United States
Member #122,462
February 1, 2012
530 Posts
Offline
Hi everyone,
I look at the odds of scratch tickets and know the odds are not on my side but still why can't I win more then a few bucks when I play. I've won 100 dollars just twice on 5 dollar scratch tickets but the majority of the time I either win nothing or just get my money back on the ticket price. I realize that the lottery commission prints out millions of tickets per scratch game and I do look at my states website (MA) to try to pick games that still have some decent prizes but regardless it seems so hard to get anything. I know some people have better luck than others and do realize it's a needle in a haystack (I still play the PB, MM and Mass Cash) but have never won anything more than a few dollars). It's so dissapointing to scratch a ticket only to get nothing or a few bucks. I had been buying 2 scratch tickets per game, went back to one per game and now back to 2 tickets per game but still no luck. I would be happy to win 5 thousand or so it doesn't have to be the big one but since they take taxes out and one would have to claim anything over 600 dollars on their taxes it would be nice someday to win something more than a few bucks. Sometimes I read here about some people having some good luck, I admit I do tend to play locally at a bunch of different places but do not travel outside of a few places close to me due to money it would cost for gas. Still wishing for that miracle as I'm sure so many really need. Thanks for listening to me vent. I'm sure others feel as I do, I still play because I believe you can't win if you don't play but just have to continue to keep myself on a budget. What do other people feel about the scratch chances?
United States
Member #116,263
September 7, 2011
20,243 Posts
Offline
You believe you cant win if you don't play because they told you, "you cant win if you don't play"...... the best way to win is to NOT play and save your money. The second best way to win is to spend a lot more money. I bought 10 $20. scratcher tickets and got back $125. and consider that a win. I'm thinking about buying 15 tickets next time as they sell packs of 15. My last option would be to buy 10 packs of 15 at a cost of $3000. and see what happens. What do you think??
Texas United States
Member #55,887
October 23, 2007
17,763 Posts
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Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on May 10, 2012
You believe you cant win if you don't play because they told you, "you cant win if you don't play"...... the best way to win is to NOT play and save your money. The second best way to win is to spend a lot more money. I bought 10 $20. scratcher tickets and got back $125. and consider that a win. I'm thinking about buying 15 tickets next time as they sell packs of 15. My last option would be to buy 10 packs of 15 at a cost of $3000. and see what happens. What do you think??
If you play $3000 in scratchers, you most likely will win back roughly $1500, unless you hit a ticket that has a major prize. Don't know about your state, but in Texas, thay list how many prizes there are in a scratch game. Usually there might be 6 top prizes out of 6 million printed tickets. Odds of 1 in a million. Overall odds anywhere from 1 in 2.5 to 1 in 5.
Scratchers sell better than the online games because people like instant gratification. I always liked the anticipation of a lottery draw instead. To each his own.
mid-Ohio United States
Member #9
March 24, 2001
20,272 Posts
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You can be a winner every day with scratchers if you just look at their cost and don't play. Every time you don't buy a scratcher you're its price richer than you would be if you bought it. You probably won't end up a millionaire but you won't be whining about not winning either. Good luck.
* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
Yonkers, NY United States
Member #127,824
May 10, 2012
129 Posts
Offline
I have a love and hate relationship with scratch outs.. the most I have won was 500.00 twice on 20 dollar ticket.. But I'm sure my loses since I started are greater than that. The odds are against us but it is suppose to be fun.. which is why I try not to spend so much on scratch outs anymore because it is frustrating to spend 15 and get back a dollar.. I use to buy them all the time.. I realize the 1 and 2 dollars ones are useless. Instead of buying the 1 or 2 dollar ones like 10 times every week. I save and just buy 2, 20 dollars tickets twice a month. I have had success with the 20 dollar tickets.. Success I mean, more than 20 buck win.. I won, 60, 65, 80, 85, 100 and 500 twice...
United States
Member #116,263
September 7, 2011
20,243 Posts
Offline
The part about $1500. is exactly right, and you can bet money that I wont be whining about it afterwards. The stated odds of a $500,000. hit are 1 in 240,000. Even if you multiple by the $20. price of a ticket you are still looking at a 4.8 million (per $1.) chance of hitting half a mill as opposed to 1 in 175,000,000 chance of hitting the multiple millions. 5 million vs. 175 million?.... 5 million vs. 175 million?..... 5 million vs. 175 million?......
At 35 times difference I would need to spend $700 on Mega to have the same chance of winning with $20. on a scratcher. Granted the pay out is smaller, but the elusive reward does not justify the amount of risk.
And, when I start talking about buying 150 scratchers....... I would need $105,000. (instead of $3000.) same ods at Mega Millions. Now that PB is $2. I consider it insanity to even consider playing.
The Ville, FL United States
Member #95,875
August 19, 2010
1,708 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by shyguitar on May 10, 2012
Hi everyone,
I look at the odds of scratch tickets and know the odds are not on my side but still why can't I win more then a few bucks when I play. I've won 100 dollars just twice on 5 dollar scratch tickets but the majority of the time I either win nothing or just get my money back on the ticket price. I realize that the lottery commission prints out millions of tickets per scratch game and I do look at my states website (MA) to try to pick games that still have some decent prizes but regardless it seems so hard to get anything. I know some people have better luck than others and do realize it's a needle in a haystack (I still play the PB, MM and Mass Cash) but have never won anything more than a few dollars). It's so dissapointing to scratch a ticket only to get nothing or a few bucks. I had been buying 2 scratch tickets per game, went back to one per game and now back to 2 tickets per game but still no luck. I would be happy to win 5 thousand or so it doesn't have to be the big one but since they take taxes out and one would have to claim anything over 600 dollars on their taxes it would be nice someday to win something more than a few bucks. Sometimes I read here about some people having some good luck, I admit I do tend to play locally at a bunch of different places but do not travel outside of a few places close to me due to money it would cost for gas. Still wishing for that miracle as I'm sure so many really need. Thanks for listening to me vent. I'm sure others feel as I do, I still play because I believe you can't win if you don't play but just have to continue to keep myself on a budget. What do other people feel about the scratch chances?
shyguitar - There are many of us that play heavily on the scratch games and very very few have won $5,000 and up. There are also people that have been playing heavily for years and years and have yet to win $1,000-$5,000 and up.
It is all about the right place and right time. I have always done Terrible on the $1, $2 & $5 scratchers. The $10's & $20's are where the most decent winners are (for the most part).
You may want to save your $ that you are spending on the $5 games and wait till you have enough to buy some $20's and see how that works out for you.
I'm not one of the guys who buys 5-10 $20's at a time. I only buy 1 at a time from a roll. I may buy 2-3 but from different rolls/books, but very rarely back to back. I have won $1,000 3 times in the last 12-15 months, and they were all from single ticket buys (2 were on the $20 tickets and 1 on the $10). It's all a matter of being at the right place/right time. Everyone feels like giving up at times, but taking a break from buying scratchers seems to do the trick and put the frustrations to rest.