Same play, different pay

Olympia, Wash. (September 7, 2022) – No cash on hand to play your favorite lottery games? No problem! Washington’s Lottery announced it will now be accepting debit cards at lottery vending machines throughout the state, though players will still have the option to use cash or reinvest their winning tickets to purchase lottery products.

Nearly all lottery vending machines statewide have had their debit technology activated as of today. Throughout the next few weeks, players can expect the remaining machines to be upgraded to accept this new, additional form of payment, which comes at a time when more and more financial transactions are shifting from cash to electronic ones.

“Our goal is to make our players’ lives more convenient,” said Marcus Glasper, Director of Washington’s Lottery. “We recognize that the world continues to evolve into a cashless society and that many players often carry little to no cash with them, so we’re happy to be able to provide players with the ability to purchase our products with debit cards at Washington’s Lottery vending machines.”

To purchase lottery products using a debit card at a lottery vending machine, players first will pick their games and add them to their “shopping cart,” much like purchasing products on many consumer websites. This new feature simplifies the buying process by giving players the flexibility to add multiple tickets from different games, if they choose, before purchasing. After selecting “pay with debit” at checkout, they will insert their card and enter the billing zip code associated with the debit card used to make the purchase. Then, players will collect their tickets in the vending machine tray, as usual.

Debit is the only acceptable cashless payment for Lottery products; credit cards cannot be used. There is no minimum dollar amount for debit card purchases. The debit spending limit for lottery purchases is $700 over a seven-day period. All purchases must be made as an all-cash purchase or as an all-debit purchase. Washington’s Lottery will be paying the debit card transaction fees and will not pass on any fees to players, retailers, Washington state residents or taxpayers.

For more information on the introduction of debit card purchases or to view a list of frequently asked questions, visit https://www.walottery.com/debit.

Making a Difference in Washington State
Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery has generated more than $4.5 billion to support several important state programs, including providing much-needed funds for the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (WOPA). In FY21, WOPA received $185.7 million from the Lottery, enough to pay college tuition for more than 18,000 Washington residents. It also provided approximately 25% of the annual budget for the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which provides critical services to more than 15,000 children at 440 locations across Washington.

Washington’s Lottery Beneficiary Fact – April 2022
Washington’s Lottery is very proud to be a financial supporter of the state’s Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program (ECEAP). The $40 million annual investment the lottery makes in ECEAP has lasting effects. Children who participate in ECEAP are more likely to be kindergarten-ready than non-participants, and those who participate five or more hours per day are especially prepared in reading and math.* Children in state-funded pre-K programs like ECEAP see long-lasting positive effects, including increased grade progression, high school graduation and college enrollment.**

About Washington’s Lottery: The state’s Lottery offers consumers several types of games, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Lotto, Hit 5, Match 4, Pick 3, Daily Keno and Scratch. For more information, visit www.walottery.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @walottery.

Keep it fun. Know your limit. Washington’s Lottery is an advocate for responsible gaming and collaborates with the Evergreen Council for Problem Gambling to provide resources for those in need. More information is available at www.walottery.com/Responsibility.

###

Press Contacts
Dan Miller (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: dan.miller@curatorpr.com

Xiamara Garza (Curator on behalf of Washington’s Lottery)
E-mail: xiamara.garza@curatorpr.com

* Early Learning Feedback Report. https://erdc.wa.gov/data-dashboards/early-learning-feedback-report-0

** Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood. (n.d.). Boston universal pre-K. Retrieved June 9, 2021, from https://www.bpsearlylearning.org/boston-upk