Pennsylvania Lottery

Some will mourn. Some will say, "Good riddance to that flea-bitten pitch-puppet!" Gus, "the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania," is ending his gig with the state lottery. No longer will TV viewers hear his chortly voice urge citizens to "keep on scratching" those instant lottery tickets. For nearly eight years, during more than 50 commercials, the animatronic animal seemed so happy rapping, trying out for the Eagles and advising tongue-tied loverboys. "We wanted to stay fresh and relevant with our advertising, and thought it was time to allow Gus to enjoy his semi-retirement," said lottery spokeswoman Allison Roberts.

Here's a roundup of the latest lottery news. Camden County ticket wins $872,215. A Jersey Cash 5 ticket sold at Liquor Ranch, 4950 Marlton Pike, in Pennsauken matched all the numbers drawn Monday: 8, 18, 22, 26 and 36. Delco ticket just misses Mega Millions jackpot. The $25 million top prize was won Tuesday night by single ticket purchased at a Mobil station on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. It matched all the numbers: 10, 11, 12, 14 and 24, and the Mega Ball of 6. Winning $250,000, though, was a ticket at a Rite Aid on West Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore.

Someone bought a Match 6 Lotto ticket in Montgomery County, and did. Match 6, that is. The payoff: $700.000. Before taxes. The place of purchase: Lukoil, 1450 Old York Rd., Abington. Monday's numbers drawn: 22, 26, 30, 37, 39 and 48. Thursday's jackpot: $500,000. Pick Six rises again in Jersey. No one has hit New Jersey's Pick Six since mid-December. With no winner Monday night, the jackpot climbs again, this time, for Thursday's drawing, to $15.6 million for the annuity, $11.5 million for the cash.

When it comes to creating a more secure financial future, there's just no substitute for planning ahead. That's exactly what Pennsylvania aims to do through Gov. Corbett's initiative to ensure Pennsylvania Lottery-funded programs for older adults can keep up with the huge wave of baby boomers nearing eligibility age. To be better prepared to serve those citizens, we're exploring establishing a private management agreement for the lottery....

Henry H. Kaplan, 74, the straight-talking millionaire who oversaw the colorful and sometimes controversial beginning years of the Pennsylvania Lottery before going on to chair the state Liquor Control Board, died Saturday at West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton, Fla. Mr. Kaplan retired to Florida in 1979, shortly after suffering a stroke that led him to step down from his post as chairman of the Liquor Control Board. In both posts, Mr. Kaplan was known for his candid and often witty rejoinders.

Let's see how long you can keep answering yes. Did you buy a Cash 5 ticket for the June 18 drawing? Did you buy it in Bucks County? In Bristol? How about at the Selecto Supermarket at 320 Pond St.? If you're still with us, one more question: Did it have the numbers 12, 16, 22, 29 and 40? If so, you and only you won $344,881, minus taxes, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. Wait ... more recent winners! Three other Cash 5 tickets, all purchased this side of Harrisburg, are still out there, despite being worth, oh, a third of million dollars or so. Each.

HARRISBURG - Gov. Corbett is making the Pennsylvania Lottery the next frontier in his quest to privatize state services, saying Monday that hiring a private manager for the nation's sixth-largest lottery would bolster its ability to meet the rising demand for services from the state's growing elderly population. The move, immediately opposed by Democrats and the state's largest employee union, also may herald an expansion of lottery gambling, such as the addition of online ticket sales, keno terminals in bars or restaurants, and an aggressive search to add more lottery retailers.

HARRISBURG - Tuesday just wasn't the groundhog's day. Gus the groundhog, the furry fictional pitchman for the Pennsylvania Lottery, is headed for the unemployment line. Lottery officials say they are retiring the character described as "the second-most-famous groundhog in Pennsylvania. " Executive director Todd Rucci said at a legislative hearing Tuesday that the television campaign featuring Gus ended this month, although he will still appear on the lottery website for the time being.

Watch out, Betty White. It's hot in Philadelphia, too. Locals may recognize the city as a theater powerhouse and a movie backdrop, but some may not know we have our own set of Golden Girls. These four doyennes of drama - for years amassing individual acting credits - recently appeared for the first time together in a Pennsylvania Lottery commercial. (Gus the Groundhog was retired last month to better show how the Lottery benefits older Pennsylvanians.) They played, incidentally, four older Pennsylvanians.

Whoever and wherever you are, you blew it. Pennsylvania Lottery spokesman Mark Schreiber said yesterday that nobody turned in a Super 7 lottery ticket that was worth almost $6.6 million by yesterday's 4:30 p.m. deadline. "No winner. It's dead," said Schreiber. That's not to say people didn't try. Schreiber said the potential big bucks bonanza generated national interest. "We got 300 phone calls - calls from South Dakota; El Paso, Texas," he said. "People started calling and said they passed through Pennsylvania once and bought some tickets, what were the numbers?"

