Middletown, PA — A Columbia County convenience store sold a jackpot-winning Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 ticket worth $2,488,733 for the Friday, March 8, drawing. The jackpot was the highest in the nearly 27-year history of Cash 5, the Pennsylvania Lottery’s longest-running jackpot game.

“We’re thrilled that the largest jackpot in Cash 5 history created a big winner,” said Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “Friday’s historic drawing also produced more than 156,000 other Cash 5 winners all across Pennsylvania.”

Sheetz, 2100 W. Front St., Berwick, earns a $10,000 bonus for selling the big winning ticket. The ticket matched all five balls drawn, 05-06-10-12-15, to win the top prize, less applicable withholding.

Prior to the jackpot-winning ticket being sold for the Friday drawing, the jackpot had been growing since Friday, February 22, when a $500,000 jackpot was won by one ticket sold in Beaver County.

The previous record for the all-time high Cash 5 jackpot was $2 million. That record was first set by the drawing held January 17, 2017. Three winning tickets shared the $2 million jackpot from that drawing. The $2 million record was tied last week for the drawing held on Thursday, March 7.

More than 156,300 other Cash 5 tickets also won prizes in Friday’s drawing. Players should check every ticket, every time, and claim lower-tier prizes at a Lottery retailer.

Cash 5 was launched as a weekly game on April 23, 1992. It became a nightly drawing in 1998. The televised drawing is conducted at 6:59 p.m., seven nights a week.

Visit the Winners and Benefits pages at palottery.com to review how much money each county receives in Lottery prizes and funding to benefit older Pennsylvanians.

How to play Cash 5: Players pay $1 and select five numbers from 1 to 43. Players may select their own numbers using a Cash 5 playslip or opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn to win the jackpot. Players also win prizes for matching two, three or four winning numbers. Cash 5 is drawn each evening and tickets can be purchased up to seven draws (one week) in advance. Chances of winning the jackpot prize are 1 in 962,598; the overall chances of winning any prize are about 1 in 10.5.

About Us: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since ticket sales began in 1972, it has contributed $29 billion to fund property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care services, prescription assistance, and local services including senior centers and meals.
 
Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for help with a compulsive gambling problem.

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