Pennsylvania offers two PA-only jackpot games that draw every day: Cash 5 and Match 6 Lotto. Both are less expensive to play than multi-state games and offer considerably better jackpot odds than Powerball or Mega Millions. But they are not the same game, and which one makes more sense for you depends on what you are looking for in a lottery ticket.
This guide breaks down both games across every dimension that matters: odds, prize structure, ticket price, draw schedule, and payout mechanics. By the end you should be able to make a clear choice, or at least understand why some players buy tickets for both.
The Basics: How Each Game Works
Cash 5
Cash 5 is Pennsylvania's flagship daily jackpot game. You pick 5 unique numbers from a pool of 1 through 43. All five of your numbers must match the five drawn numbers to win the jackpot. The jackpot is a rolling prize that starts at $125,000 and grows with each drawing until someone wins it. Tickets cost $1 each and drawings are held every night at approximately 7:00 PM ET.
Match 6 Lotto
Match 6 Lotto asks you to pick 6 unique numbers from a pool of 1 through 49. All six numbers must match the draw to win the top prize. Like Cash 5, Match 6 features a rolling jackpot that climbs until someone wins, then resets. Tickets cost $2 each and drawings are also held every night at approximately 7:00 PM ET.
Odds Comparison
This is where Cash 5 and Match 6 diverge most sharply. Adding one extra number to the pick and expanding the pool from 43 to 49 has a massive effect on the odds.
| Cash 5 | Match 6 Lotto | |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers to pick | 5 from 1–43 | 6 from 1–49 |
| Jackpot odds | 1 in 962,598 | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| Ticket price | $1 | $2 |
| Odds per dollar spent | 1 in 962,598 | 1 in 6,991,908 |
| Draw days | Daily | Daily |
| Draw time | ~7:00 PM ET | ~7:00 PM ET |
Cash 5's jackpot odds of roughly 1 in 963,000 are about 14.5 times better than Match 6's odds of roughly 1 in 14 million. That is not a small difference. If you bought one Cash 5 ticket every day, you'd statistically expect to hit the jackpot about once every 2,637 years. The same cadence for Match 6 would take about 38,000 years.
When you factor in ticket price, Cash 5 also wins on a per-dollar basis. A dollar spent on Cash 5 gives you odds of 1 in 962,598. A dollar spent on Match 6 (half a ticket) gives you odds of roughly 1 in 27.9 million. That's significantly worse.
Prize Structure: More Than Just the Jackpot
Both games have multiple prize tiers, not just the top prize. Matching fewer numbers than the full set still wins a smaller prize.
Cash 5 Prize Tiers
| Numbers matched | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 of 5 | Rolling jackpot (min $125,000) | 1 in 962,598 |
| 4 of 5 | Pari-mutuel (typically $100–$500) | 1 in 6,536 |
| 3 of 5 | Pari-mutuel (typically $5–$15) | 1 in 103 |
Match 6 Lotto Prize Tiers
| Numbers matched | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 6 of 6 | Rolling jackpot | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| 5 of 6 | Pari-mutuel (typically $1,000–$5,000) | 1 in 54,201 |
| 4 of 6 | Pari-mutuel (typically $20–$100) | 1 in 1,032 |
| 3 of 6 | Pari-mutuel (typically $2–$5) | 1 in 57 |
Match 6 has an extra prize tier (3-of-6) that Cash 5 doesn't offer. The 3-of-6 odds in Match 6 (roughly 1 in 57) are also better than Cash 5's 3-of-5 odds (roughly 1 in 103), which means Match 6 produces small wins more frequently in absolute terms.
Important: Both games pay secondary prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prize pool is split among everyone who matches the same tier on the same night. The amounts shown above are typical ranges, not guaranteed fixed prizes.
Jackpot Size: When Does Match 6 Pull Ahead?
Because Match 6's jackpot is harder to win, it accumulates longer before someone hits it. A Match 6 jackpot can grow to several million dollars during a long rollover stretch, while Cash 5 jackpots are won more frequently and typically stay under a few million dollars even during extended rolls.
If you're specifically chasing a large jackpot prize and the Match 6 jackpot has been growing for weeks, the expected value calculation shifts in its direction, even accounting for the longer odds. If you just want to play a good daily game with reasonable odds of winning something, Cash 5 delivers more frequent results.
Cost Per Play and Value
Match 6 costs $2 per ticket. Cash 5 costs $1. If you have $2 to spend, you can buy two Cash 5 tickets, which gives you two independent chances at the jackpot (combined odds of roughly 1 in 481,299) versus one Match 6 ticket at 1 in 13.9 million. On pure mathematical expected value, two Cash 5 tickets for $2 beats one Match 6 ticket for $2, and it's not particularly close.
Which Game Should You Play?
- Play Cash 5 if you want better jackpot odds, a lower ticket price, and more frequent wins across all prize tiers.
- Play Match 6 if the current jackpot is large after a long rollover and you want a shot at a multi-million dollar prize, and you're comfortable with long odds.
- Play both if you've budgeted $3 or more for a session. The games draw at the same time, so a single trip to the retailer covers both.
No lottery game offers good expected value compared to keeping your money; the house edge on all of them is extremely high. But if you're playing for entertainment and you want the best odds of hitting the jackpot with a PA-only game, Cash 5 is the clear answer.
Always verify current draw schedules, ticket prices, and prize amounts on the official Pennsylvania Lottery website before purchasing. Game rules and pari-mutuel prize amounts can change.