Governor Rendell Announces Ground-Breaking Sales Partnership Between Pennsylvania Lottery and Wawa

Lottery Tickets Now on Sale at 68 Wawa Stores, Soon at All 210 Stores in PA

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced a new partnership with the Wawa convenience store chain that will significantly expand the Pennsylvania Lottery network and boost ticket sales by as much as $37 million annually.

If that sales increase is realized, it could potentially bring up to $11 million more a year to support the Lottery-funded programs that protect older Pennsylvanians' independence, preserve their health and improve the quality of their lives.

"When I became Governor, one of my first priorities was to direct the Lottery to grow its retail network to maximize sales and profits," Governor Rendell said. "We wanted the Pennsylvania Lottery to operate more like a business, and it is.

"After courting Wawa for nearly two decades, a self-service sales model developed by the Pennsylvania Lottery finally attracted the partnership of the Pennsylvania-based company that never partnered with a lottery until this year," the Governor said. "The Lottery's industry-leading technology and innovation combined with a sales model designed to fit Wawa's needs created a terrific new partnership between two Pennsylvania institutions."

In June, Wawa began a pilot program in 20 locations to test customers' receptiveness to self-service Lottery sales in its stores. In October, after Lottery sales proved successful in all pilot locations, Wawa approved expanding Lottery sales to all 210 Pennsylvania Wawa stores by springtime 2011.  

Wawa President and CEO Howard Stoeckel joined Rendell for today's announcement at a Wawa store in Philadelphia's Chinatown neighborhood.

"Wawa has always embraced change and innovation as a way of continually simplifying our customers' lives," said Stoeckel. "I'm excited to introduce our latest innovation, self-serve Play Central Terminals from the Pennsylvania Lottery, which will give our customers the added convenience of purchasing lottery games and tickets at Pennsylvania Wawa stores."

Today, Lottery tickets are available in 68 Wawa stores, and by the end of December, 89 Wawa stores in the greater Philadelphia area, Lehigh Valley, Poconos and northeast Pennsylvania will be selling tickets for instant and terminal-based Lottery games.

In 2004, Pennsylvania became the first U.S. lottery to offer touch-screen, self-service terminals that sell instant, numbers and lotto-style games. Today there are more than 1,000 self-service terminals located at retailers statewide. The sales model developed specifically for Wawa incorporates these terminals and back-office accounting mechanisms tailored to Wawa's needs.

"This partnership is great news for Wawa, for the Pennsylvania Lottery and for customers and players who will soon be able to buy their Lottery tickets at Wawa stores," said Governor Rendell.  "But even better news is that 210 new Wawa stores as Lottery retailers have the potential to increase Lottery sales by as much as $37 million annually and contribute approximately $11 million more a year to support programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians.

"The Pennsylvania Lottery has grown – despite challenging economic times – to become the fifth-most-profitable lottery in the nation. And that growth translates into real, everyday benefits for the hundreds of thousands of older Pennsylvanians who rely on the free rides, hot meals, senior centers, reduced-cost prescriptions, property tax relief and long-term living services the Lottery funds."

Since Governor Rendell took office in 2003, the Lottery has grown its retail network by 24 percent, or more than 1,700 locations. Lottery sales have grown by more than $1.1 billion, or 59 percent, since fiscal year 2001-02, and last year, the Lottery generated more than $915 million in profits, an increase of 22 percent from fiscal year 2001-02.

About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to fund programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception 38 years ago, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $20.1 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free transit and reduced-fare shared rides; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including more than 600 full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state. The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds its players to play responsibly. Players must be 18 or older.

Media contacts:

Elizabeth Brassell, Dept. of Revenue/Lottery; 717-787-6960

Gary Tuma, Governor's Office; 717-783-1116

Lori Bruce, Wawa Public Relations; 610-405-7782

Editor's Note:

Following is a list of the 68 Wawa locations where Pennsylvania Lottery tickets are currently on sale:

4900 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown

7572 Schantz Road, Allentown

195 W. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore

761 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale

193 Belmont Ave., Bala Cynwood

1883 Street Road, Bensalem

PA-940 and Route 115, Blakeslee

2300 Chichester Ave., Boothwyn

112 W. Fourth St., Bridgeport

3260 New Rodgers Road, Bristol

Green Lane & E. Farragut Ave., Bristol

Routes 209 & 715, Broadheadsville

2050 Sproul Road, Broomall

721 Naaman's Creek Road, Chadds Ford

701 W. Germantown Pike, East Norriton

750 N. Pottstown Pike, Exton

1212 MacDade Blvd., Folsom

567 Lancaster Ave., Frazer

525 Burmont Ave., Drexel Hill

3800 Garret Road, Drexel Hill

225 Cattell St., Easton

1601 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown

3 N. MacDade Blvd., Glenolden

83 Limekiln Road, Glenside

373 Main St., Harleysville

33-35 Eagle Road, Havertown

236 Holland Pike, Holland

2306 MacDade Blvd., Holmes

732 Old York Road, Jenkintown

406 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hills

1528 Trenton Road, Langhorne

1601 Valley Forge Road, Lansdale

1218-1224 W. Baltimore St., Lima

120 Eagleview Road, Lionville

5 Matthews Road, Malvern

105 W. King St., Malvern

10 Liberty Blvd., Malvern

100 E. Baltimore Pike, Media

1244 Bristol Pike, Morrisville

100 Ponds Edge Drive, Nottingham

52 W. Lancaster Ave., Paoli

801 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia

3604 Chestnut St., Philadelphia

11th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia

2040 Hamilton St., Philadelphia

3744 Spruce St., Philadelphia

8900 Krewstown Road, Philadelphia

4506-10 Castor Ave., Philadelphia

6800 Rising Sun Ave., Philadelphia

6506 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia

7913-29 Oxford Ave., Philadelphia

12301 Academy Road, Philadelphia

2600 Grant Ave., Philadelphia

501 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville

5854 Easton Road, Pipersville

1095 S. West End Blvd., Quakertown

Susquehanna & Bradfield Roads, Roslyn

3337 Penn Ave., Sinking Springs

7720 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby

10 Davisville Road, Warminster

550 Easton Road, Warrington

215 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne

2 East Rhoads Ave., West Chester

1009 West Chester Pike, West Chester

10 W. Boot Road, West Chester

425 Moreland Ave., Willow Grove

1920 W. MacDade Blvd., Woodlyn

100 W. Lancaster Pike, Wyomissing

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor