Lottery spokesperson: Cluster of major area scratch-off prizes likely 'pure luck'
Jul. 3—Pennsylvania's second-most-famous groundhog urges lottery players to "keep on scratchin'."
That advice resulted in some major scratch for Indiana County resident Randy Lytle. He won $3 million on a Monopoly 100X scratch-off ticket he purchased on Memorial Day at the Giant Eagle supermarket in Ligonier.
He cashed in by risking some of his previous Lottery winnings on the $30 ticket.
"The day before I bought the same ticket and I won $1,000 on that ticket and I had to go to that Giant Eagle to cash that big of a prize," Lytle told Lottery officials, adding, "It's the only reason I was there at that Giant Eagle."
Lytle said the prize money will allow him to assist family members and pursue his dream of starting his own business.
He's not alone in reaping major Lottery rewards, as the region has seen a cluster of recent big-prize winners. In late June, a $1 million-winning scratch-off ticket was sold at a BP store in North Huntingdon and a similar payout was scored at a Wilkinsburg beer distributor.
Throughout June, there were three scratch-off players in Westmoreland County who won a prize of $250,000 or more, and in May there were two who won $20,000 or more.
In May, another $3 million scratch-off prize and two others of $100,000 or more were claimed in neighboring Fayette County, while a $1 million prize surfaced at the UPMC Mercy Gift Shop in Pittsburgh.
What could be behind this gush of good fortune in the area? Could more major prizes be turning up because more people have been venturing out to purchase tickets as covid-19 pandemic restrictions have eased?
Actually, according to Pennsylvania Lottery Press Secretary Ewa Swope, scratch-off ticket sales have been strong throughout the 2020-21 fiscal year, which was dominated by the pandemic.
"Lottery sales typically reflect retailer sales, which have been doing well during the pandemic," Swope said. "Most Pennsylvania Lottery retailers include essential businesses, such as grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies, and those businesses have remained open throughout the pandemic."
As for searching for a reason why top prizes appear to have proliferated in several Southwestern Pennsylvania counties, Swope said, "What may seem like a cluster of wins in a certain area is more likely just pure luck. Pennsylvania Lottery prizes are distributed randomly throughout each game, meaning the chances of winning are not influenced by where a ticket is sold.
"As would be expected with random distribution, regions with larger numbers of players tend to have a proportionate ratio of players winning. This does not mean those regions are any 'luckier' than other areas."
After a few older scratch-off games with major prizes end on Wednesday, the Lottery will offer two $30 games and three $20 games with a top prize of $1 million or more.
"We have seen our higher price-point games continue to increase in popularity over the past year or two," Swope said.
Tickets for such games have been reordered to keep up with sales. "While the number of games on sale hasn't increased dramatically over the years, the order quantities are much higher than where they have been in the past," Swope said.
Strong sellers include the $20 Million Maker scratch-off, launched on Feb. 23, and the Monopoly 100x tickets, issued beginning on March 23.
As of Friday, there were two remaining $3 million prizes and six $300,000 prizes to be claimed in the Monopoly game. Prizes in the game begin at $400, with the overall chances of winning something at 1:2.86.
There was just one prize each of $1 million and $100,000 left in the Million Maker game, which also has a beginning prize of $400. It offers winning odds of 1:3.21.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .
