No wonder Gus says Keep on Scratchin.
The lovable groundhog associated with the Pennsylvania Lottery touts a bundle of holiday-themed scratch-off cards in his new commercial.
The special holiday menu includes themed cards of anywhere from $1 to $20, with payouts of up to $1 million on the $20 card.
The Pennsylvania Lottery produced a lineup that fits desired budgets, tastes and purpose. Give them as gifts. Use them as a stocking stuffer. Treat yourself to some. Go for a buck or a bundle.
And for those who prefer to do their scratchin’ online, there are also plenty of holiday-themed PA online lottery instant games to choose from.
Everyone loves a mystery gift. Especially a gift that wins.
The scratch-offs also act as a complement to the regular, televised state lottery. It’s action for those who don’t want to wait for results of the nightly draw.
The price range of scratch- offs reflects the laddered steps for risk and reward.
PA Lottery holiday scratch-off games and prizes
The Light Entry
Gnome for the Holidays is a $1 game that offers 10 top prizes of $5,000. Reveal a “GNOME” (GNOME) symbol, win prize shown under that symbol. Reveal a “HOME” (WINALL) symbol, win all 4 prizes shown!
Gingerbread Dough is a $2 game that offers 10 top prizes of $20,000. Reveal a “GINGERBREAD COOKIE” (COOKIE) symbol, win prize shown under that symbol. Reveal a “HOT COCOA” (WIN20) symbol, win $20 instantly. Reveal a “MONEY” (WINALL) symbol, win all 10 prizes shown!
Naughty or Nice is a $3 game that offers 10 top prizes of $50,000. Scratch the WINNING NUMBERS area to reveal 20 numbers. Only scratch the numbers in LINE 1 through LINE 8 that match any of the WINNING NUMBERS. When each matched number is scratched, the square will turn white. When you match NONE of the numbers in any horizontal LINE, win the NAUGHTY prize shown to the left of that LINE. When you match ALL the numbers in any horizontal LINE, win the NICE prize shown to the right of that LINE.
BONUS: Reveal a cash prize amount, win that amount instantly! BONUS is played separately.
Moving Up Slightly
Ho Ho Whole Lotta $500s is a $5 game that offers 10 top prizes of $250,000. When any of YOUR NUMBERS match any WINNING NUMBER, win prize shown under the matching number. Reveal a “GIFT TAG” (WIN500) symbol, win $500 instantly. Reveal a “SLEIGH” (WINALL) symbol, win all 12 prizes shown!
BONUS: Reveal a “$500 SNOWFLAKE” (500SNFLK) symbol, win $500 instantly! BONUS is played separately.
Snow Much Fun is a $10 game that offers 10 top prizes of $500,000. When any of YOUR NUMBERS match any WINNING NUMBER, win PRIZE shown under the matching number. Reveal a “FLURRIES” (FLURRIES) symbol, win PRIZE shown under that symbol automatically. Reveal a “5X” (5TIMES) symbol, win 5 TIMES the PRIZE shown under that symbol. Reveal a “PEPPERMINT” (WINALL) symbol, win ALL 15 PRIZES shown!
Thinking Big
1,000,000 Merry and Bright is a $20 game that offers 5 top prizes of $1,000,000. When any of YOUR NUMBERS match any WINNING NUMBER, win prize shown under the matching number. Reveal an “ORNAMENT” (ORNAMENT) symbol, win prize shown under that symbol automatically. Reveal a “10X” (10TIMES) symbol, win 10 TIMES the prize shown under that symbol. Reveal a “GIFT BAG” (WINALL) symbol, win all 20 prizes shown!
BRIGHT BONUS: Reveal a “$200 SNOWFLAKE” (WIN200) symbol, win $200 instantly! BRIGHT BONUS is played separately.
LIMITED TIME: VIP Players Club members can submit non-winning Holiday-themed Scratch-Offs into the PA Lottery’s North Pole Payout Second-Chance Drawing for a chance to win up to $100,000!
Enter by 11:59:59 p.m. (ET) on 1/14/2022. Find prize details, rules, and enter at palottery.com or via the PA Lottery Official App. Games may remain for sale after second-chance drawing ends.
The Parallel Gambling Experience
Many gamblers played lotteries prior to legalized sports betting and can relate to its parameters.
The lottery was once the only game in town for people seeking action. Most only involved $1. But the states, forerunners of bookmakers enticing bettors with props, made the lottery attractive, enticing and sophisticated.
Color codes. Symbols. Visual excitement with the dollar signs.
Yes, gamblers know that the highest-denomination games carry remote collection odds, and that the Pennsylvania lottery website outlines the odds of winning.
It’s a long shot, but somebody has to win. Why not you?
Casino slot players experience the same phenomenon. First, it was nickel slots. Then 25 cents. A dollar was big. And then came $5 and up.
One life-changing pull.
Sports bettors may view lotteries in the context ranging from a small prop to an expensive same-game parlay. Many “graduated” from the lottery ranks and still play them.
A lottery is an in-game bet in a different form.
PA online lottery holiday instant games
For those who opt to try their lottery luck at home, Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states offering online lottery games. And the PA iLottery is getting into the holiday spirit. Here are some holiday-themed instant games currently available:
- Snow Bank
- Flurry of Cash
- Gifts Galore
- Polar Bear Bucks
- Matching Through the Show
- Frosty Fun
- Home for the Holly-Days
- Cash Avalanche
- Bake it Til You Make It
- Winning Tree
- Snow Me the Money
- Frosty Fun
- Chimney Stacks of Cash
- Unwrap the Cash
- Merry/Merrier Multiplier
Responsible Use of Tickets
Kids will be given enough presents for Christmas. Lottery tickets should not be among them, as they would constitute an encouragement of under-age gambling.
Responsible gaming efforts are an excellent part of the gambling business and extend to this.
For those who are adults….If someone buys you a winning ticket that hits big, should you share it?
Why not?
That way, it is better to give AND receive at Christmas.
In popular culture, Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda starred in the 1994 film “It Can Happen to You”, regarding a policeman who shares his winning $4 million lottery ticket with a waitress.
Good luck scratching out a gift that keeps on giving.