Penn. Lottery unveils self-service ticket machines

May 20, 2004, 7:14 am (6 comments)

Pennsylvania Lottery

Lottery players throughout Pennsylvania will soon be able to play the Pennsylvania Lottery's online and instant games using state-of-the-art, touch screen terminals.

Secretary of Revenue Gregory C. Fajt and Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Lottery Ed Mahlman today unveiled the first of the new self-service Player Activated Terminals (PATs) at a retailer in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania is the first state to offer self-service units that sell both instant and online games. The Lottery will install 1,000 of the machines statewide in coming months.

"Lottery players will be able to use the self-service terminals to buy Powerball, Match 6 and other online games, as well as up to 24 instant games," Secretary Fajt said. "The new terminals will help the Lottery expand its sales efforts to areas and retailers that were previously unable to sell Lottery products."

Three of the new PATs were installed this week in the Harrisburg area: Colonial Lounge on North Mountain Road, Coakley's in New Cumberland and Readings & Greetings in the Colonial Park Mall. In June, 30 more units will be installed at locations in central Pennsylvania. Beginning in July, 100 units will be installed per month until all 1,000 units are available in locations across the Commonwealth.

The Lottery has begun to identify locations for PATs. So far, these locations are a combination of existing and new retailers, Mahlman said. Business owners interested in learning more about PATs should contact their local Lottery area office for more information.

The PATs are user-friendly, touch screen terminals that offer all Pennsylvania Lottery online games and 24 instant games. In addition to selling Lottery games, the PATs also validate winning online tickets and pay prizes up to $500 in the form of vouchers. Vouchers can be inserted into a PAT to purchase more Lottery tickets, or they can be cashed at an online Lottery retailer. Instant tickets must be processed and paid by a clerk at a Lottery retailer.

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Comments

keystonechas

There is a photo of one of the self-service machines at the Pa Lottery web site. My guess is that most of the machines will end up in high traffic areas such as large grocery stores and shopping malls. I can't wait to try them out.

Chas

Lotto Czar's avatarLotto Czar

Me neither, Chas.  The one in the photo is at the Colonial Park Mall in Downtown Colonial Park where I live.

Downside?  Long lines at the self-serve machine caused by people who can't figure it out?

Virgina had self serve for on line tickets around 1990 at the 7-11"s.  Worked like a MAC machine.  Really slick.

I like the winner validation feature.

Hopefully one or two in Strawberry Square.

smd173
Quote: Originally posted by Lotto Czar on May 20, 2004



Downside?  Long lines at the self-serve machine caused by people who can't figure it out?





More likely...people in line buy a zillion Big 4 tickets.

Nothing against the people who like Big 4, but I always seem to get stuck behind someone buying $40 worth of straight/boxed tickets and it takes forever to print them.

DoctorEw220's avatarDoctorEw220

will the terminals take the play slips?

CASH Only

Ohio has had "Lottomat" for years.

hypersoniq's avatarhypersoniq
Quote: Originally posted by DoctorEw220 on May 20, 2004



will the terminals take the play slips?




I would rather a touch-screen... I could do that faster than filling out a bet slip... hope they get one around here soon...
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