MIDDLETOWN, Pa., July 14/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- One winning Cash 5 ticket worth $1.5 million - the largest single-winning ticket since the game's inception in 1992 - from the July 13 drawing was sold at Bills Avenue Lottery, 588 Sharpsville Ave., Sharon, Mercer County.

The ticket correctly matched all five numbers drawn, 17-22-30-35-42, for a top prize worth $1,538,987, less 25 percent federal withholding tax.

The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Over six drawings, the Cash 5 jackpot grew to more than $1.5 million. Previously, the Dec. 20, 2008, drawing held the record for the single-highest payout of $1,288,540.50. The April 15, 2008, drawing holds the record for the largest total payout; the jackpot worth $1,867,253 was shared between two winning tickets.

Lottery officials cannot confirm the identity of the jackpot winner until the prize is claimed and ticket is validated. No claim has yet been filed. Cash 5 winners have one year from the drawing date to claim prizes.

The Lottery encourages the holder of the winning ticket to sign the back of the ticket, call the Lottery at 717-702-8146 and file a claim at Lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County, or at any of the Lottery's seven area offices.

Claims may be filed at headquarters Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at area offices.

Cash 5 is the Pennsylvania Lottery's longest-running jackpot game. It debuted in 1992 as a weekly game, and became a nightly game in 1998.

Drawings are held nightly at 6:59 p.m. The Cash 5 jackpot for the Wednesday, July 14 drawing returned to $125,000.

How to play Cash 5: To play Cash 5, players pay $1 and select five numbers from 1 to 43. Players may select their own numbers using a Cash 5 play slip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn to win the jackpot. Players also win prizes for matching two, three or four winning numbers. Cash 5 drawings are held seven nights a week, and tickets can be purchased up to seven draws (one week) in advance. Odds of winning the jackpot prize are 1-in-962,598; the overall odds of winning any prize are 1-in-10.5.

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 more than $19.2 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free and reduced-fare transit; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including more than 600 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: Veronica Sinclair-Anderson, 717-702-8008

SOURCE Pennsylvania Lottery