made Pennsylvania one of the few lotteries to have all of its draw games held daily.
Keno Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a gaming expansion bill on October 30, 2017, making it possible for the lottery to offer Keno.