PA Lottery: Philadelphia Couple Wins $225,000 Cash 5 Jackpot

PHILADELPHIA, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christina and Jim McDade, of Philadelphia, won $225,001 from the Pennsylvania Lottery's Jan. 19 Cash 5 drawing.

District Lottery Supervisor Ann Curtiss King today presented a ceremonial check to the McDades at U Got It Deli in the Port Richmond neighborhood in Philadelphia, where the ticket was purchased. The store receives a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The McDades' quick-pick ticket correctly matched all five white balls, 01-03-23-30-42, to win the Jan. 19 Cash 5 jackpot worth $225,000, less 25-percent federal withholding.

Their ticket also included a quick-pick line of numbers that matched two of the five winning numbers for an extra $1.

About a month after the drawing, Christina checked their tickets against the winning numbers posted on the Lottery's website and discovered they had a winning ticket.

"Honestly, I never thought we could hit the Lottery," Christina said. "My husband buys the tickets and leaves them for me to check. I had a pile of them on my desk, so I thought I might as well check them, so I could throw them away."

The McDades, who have two children and seven grandchildren, plan to use their winnings for their future retirement.

How to play Cash 5: To play Cash 5, players pay $1 and select five of 43 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using Cash 5 play slips, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn to win the jackpot. The starting jackpot is $125,000 and grows until it is won. The odds of winning a Cash 5 jackpot are 1-in-962,598; overall odds of winning a Cash 5 prize are 1-in-10.51. Cash 5 is the longest-running jackpot game in Pennsylvania Lottery history. Cash 5 tickets first went on sale April 23, 1992. 

About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception 38 years ago, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed nearly $20.6 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 full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state. The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds its players to play responsibly. Players must be 18 or older.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Lottery, visit www.palottery.com.

Media contact:  Kirstin Alvanitakis, 717-702-8008

Editor's Note: In fiscal year 2009-10, Pennsylvania Lottery players in Philadelphia won more than $270 million in prizes, and Philadelphia retailers earned about $24 million in commissions and bonuses. Last year, the Pennsylvania Lottery contributed more than $235 million to programs that benefited seniors in Philadelphia.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Lottery