News writer
The Pennsylvania Lottery is getting an early start on its New Year's celebrations, and players won't have to wait until January for a chance to win big. Tickets are now on sale for the New Year's Millionaire Raffle, a holiday tradition that has created 144 millionaires since its debut in 2005.
This year's game features eight weeks of $50,000 drawings before the grand finale on January 2, 2027, when four lucky players will each win $1 million. And here's something players will want to know: A ticket that wins $50,000 in a weekly drawing still has a chance to win another prize in January.
Eight weeks of $50,000 prizes
The Pennsylvania Lottery is offering two $50,000 prizes each week for eight consecutive weeks, giving players 16 chances to collect a five-figure payday before the New Year.
Each $20 ticket is automatically entered into the weekly drawing corresponding to when it was purchased. Players don't need to register or take any additional steps.
The weekly drawing periods are:
- November 3–9
- November 10–16
- November 17–23
- November 24–30
- December 1–7
- December 8–14
- December 15–21
- December 22–28
Winning numbers will be posted weekly on the Pennsylvania Lottery website.
In a statement, Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko said, “As we head into the holiday season, the Millionaire Raffle remains one of our most anticipated annual games. The added excitement of weekly $50,000 prizes gives players even more to look forward to leading up to the big New Year’s drawing.”
Four millionaires will kick off 2027
The biggest celebration comes January 2, when the Lottery will award 6,000 cash prizes totaling more than $5.8 million.
The final drawing includes:
- Four $1 million prizes.
- Four $100,000 prizes.
- 100 prizes of $1,000.
- 5,892 prizes of $100.
Only 500,000 tickets are available, with numbers issued sequentially from 00000001 through 00500000.
Ticket sales end when all tickets sell out or at 8 p.m. on January 2, whichever comes first. If all 500,000 tickets are sold, the odds of winning one of the four $1 million prizes are 1 in 125,000. The overall odds of winning any prize in the final drawing are approximately 1 in 83.
Don't throw away that winning ticket
Players who win a weekly $50,000 prize should hold on to their tickets because those same tickets remain eligible for the January 2 drawing.
Weekly prizes must be claimed in person at a Pennsylvania Lottery office. Winners cannot claim them at retailers or by mail, and the original ticket is required.
Players can check winning numbers on the Pennsylvania Lottery website or scan their tickets using the Lottery's official app.
With 144 millionaires already created through the raffle, Pennsylvania is preparing to add four more names to that list. And for some lucky players, the celebrations could begin well before the ball drops on New Year's Eve.
Enjoy playing the Pennsylvania Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
