The Pennsylvania Lottery says more than $181 million in Scratch-Off ticket prizes were claimed in May.
In fact, a press release distributed by Pennsylvania Lottery on Monday, June 4 claims an astounding $181,081,726 was picked up by scratch-offs winners in PA last month.
This includes a $3 million top prize and four separate $1 million top prizes.
The $3 million winning ticket was bought at a Butler Street Shop ‘n Save in Pittsburgh. It was a ticket for the $3,000,000 Pennsylvania Club game.
The $1 million winning tickets included:
- A My First Million ticket bought JR’s Mini Mart in Coal Township
- Another My First Million ticket bought at a Clearfield Sheetz
- A Big Money Millionaire ticket bought at a N. Huntingdon Sheetz
- A $1,000,000 Silver & Gold ticket bought at The Feed Store in Harrisburg
Of course, more than $181 million in Scratch-Off ticket prizes claimed means a number of other big prizes collected during the month. According to the PA Lottery, these prizes included:
- Seven $300,000 prizes
- Five $250,000 prizes
- 17 $100,000 prizes
Additionally, the PA Lottery posts a monthly winner’s list on its website with information about winners of $1,000 or more every month. It’s a big list for May 2018 and PA Lottery officials also claim many prizes below that amount were claimed throughout the month.
$2.58 billion in prizes
In its 2016-2017 fiscal year, the PA Lottery recorded a little over $2.7 billion in scratch-off ticket sales. Total PA Lottery ticket sales hit just over $4 billion. Close to 65 percent of that money, a total of $2.58 billion, was paid out in prizes.
The average amount of PA Lottery prizes claimed every month was a little over $215 million. However, that included payouts for scratch-off, Fast Play, and a dozen draw games offered by the PA Lottery. Numbers that clearly show the $181 million in Scratch-Off ticket prizes claimed in May was well above average.
However, that average is expected to climb with a number of new PA Lottery products debuting in May, and more to come.
More PA Lottery products = more ways to win
State lawmakers passed a gambling expansion bill in October 2017 that authorized the sale of online lottery products. The next day, Gov. Tom Wolf approved the rollout of Pennsylvania Lottery monitor games at participating retailers and various local bars and restaurants.
The first Keno monitor games launched on May 1 and ticket sales were hot from the start. Lottery officials reported the 9,400 lottery retailers and 600 bars and restaurants where Keno was available were selling close to 8,200 tickets an hour by noon on Day 1. Keno sales only got bigger from there.
In fact, the Pennsylvania Lottery reported Keno ticket sales went over the $2 million mark in the first 17 days. Over that same period, more than $1.3 million in Keno prizes were handed out.
It’s too early to tell what impact it will have on the numbers, but the PA Lottery also launched real-money PA iLottery games at the end of May.
A total of 11 PA iLottery instant win games are now available on the new PAilottery website. The games are essentially electronic scratch-offs with an online slot machine feel.
Another monitor game, Xpress Sports by the Pennsylvania Lottery, will launch with simulated football and auto racing players can wager on sometime in the summer of 2018.
Traditional scratch-oOffs available at PA lottery retailers across the state offer prizes ranging from a free ticket to $3 million. Rules and information regarding remaining and prizes and chances of winning are all available on the PA Lottery website.
The Pennsylvania Lottery directs all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. In fact, it has contributed nearly $28 billion to such programs since ticket sales started in 1972.
