News writer; Opinion columnist
Pennsylvania Lottery players crushed the month of January with a massive nine-figure haul of jackpots. Over 7,000 Keystone state scratch-off players combined to collect $213 million to start the new year, a significant increase over the previous month's haul.
Read on to learn which games created the biggest and the most winners.
$5,000,000 x 2
Five Million Fabulous Fortune lived up to its name for Lauri N. of Susquehanna when she took home the game's $5,000,000 jackpot.
To win, players need to match one of their forty numbers to one of the game's ten winning numbers to take home the corresponding prize. Revealing a FORTUNE symbol will multiply your prize by one hundred.
The game costs $50 to play, has a total prize pool of $319 million, and features five jackpots, two of which are still available to collect.
The month's second $5 million payout went to Jeffrey R of Berks, who landed on Broadway and collected the top prize playing Monopoly Own It All.
Monopoly is another number-match game that gives players thirty numbers to match against ten winning numbers to collect a prize. Find a BOARDWALK or PARK PLACE, and you can multiply your prize by fifty.
While Jeffrey did take home one jackpot, there are still four remaining to be found, so don't be afraid to pass Go and collect your cash!
Lauri and Jeff were the game's big winners for January, but over 1,800 players took home at least $1,000 from the ticket, which isn't a bad way to kick off a new year.
Ho Ho Ho
Five Million Fabulous Fortune may have given out January's biggest prizes, but it wasn't the only game to offer a seven-figure payout.
Joel C. of Chester and Josephine B. from Montgomery each collected $3 million playing Ho Ho Holiday 100X.
This $30 scratcher offers players twenty-five chances to win by matching their numbers to the eight winning numbers. Uncovering a 100X symbol will multiply your win by 100, and finding a WIN ALL symbol means that you win all twenty-five prizes on the ticket.
The ticket also features a second bonus game that gives players five chances to win instantly.
While Joel and Josephine have already hit it big, there's still one Ho Ho top prize left if you're hoping Santa will bring you a late Christmas gift.
Ho Ho was another rewarding scratcher for players, as over 500 collected at least $3,000 from the game in January.
Millions on millions
As for January's remaining big winners, four different players cashed in four different games for one million dollars each.
John F. of Lancaster collected his prize after picking up a $1 Million Money Tree game for $30.
The game gives players twenty numbers to match against seven winning numbers to collect a prize. Uncovering three TREE symbols will multiply your winnings by twenty, and finding a GIFT OF CASH symbol means you win every award on the card.
Donald E. scored big with a Big Money Millionaire scratcher that cost just $20.
Big Money is another number match game that gives players twenty chances to match one of their numbers to one of seven winning numbers. Finding the 20X symbol means that you can multiply your prize by twenty.
Million Dollar Cashfall was the right scratch-off for George R, who claimed a seven-figure prize from this $20 game. George had to match his twenty numbers to the seven winning numbers to collect his jackpot.
This game still has two million dollar prizes available and four one hundred thousand dollar prizes, so there's still plenty of cash waiting to fall.
The month's final million-dollar winner was Joseph N. of Allegheny, who scored his big win by playing Millionaire Maker.
While this $20 game does offer the traditional way to win by matching the player's twenty numbers to the game's seven winning numbers, it also features one of the biggest instant win symbols on any scratcher.
Uncovering a MAKER symbol in the bonus game means that you win one million dollars instantly.
Stacking it up in Pennsylvania
One exciting trend to watch is the steady growth in winnings from Pennsylvania scratcher games. In November, players collected over $176 million. That number grew in December when the state lottery paid out $196 million to scratcher winners.
If this trend continues, Pennsylvania Lottery players could set new records for winning in 2024.
