I don't know how the retailers in Iowa are notified,probably pretty much the same as in Delaware,I imagine.But there is still going to be some lag time after the top prize is sold.Supposedly,the Lottery doesn't know when or where the ticket will be sold.They wouldn't know it was sold until someone had it verified at the retailer or redeemed it at Lottery headquarters.

Iowa had a $10 ticket a few years ago that was pulled after 3 weeks because all of the top prizes had been won.One top prize of $50,000 was won just minutes after the ticket hit the stores.

Perhaps I am missing the mark here, but I disagree that the lottery is only being sold for the top prize category. Winning 10k in change is still worth the effort to keep the tickets on sale. Its a TIERED payout so they arent misleading anyone other then the folks who are narrow minded and think that only 4 grand prizes are worthy of being on sale for. Even powerball players know that they have a slim chance of hitting the major winning but I bet anyone who hit 10k or 200k isnt gripping at that second or third tier prize payout.

If you have a top prize available, I am sure many more players are willing to spend the $20 - to take the chance of hitting it.   Why does anyone want to spend $20 to hit a smaller prize when another game might still have a Million Dollars for the same price?

I disagree with pulling the game just because the top prize is won.    The solution is rather simple, if the top prize is $1,000,000 for a $20 ticket.   Then someone wins it and the next prize is $500,000, the ticket price should be cut in half ($10).   And so on, until all the prizes are gone.

I rarely play scratchers, but when I do, I always check online to see what payouts are left, along with overall odds on different tickets I'm considering. A couple years ago a lady in Garland made a big stink about top prizes being gone and tickets still being sold. To me, it's just common sense to check online before buying.

Cutting the ticket price when the top prizes are gone is not a bad idea, and would probably help the state sell remaining tickets faster.

The thing that appalled me the most about this story, was the fact that one of the states in questions felt it was okay since they posted that information on their website, I'm sorry but to assume everyone has internet access is a complete joke, especially when the majority of scratch off buyers are lower income families, and even with the library excuse most these families work when librarys are open. Unless this information is posted at every scratch off retailer you can't use that excuse.

Thank goodness I live in a state that already had a law suit to stop this practice.

very good idea true critic....

I rarely buy scratch tickets, but I always assumed people checked first, since the amount of top prizes available are listed, at least they are on the FL site.  I don't even play them & I check!  LOL 

I agree with GameGrl and would be very satisfied making $10,000 with a $20 investment.  Sure people want a shot at the big prize, but with such high odds, I'm sure most people are just happy to get their money back! 

I don't think the idea of cutting ticket prices in half would ever work.  All the thousands of retailers would have to be notified and then there would be additional work involved.  Too complicated.  Having a second chance drawing is always a nice bonus, however.

The lottery plans to sell X number of tickets at Y dollars per ticket, minus W dollars of prizes and other expenses, and keep Z dollars of revenue. There seems to be this notion that they are in business to provide money to gamblers. The lottery's job is to collect more money besides what the state can collect from the voters in taxes.

Demanding that the scratch-off games be pulled once the top prize is claimed is a sure way to cause those top prizes to 'drift' towards the last packs printed, or "Oopsie, we had a 'bad run' in that game. Seems the printer neglected to include a top prize ticket".

Hey Sorensonfan41, are you willing to share the information about which tickets have the best chances? Sure would save me a lot of time, and if not, I understand. Mainly interested in $5 games up to $20. Thank you.

Selling tickets for an advertised top prize that no longer exists is almost as bad as selling tickets for a top prize that never existed.

Both are false advertising.

Selling tickets for a top prize that never existed is a flat out scam.

Selling tickets for top prizes that have all been paid out gives lottery players the perception that the lottery is out to scam them.