No more scratchers for me. No more.

Reply #48

Candlelight777 — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 01:10:59 GMT

It had to take a lot for you to share that...that speaks volumes. I and i hope nobody else here will judge you and only offer understanding. We all hate our jobs or unhappy with circumstances in our life and can relate. My grandmother use to tell me life sucks..get a helmet...boy oh boy was that so true as i sit here at 46. Lost my husband a couple years back now a single parent and it's the hardest thing i have ever had to do...feel lost most days but manage to find my way.

Life is good...b... [ More ]

Reply #47

gogidolim — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 23:39:12 GMT

Actually, the main reason why I spent hundreds of dollars every month was sheer desperation. My relationship with my family has been strained and I was just doing some odd jobs here and there. I just wanted to run away somewhere and never come back to my extended family.

Reply #46

Cher46 — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 23:57:06 GMT

I went to a mom and pop convenience store about a month ago that is always very slow. I was buying $20 tickets and always look at the number at the bottom. I bought the next ticket (or so I thought) and it was out of sequence. I asked the clerk what happened to the next ticket. He said What ticket? . I said the next ticket is supposed to be number 5. He looks at me real mean and says I bought it myself . Anyway, I collected my money from another ticket and walked out. I called back a few times t... [ More ]

Reply #45

MotoX2 — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 18:37:45 GMT

There are have several investigations across the country regarding how so many liquor/lottery retailers were winning. It's not permitted that retailers can't play and I've read that it would be near impossible the amount times that they've won. Some owners have said that they played a lot but even than it the odds are still against them so that is why I am weary of liquor store owners especially the ones that they don't have a lot of customers/by themselves all day, I mean they look at lottery t... [ More ]

Reply #44

rcbbuckeye — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 14:51:06 GMT

If your state has vending machines, buy your scratchers from from them.

Reply #43

OneTrickpony — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 13:38:34 GMT

I quit playing scratch-offs as the odds just seem to be getting worse and worse. Also, I grew very suspicious of convenience store workers/owners regarding winning tickets.

With $100 'seed' money, I bought five $20 tickets for a game that still had a majority of large prizes available even though it had been around for about a year. I went to 3 different convenience stores for my tickets. At the largest store, the ticket that they gave me was all mangled up on the top part. They kept their t... [ More ]

Reply #42

Iborret — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 09:35:33 GMT

Well about #2 I think it's because statistically there are a lot more sales in big stores, so assuming the jackpot goes to a store in random, a mom and pop store has the same chance of getting the jackpot ticket as the 7-11, but since there are so many 7-11 stores, in the end we see them more in the winning tickets list.

Or do you think the lottery deliberately rigs the system so that the winning tickets go more to big chains rather then distribute randomly

Reply #41

gra8*2win — Sun, 28 Feb 2016 01:11:21 GMT

Saw a article about scratchers, and it said that you should play only the 10.00 and up......the payouts are better if you do hit......i was waiting for a pizza

at my local store and i watched a man get two scratchers and he would come back and buy another , and come back and cash in a free ticket......then he came

back and had won 30.00 and i thought to myself that guy is only about 5.00 better off than when he started......just not worth it, i don't play scratchers.

and another thing t... [ More ]

Reply #40

Tucker Black — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 04:13:17 GMT

One scratch-off ticket has a much higher probability of winning than a draw game lottery ticket (1 in 4 versus 1 in 10, roughly). However, if the cost of a scratch-off ticket is more than $2, then it gets more complicated.

Basically, what you do is compare the cost of buying A scratch-off tickets at a price of S with N drawing tickets at $B/per ticket/week: A*S=N*B

The question is:which is greater, the probability of winning with A scratch-off tickets at a price of S or N draw games at a p... [ More ]

Reply #39

Tyche! — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 08:38:18 GMT

After playing scratch-offs obsessively for months without every anything big to show for it, I totally swore off scratch offs. I was playing $1, $2, $3, $5, $10, $20, $25, $30 scratch-offs, but not more.

With draw games you have an equal shot of winning as anyone else in your state (or anyone else in any other state in the case of multi-state lotteries.)

With scratch-offs, there are variables that imbalance things...what store in what location got the roll with the big winner tickets...or

Reply #38

TheMeatman2005 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 21:28:11 GMT

A quick trip to the bank just netted a $25 profit.

After going to the bank, I stopped in to buy 1-$5 NY poker ticket. Upon returning home, I scratched it, to reveal 3- $10 winning spots, minus the $5 cost = $25 profit.

Reply #37

woody4591 — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:42:36 GMT

Good choice to quit scratchers. The odds are NOT in your favor. The game may say overall odd are 1-5 are less, but that means for prizes of $100 or less. While it is true that somebody is going to win big, it most likely Won't be you. Should you feel the need to win INSTANTLY, I suggest going into the store and playing your five or ten dollars on quick pick-4 boxes shortly before the midday or evening draws. This gives you ten to twenty chances to win about a hundred bucks and the odds are bette... [ More ]

Reply #36

gogidolim — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 19:27:59 GMT

The real problem was that I saw the scratcher tickets as the escape route from the rat race. Fortunately I eventually burned out.

