Pennsylvania Lottery Changes Cash 5 Starting Jackpot
Monday April 20th 2020The Pennsylvania Lottery has made changes to the Cash 5 game's starting jackpot. Instead of a guaranteed minimum jackpot, the top prize will be determined before each drawing.
The Lottery will decide a new starting jackpot after each top prize win, and the current jackpot level will be announced before each drawing. The game's previous starting jackpot was $125,000.
The changes were announced on Saturday, April 18, and have now come into effect following the latest jackpot win on Sunday, April 19, when a single ticket won the grand prize of $425,000 during the daily draw. The winning numbers were 1, 12, 22, 33 and 34.
The adjustment has been made due to a coronavirus-related decrease in lottery ticket sales. The Lottery will assess ticket sales levels to ensure they can support the minimum jackpot before it is announced.
“Many Lottery players in the Commonwealth are staying at home, and as can be expected, this is affecting lottery game sales,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “Just as other businesses are forced to make adjustments during this time of uncertainty, the Pennsylvania Lottery also has to make changes in order to ensure that our games continue to generate funding for the vital programs that Pennsylvania seniors rely on.”
The changes come after Mega Millions and Powerball announced earlier this month that they would remove guaranteed minimum jackpots and rollover increases between drawings. Stay-at-home orders mean fewer Americans are playing the lottery, so jackpots need to adjust to reduced ticket sales.
The Mega Millions jackpot hasn't been hit since the changes were announced; it's currently $164 million for the next draw on Tuesday, April 21. After the jackpot is next won, its new starting level will be announced.
After a New Jersey ticket won the $190 million Powerball jackpot on April 8, the top prize reset to $20 million. It now stands at $29 million for the next draw on Wednesday, April 22.
For a full list of changes lotteries across the country have made due to COVID-19, please visit the Coronavirus lottery updates page, which is kept current as new details are released.
About Cash 5
Cash 5 has a draw every evening at 6:59 pm ET. There are no annuity payments, so if you hit it big you get the entire cash prize in your pocket in one payout. Playing is as easy as picking five numbers from 1 to 43. Each play costs $1.00. For more information, visit the Cash 5 game page.
Have you won a Cash 5 prize? Check your numbers now. You'll win the jackpot if all of your numbers match the five numbers the lottery draws, and you can still win a prize if you match two, three, or four numbers.
About the Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery launched in 1972 and it remains the only state lottery whose proceeds are used entirely to benefit the state's seniors. the lottery has funded over $30 billion in assistance for older Pennsylvanians, including property tax and rent relief, prescription help, transportation, care services, meals, and senior centers.
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