August was a uniquely exciting month for PA Lottery players, and will likely be the highest winning month of the whole year overall. While the total amount won on scratch-offs was relatively low for the month, huge prizes won on draw games more than made up for that dip in prize earnings for PA Lottery players.
August was slow for PA Lottery scratch-offs
PA Lottery players took home over $197 million in scratch-off prizes in August. Every other month this year has hit $200 million or more in prize payouts. The winningest month was March, when scratch-0ff players won over $236 million in prizes.
August might have been comparatively underwhelming, but tell that to the lucky player that hit the $3 million top prize on the $3 Million Diamonds and Gold ticket this month in Cumberland County. That was the highest scratch-off prize won in August, sold by Giant grocery on Walnut Bottom Road, in Carlisle.
The $3 Million Diamonds and Gold scratcher launched on July 19, originally offering five top prizes. Four of those $3 million prizes remain to be won on that ticket.
Did PA’s Powerball jackpot win increase interest in draw games?
There was no big change in the PA Lottery’s scratch-offs that caused a lull in prize payouts. Rather, increased interest in draw games last month might have had something to do with it.
Leading up to August, players watched the Mega Millions jackpot soar to its second highest level in the history of the game, ending with a $1.33 billion winner in Illinois. At the same time, the Powerball jackpot was starting to heat up, approaching the $200 million mark.
On Aug. 3, the $206.9 million Powerball jackpot became the highest prize won in PA this month and this year. The winner, Taylor O., bought his winning ticket at a Sheetz store in New Stanton, Westmoreland County, and became the 19th PA Powerball player to hit the jackpot.
The PA Lottery reported that the jackpot run leading up to that big win generated $18.3 million in Powerball sales in the state, which created a profit of $7.3 million to fund programs and benefits for older PA residents.
All that additional interest in the big draw games meant there were other big winners on those games, as well. For exapmle, on Aug. 2, a Monroe County player won $3 million by hitting the second-tier Mega Millions prize. That ticket was sold at Tobacco Outlet on Main Street, in Stroudsburg.
To win that prize, their ticket first had to match the first five white balls drawn, but not the gold Mega Ball. In addition, that player paid the extra $1 for the Megaplier option on their ticket. The Megaplier number drawn that night was 3x. Without the Megaplier, that ticket would have been worth $1 million.
Yet another historic PA Lottery jackpot hit in August
Cash 5 With Quick Cash also grabbed players’ attention last month, as its progressive top prize surpassed the game’s previous record.
On Aug. 12, a player in Montgomery County snagged the $3.07 million jackpot. That ticket was sold at Souderton Food Mart in Souderton. The previous record-setting jackpot of more than $2.4 million was set in 2019, won by a player in Columbia County.
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