Lately, I've noticed (I live in NYC) that every store I go to (living in NYC - there are quite a few!) has at least one 'lurker' in the background who is paying close attention to what tickets customers are buying.
I used to be able to buy a few tickets at a time, go home and scratch them off, and if I had all losers, go back to the store and buy a few more consecutive tickets (and win) but that hasn't been the case in a while! Every store I go to, there is at least one customer who is not scratching, but just loitering around, watching who is buying.
Happened again tonight. I don't buy tickets every day, only on the weekends, and even then not so many, and tonight I bought five $10.00 tickets at a store where even a few weeks ago, I'd be able to go back and buy more of the same consecutively. I lost on all five tickets - went back 15 minutes later, and someone bought the next three tickets. I noticed the guy who was loitering was the same guy who was there when I purchased the first five tickets. I didn't even bother to buy more tickets.
Is this a trend? Should I just scratch at the store and not wait until I get home? Either the person who is loitering is buying the next few tickets, or the store owner is. Someone is definitely watching (unless it's my own paranoia, lol).
??