News writer; Opinion columnist
We live our lives over our phones. We can bank, work, read books, watch TV, and even date through our smart devices. Now, if you live in Pennsylvania, you can add playing lottery games to that list.
The Pennsylvania Lottery is one of the few but growing number of state lotteries that allows players to buy tickets for live draw games and play lottery games online.
So, whether you want to buy Powerball tickets or take a chance on a million-dollar online jackpot, you just need a phone, a bank account, and to be over eighteen years old to play.
Read on to learn how you can enjoy lottery games from anywhere you have a data connection.
Origins
Online lottery games were first introduced in Pennsylvania in June of 2018, and they’ve proven to be tremendously popular with players. In 2023, eInstant lottery games generated over $927 million in revenue, a 16% year-over-year increase from 2022. Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko believes that eInstant games are the right way to expand access to the lottery by making it more convenient to play. Svitko said in a statement:
"PA iLottery games are a fun, new way to play and win from home or while on the go. iLottery is a big part of our effort to meet our players where they already are while generating new funds to benefit older Pennsylvanians."
How to play
In order to play online lottery games or buy tickets, you must first download the official state lottery app. Then, you must create an account and verify that you are at least eighteen years old.
Next, you must fund your accounts. You can do this with a direct bank account transfer, a major credit card, or PayPal. If you use your credit card, you can only deposit up to $1,000 every twenty-four hours.
You can withdraw your money directly into your bank account or Paypal, but if you win over $5,000, the lottery will automatically deduct money for state and federal taxes. You can also set spending and time limits for play and freeze your access to the games for 30 days if you feel like playing less.
You can play games on your phone, computer, tablet, or any other mobile device, but you must be physically located in Pennsylvania. Players have access to over 180 different eInstant games and can purchase tickets for the live draw games: Pick 2, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Treasure Hunt, and Match 6.
Games are available 24/7, can be played for as little as five cents, and several of them feature million-dollar jackpots.
Big game hunting
If you like to play games with the biggest prizes and highest stakes, several iLottery games feature progressive jackpots that routinely exceed three million dollars.
For example, the eInstant game Money Marvel currently features a multi-state cumulative jackpot that is almost up to $4 million—gameplay costs between fifty cents and $50 per play.
Money Marvel is a connection game, which means that players must connect three symbols in a three-by-five grid to win a prize. A connection is formed by two symbols sharing the same side so that a winning play can be in a vertical or horizontal line or at a right angle.
If you reveal three FREE GAME symbols, you'll win ten free plays. Finding a MONEY MARVEL symbol will give you one play on a bonus one-by-five grid. And if you want to win the big prize, you’ll need to reveal three MEGA MONEY JACKPOT symbols to activate the Mega Money Jackpot bonus game.
The Mega Money Jackpot game is played on a three-by-three grid, and players will start with five plays but will have the ability to earn more depending on the symbols they collect. Collecting six MINOR symbols will win you the current Minor Jackpot prize. However, if you collect seven MEGA symbols, you’ll win the big prize, which is just over $3.9 million as of this writing.
Jackpot Extravaganza and Jackpot Spectacular also currently feature multi-million dollar jackpots.
Small ball
If you’re looking for something low-stakes, low-priced, and low-stress, then you might want to try a game like 500X the Cash. While the top prize is just $20,000, it can be played for a minimum of five cents or a maximum of $2.
500X is a number match game where players have to match their numbers to the game’s winning numbers to take home the corresponding prize. In case you want the game to do the work for you, it has an auto-play feature that will play up to twenty consecutive games automatically while you watch.
For added fun, there are two bonus games that give you even more opportunities to win. Players who collect three yellow tabs will activate the Wheel Bonus Game. To earn money, the player must spin a wheel and have three segments of the same color stop in the game’s “win zone.”
Collecting three pink tabs will activate the Flip bonus game. Players must flip tiles to reveal various bonuses. For example, finding a BOLT symbol will increase the value of prizes won on each turn until the game ends, and finding an arrow symbol will grow the grid and give players more tiles to flip. The game ends when the player runs out of tiles to uncover.
No matter your play style, game preference, or spending limits, with almost two hundred different games available, the Pennsylvania iLottery offers something for everyone.