Reply #35

JackOfHearts — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 14:50:36 GMT

I like to buy the $20 tickets and scratch them slowly - no more than 1 number per day. A ticket lasts me at least 3 weeks and usually much longer. If I scratch a winning number I take even longer. It may take some will power to take your time but I like to think I might have a couple million bucks waiting for me at home.

Reply #34

dallascowboyfan — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 21:12:45 GMT

I 'm with you HoLeeKau. DH and I usually buy a few scratch-offs when we go to Texas since they have life changing games/amounts.

Reply #33

amber123 — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 18:00:40 GMT

Most scratchers have worse odds than a 1 in 1,000 pick-3 straight hit odds of winning. No thanks.

Reply #32

HoLeeKau — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 16:33:22 GMT

That's my reasoning for only scratching once in a great while, too.

The $1 to $10 scratch offs here are not life changing amounts. Once in a while we get one that pays $250K but it will cost $25 or $30. I'd rather spend that $$ on several chances at a bigger payoff.

Now, if I lived somewhere with a scratch off that had a couple million dollar top prizes, I might spring for a couple tickets because the odds are usually so much better than the draw games.

Reply #31

dallascowboyfan — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 16:25:27 GMT

Since Oklahoma highest scratch-off is $5 for $40,000-$50,000. I would rather just buy a Power Ball/ Mega/Hot Lotto.

Reply #30

ArizonaDream — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 15:45:10 GMT

Odds on both scratch offs and draw games both suck. In this state, the state returns only 50% of money spent to players, it's the same on both types of games. If the odds were the most important thing to me, I would go to a casino or OTB. Even though it's not mathmatically sound reasoning, I care more about the risk/reward ratio. $1 or $2 risk for $$$$$$$$$$$$.

Reply #29

Candlelight777 — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 14:29:27 GMT

A few weeks back i had a few winnings saved from my draw games so i played 4 lucky 7's scratch offs..won nothing. My daughter's best friend's mother goes into the same gas station days later and plays the same scratch off and wins $77,777.

I think Reality Checker makes some good points about time of purchase with scratch offs verse drawings and agree. However, the problem for me is i know i am likely to win nothing regardless of which game i play but at least with drawings it's not an instant... [ More ]

Reply #28

Reality Checker — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 07:08:41 GMT

First of all, why does it matter if scratch tickets are determined at the time of purchase? Customers do know this. Do people believe the ticket just decides itself if it's going to be a winner or loser? Not likely.

Lastly, you say that time is a factor of winning scratch offs. I won't discuss that point specifically, but do you realize that if you buy quick picks (which most people do), the random number generator most likely uses time for determining the numbers?

I'm not seeing any reaso... [ More ]

Reply #27

HAMMY WAMMY — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 21:47:14 GMT

Dang, close one for both of us.

Thank you and Good luck on your future tickets

Reply #26

HoLeeKau — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 21:40:47 GMT

9 - 1 - 7 = 17

I had the 1 - 7 but didn't do me any good.

Every digit of yours was just 1 off. LOL So sorry. Good luck with the rest of your draws.

Reply #25

HAMMY WAMMY — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 20:34:40 GMT

Good luck to you

Reply #24

HoLeeKau — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 20:17:33 GMT

Good luck Hammy!

I bought one on a whim today. 7 3 1 = 11

Reply #23

gogidolim — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 19:52:42 GMT

Now I understand why scratchers are the main cashcow for the state governments.

Reply #22

HAMMY WAMMY — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 18:23:03 GMT

Ha Ha

yeah I gotta come up with something because what I'm doing isn't working

Reply #21

HAMMY WAMMY — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 18:20:19 GMT

HoLeeKau, yes I got the sum it up. My numbers are 6 8 0 sum it up 14

Reply #20

HoLeeKau — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 18:02:09 GMT

Did you play Sum It Up on the pick 3?

Scratchers make me mad, I never win anything but what I paid and not even that very often. But sometimes I have money in the vending machine and I bought everything I need and have a little credit left. And sometimes I'm in the mood to get mad so I buy a $1 or $2 scratcher.

Reply #19

BobP — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 17:58:50 GMT

You need to apply a strategy. Try driving an American made body rotted car, while wearing an irregular shirt from K-Mart, with your six pack purchase. Works for lottery too!

BobP

Reply #18

HAMMY WAMMY — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 17:46:11 GMT

Took the drive up to Idaho this morning and bought 4 $20 scratchers, all duds :( For the first time ever I bought a pick 3 ticket for 4 draws and a Hot Lotto Sizzler ticket for one draw, hoping the first time is the charm for one of these new games :)

Good luck to everyone

Reply #17

Artist77 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:33:54 GMT

That is why I do not play them.

