codes; an area marked "Scratch to Cash" must be scratched off by the player, revealing a bar code. Concurrent with the removal of validation codes, the Pennsylvania lottery also removed "benday," a random pattern of squiggly lines used as a security feature. Fast Play On February 28, 2017, the Pennsylvania Lottery began offering "Fast Play" games. A Fast Play game is printed from a lottery terminal, however, it is played in a similar manner to the instant games. Typically, the player must match one or more numbers or symbols to the designated winning symbols in order to win. Currently, Fast Play games are offered at price points of $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, and $30. Certain Fast Play games may offer a progressive jackpot which increases with each ticket sold until a jackpot winning ticket is generated, at which point the jackpot resets to a base amount. Political impact A 2016 study of winners of the Pennsylvania Lottery found that its winners had an increased probability of shifting towards the right of the political spectrum. The largest effect was found among winners who were not yet registered to vote. Upon registering, they were 9.6% more likely to register as Republicans than non-winners. This suggests that positive economic shocks have a greater political impact on individuals who are not typically involved in politics or have indistinct political allegiances. Lottery offices The Pennsylvania Lottery maintains seven lottery offices, including its headquarters: Area 1: Philadelphia Area 2: Wilkes-Barre Area 3: Middletown (headquarters) Area 4: Clearfield Area 5: Pittsburgh Area 6: Erie Area 7: Bethlehem Claiming a winning ticket Pennsylvania Lottery retailers can pay prizes up to $2,500. (Until June 30, 2008, the maximum on such tickets was $500.) Claiming a prize of $600 or more requires filling out a standard claim form and sending it to Lottery headquarters. For instant games that make annuity payments, as well as the top prizes in Cash 5, etc. a claim should be filed at an area lottery office. For Mega Millionaire or Powerball jackpots, or either “life” prize in Cash4Life, a claim must be filed at Lottery headquarters. Winnings and taxes When filing a standard claim form, the claimant, the retailer, and the Pennsylvania Lottery each receive a copy (the form is triplicate). The Lottery then reports all winnings to the IRS. For federal income tax purposes, any lottery winnings over $2,500 in a fiscal