Overview of Pennsylvania Lottery Results and Game Types

The Pennsylvania Lottery offers one of the most exciting lottery systems in the country. Not only does it include popular national draw games with huge jackpots, but it also provides a large suite of unique online titles that replicate the excitement of an online casino.

For nearly five decades, players in the state have helped raise billions to support the elderly all while having fun. There’s so much to love about the PA lotto, and it’s the purpose of this guide to help you choose which games are the best for your needs.

We’ve started this guide with an explanation of the types of games you can play in the state. Whether they’re draw games or scratch cards, you’ll have all the information you need about odds and prizes to help you understand and enjoy the games better.

Beyond these, we’ve explored the extremely modern and cutting edge iLottery offerings and listed some must-play unique games that are worth checking out. We’ve also discussed a number of important laws that are particular to Pennsylvania that could affect how you play or claim your prizes.

The Various Pennsylvania Lottery Games Available

There are two types of lottery games available in Pennsylvania. The first and most popular type are draw games. These can range in size from small local-only games to national games offered in most states of the country. Draw games tend to offer the largest jackpot prizes.

The second type of game is instant scratch cards. These are different to draw games primarily because all the information needed to win is included on the card when you buy it. These can range in price from $1 to $30 in Pennsylvania, with prizes varying in size.

Draw Games: PA Lottos with Huge Jackpots

A lottery draw game requires players to choose a set of numbers with a licensed retailer or online for an upcoming draw. Then, the same amount of numbers will be drawn at random at a later date. The more numbers that match your chosen numbers, the higher the prize.

In some cases, jackpots start at huge figures and progressively build, while other draw games offer fixed prizes. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the lottery, the smaller the odds are for winning the jackpot. Below is a drawing schedule for Pennsylvania’s five most popular draw games.

Players in Pennsylvania always have a lottery game to choose from, with some games being drawn more than once a day. Whether or not you watch the games live depends on your personal preference, as it’s not necessary to watch live to claim your prize. For the latest Pennsylvania winning numbers, you can find them on this page.

Below, we’ve gone into further detail about the popular games listed in our schedule. It’s worth considering that each game is unique in its price to play, the prizes offered and the odds to win. For this reason, there may be times when some games offer better odds-to-prize ratio than others.

Mega Millions: Become a Mega-Millionaire

Known for offering some of the biggest lottery jackpots on Earth, the Mega Millions is offered in 45 states across the United States. It costs $2 per ticket to play a regular game, though for an extra $1 players can add a Megaplier to their lower-tier prizes.

Draws take place twice a week, which means the jackpot can explode in size extremely quickly. There are nine prize tiers to be won, with a 1 in 37 chance of winning the $2 that was spent on the ticket back. <

Powerball: A Shot at $40 Million Minimum

Like the Mega Millions, the Powerball is played in 45 states across the country and kicks every round off with a progressive $40 million jackpot. There are also 9 different winning tiers, though gameplay is cheaper at only $1 per ticket. For an extra $1, you can add a multiplier to lower-tier wins.

Gameplay is easy. All you need to do is choose five numbers between 1 and 69 and one Powerball number between 1 and 26. Draws are held twice a week on Wednesday and Saturdays.

Cash4Life: Be Set for Life

Cash4Life is a lottery game available in a number of states, including New York. It is similar to the Lucky for Life lottery game held in 25 other states, in that it awards jackpot winners the life-changing prize of $1,000 a day for the rest of their life.

However, Cash4Life’s runner-up prize is better than the Lucky for Life prize of $25,000 a year, as it offers $1,000 a week for the rest of their lives. Games are played every day and tickets cost $2.

Cash 5: A Simple Daily Lottery

Cash 5 is a daily draw game that is. To play Cash 5, players must select five numbers between 1 and 43. Tickets cost $1, though players can also play up to seven more consecutive games with the same numbers. Jackpots start at $10,000 and progress until they are claimed.

Cash 5 has an interesting prize structure, in that the top tier prizes aren’t awarded until all the fourth tier prizes of $1 are awarded. From there, different percentages of the remaining money is divided up to the top-tier winners.

Treasure Hunt: A Bounty of Riches Awaits

Treasure Hunt is a fun, daily pirate-themed game that offers a progressive jackpot starting from $10,000. To play, pick five numbers between 1 and 30 or get numbers selected for you at random with a Quick Pick. Prizes will then be drawn every evening as winning numbers are animated to pop out of a treasure chest one-by-one.

Each game only costs $1 to play, though it’s possible to pre-purchase a multi-draw ticket for seven consecutive drawings.

