The Pennsylvania Lottery is expanding debit and mobile pay options to make playing games more convenient for the growing number of players who carry little cash.
“Just like any business, the Pennsylvania Lottery wants to make it easy for customers to make purchases in a way they find convenient,” said Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “The older Pennsylvanians who benefit from Lottery sales are counting on us to modernize and stay competitive in an evolving retail environment.”
Over the past year, the Lottery has been adding debit PIN pads to many of its newer touch-screen, self-service vending units and at stores where games are sold from the counter. More than 2,100 sales counters and 400 touch-screen vending units now have the equipment.
The PIN pads also accept mobile payment options including Google Pay and Apple Pay, as well as cards with “tap to pay” capability.
“Research shows that carrying cash has fallen out of favor with many consumers,” Svitko added. “One study showed nearly half of those asked carry less than $20 in their wallets.”
While the Lottery’s point-of-sale PIN pads do not accept credit, nothing in law or policy prevents credit card sales of lottery games. Retailers may accept credit cards at their discretion.
“It’s good business for the Lottery to offer the flexibility that today’s consumers want,” Svitko said. “No matter how they pay, we ask players to play responsibly and within their means.”