Pa. Lottery To Scrap Super 6 Lotto

Dec 19, 2003, 3:19 am (11 comments)

Pennsylvania Lottery

The Pennsylvania Lottery has decided to scrap its 5-year-old Super Six Lotto game because sales have been hurt by the introduction of the multistate Powerball game.

Super Six offers prizes for matching at least three out of six numbers.  State revenue department officials said the game will end around late January and be replaced with a new game -- Match Six Lotto -- which offers more ways to win.

Super Six sales for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2002 were about $225 million.  Officials said sales have dropped dramatically since Powerball was introduced on June 27, 2002.

Super Six sales were $87.5 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30. As of Monday, sales for the current fiscal year were about $49 million.

Match 6 Lotto is based on three sets of six numbers from 1 to 49 and promises a minimum $500,000 jackpot that rolls over if no one wins.  The top prize is offered for matching all six numbers on one line; smaller prizes are awarded for matching three to five numbers on any single line.

Players can also win prizes for matching anywhere between four and 10 numbers on the game ticket.

"That's one of the things people said they wanted," said Steve Kniley, a revenue department spokesman.  "More prizes ... and better odds of winning."

Lottery Post Staff

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smd173

This sounds interesting. With the concept of allowing you to match between 4 to 10 numbers ANYWHERE on the ticket, the first question that pops into my mind is...will they let you pick all of the lines yourself? I guess we'll find out soon enough.

hypersoniq's avatarhypersoniq

It's about time! This is good news, a 6/49 is much better than a 6/69!

Question is, what happens to the current stupid 6 jackpot? It would make one heck of a sales boost to transfer it to the first draw of the match 6!

CASH Only

Apparently PA is continuing its tradition of trying "oddball" jackpot games (Super-7; Keystone Jackpot, played like PB but also a pick-7; Super-6; and now Match Six, which sounds like it will also be three plays for $1, and would be further unusual in creating winners based on ALL THREE lines even if no single line matches 3/6.)                                                                                Hopefully the new game will do away with automatic QPs, although I have a hunch that you would still only get to choose one of the three lines, because of winners based on total matches OR one line.

While the new game would have much better odds per dollar of winning the jackpot (1: 4.66 million?) than Super-6, my guess is the new game will still be confusing to many players. I still believe PA should have opted for the MUSL "Hot Lotto", except perhaps with somewhat longer jackpot odds.

CASH Only

Todd:

A "high profile" game should avoid unusual rules/formats. PA sticks out this way.                                                                                                                    PB was revolutionary when it began, but dventually, among other things, players saw they could win by matching only one number.

CASH Only

Probably the biggest question is whether the prize for matching 4 to 10 numbers within three lines (18 numbers) would be _added_ to the usual  prize(s) for matching three or more numbers in a game. Presumably, if you match, eg, 2+2+1 in your three plays, you would win a prize for matching five numbers in the three lines. What if your ticket has 3+0+1? Do you win for a three-number match AND having four numbers within the three lines? If you match seven numbers in the three plays, you have a least a three-number game; if you match 10 numbers in the three plays, there's at least a 4/6 game on your ticket. Finally, what if you match 11 or more in the three games WITHOUT winning the jackpot? Confused??

Grammy3

 Pa should stop copy catting other states are come up with better ideas then they do.

 The two time draw with 3 and 4 was a mistake. They said they have to keep up with the other states like Jersey,delaware,ohio etc..

 

smd173

Anyone who has a problem with the midday Pick 3 and Pick 4 being added to PA is just be silly in my opinion.

First off the midday draws are done via computer. So it's not the same as having ball sets like they use at night.

Secondly, if you don't have enough money to play the midday and night game, you shouldn't. Stick with just the night games like you always did.

Midday numbers have NOTHING to do with Night numbers and vice versa.

If you think they do, it's all in your head.

Lotto Czar's avatarLotto Czar

This story was first reported in the harrisburg Patriot - News last Friday.  Most of the details were given; yes it will be sort of like Super 6; players can pick 6 numbers, (out of 49); the other two plays are freebees.   My only question after reading the article and trying to figure the odds is that apparently 10 numbers are drawn.  According to the story, (I didn't do all the math) the chances of getting $2 (minimum) prize is 1 in 9.  this is about the same as the Cash 5 game.  I'm wondring if all 10 numbers are in play, such as the old Super 7 game in the 80's.  You pick 7, Lottery draws 10 from 80.  Long odds and big jackpots.  OR will it be like the old Wild Card Lotto, the first 6 numbers drawn are the ones that count, with the next 4 being bonus numbers. that will come into play anywhere.  OR two sets of numbers, two different games on one ticket.  Maybe that would be confusing.

Stay tuned, this may have potential.  As he who runs the lottery pool at work, this really sounds like a winner. 

I don't know about the rest of you, but I sort of like gimmicks.  Actually Delaware had a few innovative games; the best being the Winning hand.  Part Jackpot - part instant.  That's what Pa is shooting for.  The Hearts and diamonds game a few years ago was a bust, i don't know why, I won now and then on it. 

There is good and bad.

 

 

CASH Only

Czar:

If you're right about two automatic QPs per play (same as Super-6), the PA Lottery didn't listen to all the complaints about the retiring game.

I also read your post about each (three-game) play costing $2. That would be a HUGE mistake.

PA should have gone with the MUSL "Hot Lotto", which is played in neighboring West Virginia.

Lotto Czar's avatarLotto Czar

Hot lotto would be good.  Seems like good odds to me.  The old "roll Down" game (also a MUSL game) would have been good too.  Or not.  But I'm not sure, if messing with the Cash 5 would be a good idea.  After all, big (or at least substantial) jackpots is what we all want.

CASH Only

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