The Best Pennsylvania Scratchers: Lottery Scratchers with Best Odds

Scratch cards are hugely popular in Pennsylvania, which is why the PA Lotto has dozens of scratch games on offer in both physical and online versions. Each scratch card has its own special theme and unique prizes to give away, which can include everything from cash jackpots to luxurious island getaways.

Below, we’ve listed a number of great scratchers currently available in Pennsylvania. We’ve provided our favorite cards from each price range available to ensure players with every budget can enjoy the instant fun.

1. $1 – Super 7s (Odds: 1 out of 4.70)
2. $5 – 5X the Money (Odds: 1 out of 4.50)
3. $10 – Extreme Green (Odds: 1 out of 3.68
4. $20 – $1 Million Cash Blowout (Odds: 1 out of 3.6)
5. $30 – $3 Million Money Millionaire (Odds: 1 out of 3.07)

The above scratchers are unique to Pennsylvania and can only be purchased from PA lotto retailers. As you can see, the odds of winning a prize increases the more money that is spent. Before you buy tickets either online or offline, we suggest you check to see which prizes are still available – there’s no use spending $30 on a ticket if there are no prizes left higher than that amount!

Online Pennsylvania Lottery Games

We could write an essay on the number of unique games that the Pennsylvania Lottery offers, so we won’t waste time with any introductions. Pennsylvania is among a few states like Michigan that allow for online iLottery games. These consist of digital draw games, scratchers, and scratch-slot hybrids.

Among these games is Deal or No Deal and Pennsylvania Payout. Thankfully, the official PA lotto website provides free demos for each game so you can know exactly what to expect. If this sounds like an online casino, it is because it very much is.

Signing up to an online account even awards players a deposit match up to $250. Unlike online casinos though, this deposit bonus only has to be wagered 10x before it can be deposited as cash, which is far better than online casinos’ standard 30X required wager.

In addition to this, there are two XPRESS Sports games that simulate sports bets. These are digital versions of horse and car racing that ask players to bet on random outcomes with different odds. Also, the lottery hosts an annual $1 million Millionaire Raffle for PA residents, with tickets costing $20.

Important Laws Regarding PA Lotteries

Just like how each lottery offers its own unique games, it’s also worth knowing that every state has unique laws that regulate the industry. This is especially important to remember if you frequently travel between states, as there may be some important factors that impact your decision to participate.

Of course, you are legally allowed to participate in any lottery in the country as long as you buy tickets and claim prizes for a lottery within state lines. As the table below shows, laws that tend to change the most include the minimum gaming age, the tax rate on winnings, and the legality of remaining anonymous in case of wins.

Players must be over the age of 18 to buy and claim lottery tickets in Pennsylvania. For prizes over the value of $5,000, a tax rate of 3.07 percent applies. As we have explained, Pennsylvanians are free to play online lottery games and buy tickets to major draws online.

For scratch cards, draw games, and Fast Play games, winners have 1 year from the date of the draw or the game’s end sale date to claim prizes. As in most states, Pennsylvania Lottery winners are unable to remain anonymous. The Lottery maintains that this is to ensure that winners are real people and to retain integrity and transparency.

Overview of the Pennsylvania Lotto

The Pennsylvania Lottery was created in late 1971, and sold its first tickets six months later in 1972. The first game cost 50c per ticket and awarded $1 million at the time. Since that first draw, Pennsylvanians have remained passionate about the lottery and have adopted a progressive attitude towards it.

The Pennsylvania Lottery is the only US lotto that uses its proceeds to fund programs for the elderly. Since it began, more than $20 billion of much-needed funds have gone towards these programs. The lottery operates under the regulation of the PA Department of Revenue.

Although Pennsylvania law requires at least 40 percent of proceeds to be paid back in prizes, the current program uses roughly 61 percent as prizes. The largest prize awarded in the state was a 2018 $456.7 million Powerball jackpot, which is going to be paid out in annual installments.

Conclusion

There is an argument to be made that the Pennsylvania Lottery is the crown jewel of the American Lottery. It is a groundbreaking system that has already inspired many other states to consider bringing unique online games to its citizens in order to boost state funds.

We don’t expect the PA lotto to be slowing down any time soon, so we suggest you return to this guide frequently for any updates to the lotto games on offer and laws. In addition to this, will always provide the latest Pennsylvania lottery winning numbers and an updated drawing schedule.

Common Questions that People Also Ask

The Pennsylvania Lottery provides one of the most comprehensive and exciting lottery systems in the country, so it’s understandable why some people may still have questions after reading this best Pennsylvania lottery games guide. For this reason, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions about how the PA lotto works.