Unclaimed $1M State Lottery Ticket Sold in Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia

A Cash 5 ticket was sold for the Sunday, November 20 draw, and the lucky winner guessed all five numbers. The Keystone State Lottery officials said the ticket was sold in a $700 million casino that started operating in early 2021.

The winning numbers were 8-17-27-31-38. Despite far-fetched odds for matching all five numbers of one in 962,598, the $2 ticket won $1,077,663.50 before taxes.

Cash 5 is a daily contest from the Pennsylvania Lottery, with number draws each day at pm EST. Players have to pick five numbers out of 43, and the hosts at the WITF Studios in Harrisburg draw the winning balls.

PA law requires public identification of the winner, but the winning player must still reveal their identity.

Out of the $1 million win, the state will take an effective commonwealth tax of 3.07% while the federal government takes a hefty 37% in taxes.

In this instance, even Live! Casino gets a bonus for selling the jackpot-winning ticket. The house will get $10,000 for participation.

PA Turned Casinos into Lottery Agents

Pennsylvania looked to improve its budget with the legalization of commercial casinos in 2004, allowing PA online casino no deposit bonus in slot machines at horse racetracks. The legislation was broadened six years later by adding table games.

In 2017, PA made another stride in expanding gambling laws for more tax income. Along with racetracks, iGaming, mini-casinos, PA sports gambling, and video lottery terminals were allowed at some truck stops and airport lounges. A joint decision by the Republican majority in the General Assembly and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf was reached after Republicans wouldn’t cave into individual income tax increases.

Because Pennsylvania has one of the most lucrative state-run lottery systems, lawmakers impose rules to limit the negative effect of gaming establishments. The Keystone State demands that each casino sell state-lottery tickets as their agents.

“The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board shall have the power to require each slot machine licensee to sell Pennsylvania State Lottery tickets at its licensed facility at a location as near as practicable to the pay windows,” the state’s 2004 authorization of slot machine facilities mandates.

The policy was well received in other states that allow commercial casino gambling. Maryland and Massachusetts also require that their land-based casinos have to sell state-run lottery tickets.

Simultaneously, the state Lottery is going against the proliferation of so-called skill games, as it has hurt their sales by almost $650 since 2017.

Problematic machines and legality of so far unregulated, and therefore untaxed gaming devices still have to go through state courts.

Why is Lottery Revenue Essential for the State

The Pennsylvania Lottery income is put to good use. It’s the only state-run lottery system that spends its revenue on programs for elderly residents.

With more than $1 billion in yearly revenue, the lottery manages to fund multiple senior programs. PA elders in need benefit from free meals, low-cost prescriptions, public transportation participation, personal care, property tax, and rent rebates.