Here's a roundup of the latest lottery news. Camden County ticket wins $872,215. A Jersey Cash 5 ticket sold at Liquor Ranch, 4950 Marlton Pike, in Pennsauken matched all the numbers drawn Monday: 8, 18, 22, 26 and 36. Delco ticket just misses Mega Millions jackpot. The $25 million top prize was won Tuesday night by single ticket purchased at a Mobil station on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. It matched all the numbers: 10, 11, 12, 14 and 24, and the Mega Ball of 6. Winning $250,000, though, was a ticket at a Rite Aid on West Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore.

Someone bought a Match 6 Lotto ticket in Montgomery County, and did. Match 6, that is. The payoff: $700.000. Before taxes. The place of purchase: Lukoil, 1450 Old York Rd., Abington. Monday's numbers drawn: 22, 26, 30, 37, 39 and 48. Thursday's jackpot: $500,000. Pick Six rises again in Jersey. No one has hit New Jersey's Pick Six since mid-December. With no winner Monday night, the jackpot climbs again, this time, for Thursday's drawing, to $15.6 million for the annuity, $11.5 million for the cash.

A group of SEPTA workers did indeed win the April 25 Powerball jackpot, the Pennsylvania Lottery will officially confirm on Friday, according to sources. A week ago, officials held a news conference at the Newsstand at the Gallery to reveal the winning ticket had been sold there. By midafternoon, reports were spreading that 48 jubilant SEPTA employees believed their office pool had the winning ticket. The jackpot was worth $172.7 million in 30 annual payments, or $107.5 million cash.

Anybody want some money? Some major lottery prizes, won by local tickets, are still looking to be claimed, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. One ticket worth $250,000 expires this month. Here's a rundown, including two last-gasp chances and a handful of recent victories. Expiring soon: $250,000 won in Bucks County. The Mega Millions ticket was purchased for the April 29, 2011, drawing at the Acme Market at 2301 Pasqualone Blvd. in Bensalem. It matched the first five numbers - 9, 10, 11, 33 and 51 - but not the Mega Ball of 29. Because the prize expires on a Sunday, final chance to stake a claim in person is Friday, April 27, and last chance for a valid postmarked mailed submission is Saturday, April 28. Also expiring: $50,000 won in Montgomery County.

When it comes to creating a more secure financial future, there's just no substitute for planning ahead. That's exactly what Pennsylvania aims to do through Gov. Corbett's initiative to ensure Pennsylvania Lottery-funded programs for older adults can keep up with the huge wave of baby boomers nearing eligibility age. To be better prepared to serve those citizens, we're exploring establishing a private management agreement for the lottery....

HARRISBURG - Gov. Corbett is making the Pennsylvania Lottery the next frontier in his quest to privatize state services, saying Monday that hiring a private manager for the nation's sixth-largest lottery would bolster its ability to meet the rising demand for services from the state's growing elderly population. The move, immediately opposed by Democrats and the state's largest employee union, also may herald an expansion of lottery gambling, such as the addition of online ticket sales, keno terminals in bars or restaurants, and an aggressive search to add more lottery retailers.

HARRISBURG - Gov. Corbett on Monday took a first step toward privatizing day-to-day operations of the Pennsylvania Lottery. Corbett said he had issued a "request for qualifications" from companies seeking to manage the nation's sixth-largest lottery. He called the move an "innovative step" that could increase funding for services for the aging as record numbers of baby boomers join their ranks. "This initiative is simply part of my administration's efforts to tap private-sector innovation to make state government work more efficiently and effectively," Corbett said in a news release.

HARRISBURG - First, he retired Gus the Groundhog, the furry pitchman for the Pennsylvania Lottery. Now, Gov. Corbett wants to hire a private company to run the sixth-largest lottery in the nation. Corbett is expected to announce plans Monday to hire a private manager for the state's $3.2 billion lottery, according to sources familiar with the idea. In what is being described as a preliminary step, Corbett is seeking a request for qualifications from companies interested in managing the lottery, which brought in nearly $1 billion in revenue last year, after prize winnings and expenses.

A Cash 5 ticket sold in Montgomery County became worth $325,000 when it hit all the numbers drawn Saturday. The slip, with number 5, 9, 13, 33 and 35, was purchased at Wawa at 1500 High St. in Pottstown, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. Officials advise players to sign winning tickets, call the lottery at 717-702-8146, and file a claim at the Middletown headquarters or one of the area offices. For more info, go to www.palottery.com . Earlier, luck landed in South Jersey.