Reply #16

Funtimz — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:25:42 GMT

I stopped playing scratch offs too. I figured with the odds of winning anything decent at any of these games, its more economical to play jackpot games.

Reply #15

Romancandle — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 16:02:15 GMT

Sometimes? That's how it is most of the time... People do win, no doubt, but many lose, hence the massive profits with these games.

Reply #14

Shelby Mustang — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 15:47:47 GMT

That's just how it is sometimes. Some people can buy a whole roll of scratches and not a thing then the very next person could buy 1 ticket and hit the jackpot. You just never know

Reply #13

Candlelight777 — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 14:22:55 GMT

I think scratch offs and casinos are dangerous...it's an illusion of way too much instant gratification which really is nothing more then instant losses.

Do i play scratch offs yes, but only when i win a few bucks on my draw games. Draw games are cheap and i buy mine a month in advance so it teaches me patience and i have a months worth of entertainment for $48. I have 6 draws a week to look forward to for the month so i feel like the entertainment value is there even if i don't win anything... [ More ]

Reply #12

ArizonaDream — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 00:53:37 GMT

Exactly what they said above.

I buy my draw tickets on Sunday to cover the week. I get a weeks worth of entertainment for about 10 bucks. And I've got as much chance as anyone else with a ticket. It's just me vs. the numbers.

With scratchers, I need to be in the right store at the right time and choose the right game. And the entertainment ends as soon as I get home and scratch the ticket. $10 doesn't go as far, 2 $5 or 1 $10 ticket and the fun is soon over.

Reply #11

Romancandle — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:59:19 GMT

Never done well with them... Seem to only loose more money faster...

Reply #10

MsLottery — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 22:43:46 GMT

Up until recently I have had at least break even luck. Recently; however, my luck with scratchers has been nil. I have wasted a lot of money which has caused me to slow down a bit. I won't stop, but I need to find new places to buy from.

Reply #9

gogidolim — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 20:13:56 GMT

And more addictive.

Reply #8

savagegoose — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 17:39:56 GMT

the problem with scratchers is that theyre instant games. you spend the $5 or what ever and instantly know that you lose or win what ever. at least with draws, you have the chance to wait a day or 2 before you get the urge to buy again. on scratchers you can get the urge before you leave the store~! and burn thru more cash. one of the reasons i dont like keno is how many dollars i can spend in one day, thats why i spend the money and take the ticket home, and only check it next time im at the st... [ More ]

Reply #7

tnlottodreamer — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 17:17:10 GMT

True. Now I have bought like 10-50 tickets and have scratched off all of them and didn't even win a free ticket.So you really never know.

Reply #6

lotteryrush — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 17:00:07 GMT

The odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in a million or more . But the point is , if it is not there in the store, then your chance is ZERO . That is the sad part about these scratch offs. With the megas,powerballs and other numbers game , even though the odds are astronomical , you still have a chance irrespective of where you bought the ticket

Reply #5

tnlottodreamer — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:30:17 GMT

Not me. I win off scratcher's all the time. I look at the Lottery website and only buy the tickets with a lot of top prizes like JUMBO Bucks. In the past week I have won $500.00 , $200.00 and $100.00 twice. I wish there was a way on here to post them.

It's not luck. It's just being at the right place at the right time...well I guess that is luck. Anyways play only what you can afford to loose. I spent $20

Reply #4

Coin Toss — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:21:11 GMT

As the saying goes, bet with your head not over it.

Reply #3

LiveInGreenBay — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:11:01 GMT

Aren't scratchers subject to fraud? I remember a story not long ago where a store employee took a needle and scratched a thin line across the scratcher bar code, she was then able to scan it to see if it was a winner. She then bought the winning scratcher and cashed it in. Don't remember how they caught her but I'm glad they did.

Reply #2

schmuckatelly — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 13:34:25 GMT

I've been thinking the same. You have to buy from the right roll, from the right location, at the right time. I can count on 1 hand the number of times I have spent more than $10 on 1 scratcher and got nothing back. After reading some success stories on here, I thought my luck was on the good side and bought a few $20 scratchers only to be burned. Keep in mind I don't just go and buy without research. I look to see how many grand prizes remain. So I'm back to $1 and $2 draw games.... [ More ]

Reply #1

MotoX2 — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 04:50:57 GMT

I agree, that's why I like buying scratchers from different random locations because some having losing batches. Scratchers also cost more and are already pre-determined but of course the customer doesn't know that. In general, you've have a higher chance at winning with scratchers but there are other variables involved like location, time bought, etc. I'm still playing scratchers but will probably cut back a little bit.

No more scratchers for me. No more.

gogidolim — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 04:43:17 GMT

For the last 5 months I blew up wads of cash on scratchers. And two days ago I finally realized that I was burning the cash.

In a way, scratchers are whole lot harder to win than draw games since you have to buy the ticket from a right location at a right time period.

If I did not spend my money on scratchers, I could have saved a couple thousand bucks to get a nice laptop to study on the go.

I will just stick with draw games. No more scratcher games for me.