The Pennsylvania iLottery: What We Know and What We Don't Know

Pennsylvania’s online lottery is only a few months away from launching, but not many details about it have been revealed yet. The one thing that Pennsylvania Lottery spokesman Gary Miller has been clear about is that lottery officials have been consulting with other states about their successful online lottery implementations, especially Michigan, in the hopes of emulating them and implementing their own successful iLottery.

Why Michigan?

Michigan began selling online lottery tickets in 2014 and the following year expanded to offer a number of online games. Today, Michigan’s online lottery has 56 online games (not online casino games, just games), and is considered one of the most successful models in the state.

But Pennsylvania isn’t only looking to Michigan’s iLottery because of its success, but because Michigan’s demographics are similar to those of Pennsylvania. The people behind the Pennsylvania iLottery believe that following a successful model in a similar state can lead to Pennsylvania's own success.

How Will Pennsylvania’s iLottery Affect Land-Based Lottery Ticket Sales?

According to Miller, the Pennsylvania lottery has been doing a lot of research about the effect of an online lottery on standard lottery ticket sales, and has found that in states that offer an iLottery, land-based ticket sales have actually increased.

Miller hopes to see the same results in Pennsylvania.

What Else Can We Expect to See From Pennsylvania’s iLottery?

Like all the other states who offer online lotteries, Pennsylvania will use geolocation technology to prevent people outside state borders from playing. Likewise, players under the age of 18 will not be able to purchase tickets or play lottery games online.

No Timeline Yet for Online Casino Games 

While Pennsylvania will be accepting applications for online casino licenses, the launch date has not yet been released. It is expected that Pennsylvania’s online lottery will be up and running a good few months before online casinos launch even their beta sites.