MIDDLETOWN, PA — Drawing a winning ticket just became more technologically advanced in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Lottery is leaping into the future, priming for an ambitious system upgrade next week. The migration to this new computing platform may cause minor, temporary disruptions to certain ticket sales and cashing winning tickets. The upgrade process is expected to be brief, spanning less than a day.
According to Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne, the upgrade is part of a broader initiative to revamp the lottery by refreshing vending equipment and introducing several new features destined to streamline the playing experience for lottery lovers.
The transition endeavor will commence after midnight on Monday, March 18, and is slated to conclude late on Tuesday, March 19. Patrons will be kept abreast of the process through updates on the Lottery’s website and social media channels.
During the day-long transition, there will be a halt in the sale of Fast Play tickets and Draw Games – including the much-loved Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Treasure Hunt, Cash 5 with Quick Cash, Match 6 Lotto, Cash4Life®, and the PICK family of games – at all lottery retail locations and online.
To counter this slight inconvenience, players have been encouraged to purchase their tickets beforehand. While the sale of Scratch-Off tickets will still be possible strictly via cash transactions, eInstant games will remain accessible online throughout.
However, winners need to exhibit a bit of patience. As the system upgrade proceeds, the processing of winning tickets will be momentarily paused. Lottery aficionados who have won Scratch-Off tickets are urged to sign their tickets and save them until the system is back and running to claim their winnings. There will be a slight delay in claims processing due to the system upgrade. Things are expected to normalize in April.
This ground-breaking transformation of the lottery began with a revamp of vending equipment at retail locations. Most equipment upgrades are already implemented across the state. The technical transition will also entail the establishment of new data centers, test environments, and back-office systems, all of which are being set up behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for further enhancements.
Lottery players are benefitting from new equipment with enhanced inventory capacities and improved digital signage across the Lottery’s network of over 10,000 retailers. It’s a win-win!
Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Lottery, Drew Svitko, asserts that these technical advancements are designed to help the Lottery operate more efficiently, generate funds for vital programs beneficial to older residents, and ultimately, to enhance the lottery experience for all players.
The Pennsylvania Lottery team is dedicated to providing responsibly fun entertainment options for its players while simultaneously contributing positively to the state’s social programs. They are vigorously working to ensure the transition is a success and that the Lottery keeps this momentum going.
For more information about the forthcoming Lottery system upgrade, Pennsylvania residents can visit palottery.com/upgrade. After this brief pause, the Pennsylvania Lottery is prepared to bring its players a more efficient, streamlined lottery experience. Get your lucky charms ready, Pennsylvania!
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