Lottery players can pay with debit cards or cellphones

Pennsylvania residents can now use debit cards or cellphones to purchase lottery tickets.

At the Fresh N Quik convenience store in Berwick, cashier Jiger Patel has noticed people using debit cards to purchase lottery tickets. He  described the new option as “very nice.”

Patel said the new system allows customers to buy “one more ticket” that might be a winner.

“When people were playing with cash and they ran out, that was it — they couldn’t try one more time,” he said. “Before, if you had $100 and you bought five, $20 tickets, that was it.”

Patel was quick to point out customers have good reason buy another ticket.

“We had a $10,000 winner this year,” he said. “And last year, we had a $600,000 winner.”

At the Unity Food Mart in Bloomsburg, customers seem to be more reluctant to change the way they pay.

“I bet if you surveyed 10 people, only two or three of them are using debit cards,” said cashier Jay Vyas. “We’re noticing people still prefer cash.”

The Pennsylvania Lottery now offers the additional payment option, citing players who carry little cash.

‘Offer flexibility’

“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 added debit PIN pads to many of its 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 said. “One study showed nearly half of those asked carry less than $20 in their wallets.”

According to a press release, 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.”