Michigan Lottery selling scratch games after top prize gone

Comment #16

Maverick — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 06:36:55 GMT

Quote: Originally posted by lazyjim on February 27, 2005If you're talking $1 scratchers and the top prize is gone it's not such a big deal. But if you pay $10, $20 and up for a scratcher, you're probably looking for that $100,000 prize or better and selling those expensive tickets after the top prizes are gone is just wrong.I know it should be incumbent on the buyer to check it out online beforehand, but most people buy those tickets on pure impulse on the spur of the moment as I do and I would... [ More ]

Comment #15

lazyjim — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 06:03:15 GMT

If you're talking $1 scratchers and the top prize is gone it's not such a big deal. But if you pay $10, $20 and up for a scratcher, you're probably looking for that $100,000 prize or better and selling those expensive tickets after the top prizes are gone is just wrong.I know it should be incumbent on the buyer to check it out online beforehand, but most people buy those tickets on pure impulse on the spur of the moment as I do and I would like to know I have a chance to get the top prize if I... [ More ]

Comment #14

Maverick — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 04:10:48 GMT

Too bad not all store owners post the weekly updates.

Comment #13

KyMystikal — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 03:35:20 GMT

This here kind of reminds me of Pull-Tab games. Here in Ky you used to only be able to cash winning tickets in the store were the ticket was purchased. A few years back they changed it so you could cash them at any lottery retailer. I was told it was to make it easier for players to cash in winning tickets. Personally, I think it was done so that no one would know if the big prize was in the machine because it could be cashed anywhere. I've seen it before where a regular player would ask the... [ More ]

Comment #12

Bradly_60 — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:19:23 GMT

I don't see what the big problem is. So what if they sell the left overs after all the top prizes are gone. Who cares. I mean what if the contractor printed the tickets and the two top prizes were in the first 100,000 tickets. The lottery can't take a hit like that. I agree. Michigan had a game called Super 6's once. It was a $5 ticket and the top prize was $6000. I mean there was top prizes out there until the came became retired. They should do more tickets like that.But the lottery is... [ More ]

Comment #11

Maverick — Thu, 24 Feb 2005 02:22:03 GMT

Quote: Originally posted by fbird on February 22, 2005Wake up and smell what they are shoveling, but unfortunately other than the casinos...they are the only (rigged) game in town.

Comment #10

lazyjim — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 07:16:24 GMT

Lottery officials prosper at the largess of the people buying the tickets and should be a little more responsive to their input. As the political hacks they are however, owing allegiance only to their respective governors and the bottom line, they are not really concerned with the whims and qualms of the Great Unwashed as such.The only thing that would make them listen to us would be a sharp decline in their bottom line, casting an unfavorable light on them and drawing the attention of their me... [ More ]

Comment #9

qutgnt — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 01:54:11 GMT

That is why ALL state websites should update this info daily. Why is that so hard, just hook up some computer programs. Iowa is really the only state that does it daily and they should be commended. Relying on some flier that is old anyway is a waste of time. I only buy tickets here in ILLinois where the ratio of big winners is in proportion or greater than the percentage of lower tier prizes left.

Comment #8

fbird — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:57:19 GMT

Geez.... Misleading you bet... and with financial intent. I very rarely buy the instant games. But I use the web site to make an inform choice.But with the MSL.. who knows??? With their recent Red Bull promotion, and the obvious manipulations of it and on live telecast, that, in and of itself showed me how LOW they would stoop for the all mighty buck. So does it surprise me that they would intentionally mislead people into believing that the BIG prizes are still left......well how do I say this

Comment #7

viperfour — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:06:25 GMT

I really don't see what the BIG DEAL is here recently about this subject. EVERYONE should know when they buy the ticket the Top Prizes may already be gone anyways. YOU take that CHANCE everytime you buy a scratch-off ticket.

Comment #6

Badger — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 23:34:34 GMT

THe Wisconsin Lottery just got a bunch of bad publicity here for doing the exact same thing with their scratch-offs. The state congress was not pleased. But (gasp and shock) .....it seemed to be a blip on the news scene, and quickly faded.

Comment #5

DoctorEw220 — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 23:22:33 GMT

they put a disclaimer on the ticket. that means that they can still sell the game after all top prizes have been claimed. players should stop complaining, and understand that there is that chance that all top prizes have been claimed, or they have been bought and not claimed. the lottery is doing their part by not filling orders for the games in question.

Comment #4

Sedertree — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 19:18:10 GMT

The lottery reps do distribute flyers, when they visit retailers, which shows what prizes and how many remain to be claimed.Of course the retailer doesn't want to share this information when they have partial books sitting in the display case.I worked at 7-11 at one time.....

Comment #3

qutgnt — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 18:20:12 GMT

That is why they should offer more tickets with nice mid range prizes , instead of 3 grand prizes of a million and say 40 second place prizes of 10k, how about 30 100k prizes, that away you get more mileage out of the tickets. Id rather have a 100k to one chance of winning 100k than a million to one shot at winning a million.

Comment #2

CASH Only — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 16:30:58 GMT

NY annuity-only scratches really don't tell you on the front X annual payments or whatever.

Comment #1

MADDOG10 — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 16:28:27 GMT

what a sad state of affairs the michigan lottery , must be in to be so vauge in thier language of what is left to win on each ticket. talk about deceit! why don't they just put a sticker on each ticket saying c mon sucker, have we got a deal for you . Christ, at least be up front with the people who buy these tickets, and print out a flyer telling what is left on each game instead of sale by deceit . words can coverup anything you want them to, but dventally they will come back to haunt you.... [ More ]

Michigan Lottery selling scratch games after top prize gone

Lottery Post — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 15:39:00 GMT

It's called The Golden Pack, a Michigan Lottery game that costs you $10 to play, with the promise that you can walk away a millionaire. But in truth, you can't come anywhere near the top prize -- it was won long ago.Only two Golden Pack tickets were truly golden, but the rest are still for sale.What's left is a maximum prize of $10,000, but lottery officials say they're not deceiving anyone. Read the small print, they say, or check the lottery's Web site, which lists weekly grand prize updates.T... [ More ]