Last week, the Pennsylvania Lottery released its record-setting yearly revenue report. Now, the Lottery is shining the spotlight on scratch-offs.
The player-favorite instant lottery game made three lucky winners millionaires and two more multi-millionaires in July.
During the fiscal year 2017-2018, scratch-off sales were $2.8 billion and accounted for 67 percent of the Lottery’s entire revenue.
The Lottery is living up to its end of the bargain by returning a fair share of that revenue to the players. In fact, it returns $.65 of every dollar to players in the form of lottery prize winnings.
Scratching the lottery itch
Scratch-off winners took home $172,733,641 in prizes, including 26 prizes of $100,000 or more. And that is just in July.
Some of the notable prizes paid out include:
- Two – $3 million prize winners (the game’s top prize)
- Three – $1 million prize winners
- Five – $300,000 prize winners
- One – $250,000 prize winners
- 15 – $100,000 prize winners
Scratch-offs prizes range from a free ticket to a $3 million payday and everything in between.
The Pennsylvania Lottery and lottery retailers do not know which outlet has the winning tickets. A random distribution of lottery tickets keeps that information under wraps to protect the integrity of the game.
The overall chances of winning a specific prize are on the back of every ticket. It is important to remember that the chances of winning are for the entire game and not for the tickets at one location.
Some counties are luckier than others
Juniata County is home to one of the $3 million winners. It is one of the luckier counties regarding lottery ticket sales. On the whole, it pays out $.75 of every dollar back to players in the form of lottery prizes.
That figure, according to the 2016-2017 revenue report is $.10 above the average. That places it in the top ten counties, number seven to be exact, regarding prize payouts.
None of the other counties made it onto the top ten list. Thanks to the awarding of several big prizes, the list is likely to change with the latest revenue numbers.
Players purchased the $3 million prize tickets at:
- Port Royal Pit Stop/Uni-Mart, 800 Market St., Port Royal, Juniata Co.
- Wawa, 111 Morton Ave., Folsom, Delaware Co.
Players purchased the $1 million prize tickets at:
- Turkey Hill, 2 Denver Road, Denver, Lancaster Co.
- Convenient Food Mart, 610 S. Main St., Pittston, Luzerne Co.
- Turkey Hill, 4 S. Centre Ave., Leesport, Berks Co.
Of every dollar earned in the Pennsylvania Lottery, $.07 goes to retailers in the form of commission. That commision is partly calculated based on the winning tickets sold by each location.
Elderly Pennsylvanians also winning big
Players are not the only Pennsylvanians that are winning big thanks to the Lottery. Elderly Pennsylvanians are benefitting, too.
Pennsylvania proudly boasts the only lottery that contributes its proceeds towards programs for the elderly.
Out of every dollar earned through lottery sales, $.27 goes towards the health and well-being of the aging population in the Keystone State.
Last year, thanks to players and their love of the lottery, $1.1 billion dollars found its way to the Lottery Fund. It is the seventh-straight year that the Lottery sent over $1 billion to the Fund. It brings the total contribution to $29 billion since its inception.
Pennsylvania Lottery officials remind players to immediately check tickets and claim winnings. Prizes are set to expire from the official end date of the scratch-off game. Find end dates per game at palottery.com.
