This is a tough call. Here are the pros / cons of each:
Machines:
PROS: NO CLERKS tracking the winners / losers, which means ONE less factor in trying to get to truly fair odds
CONS: Machines are USUALLY stocked with games which have VERY FEW or NO top prizes remaining. In PA we see machines mis-labeled all the time with stickers around games claiming a game is "NEW", when it's not.
Over the Counter:
PROS: These retailers tend to want to only stock the best games (Games with top prizes Remaining) and they tend to NOT stock the DUD games (Duds are games with no top prizes remaining). This may or may not be true in your state or in your local retailer.
Maybe the best way to put it is: Over the counter retailers MAY or MAY NOT oversee the inventory of games they sell.
CONS: Potential for the clerks to cherry pick based on their observation of people winning / losing on tickets whic could impact your odds of winning, even on small prize amounts.
In all honestly, both machines and over the counter retailers can be good places to play IF you do the following:
When playing from a machine:
Only play the games where there are top prizes remaining & avoid the games that are 'duds'. This will mean you're focusing your $$ on only the games that have the best chances of winning a top prize. This can be done easily using a ScratchSmarter Best Games to Play report.
When playing from over the counter retailers:
1) Only play games that aren't duds (Again, use a ScratchSmarter Best Games to Play report)
2) Avoid sharing your results with the clerks. Scratch your tickets outside of the store or at home
3) Don't claim your winners immediately when you win. OR even better, keep the retailer clerks completely in the dark by claiming your winners at another store
OR
4) find a retailer you trust & where you know the clerks aren't tracking the packs & scratch away on only the best games to play!
I hope this helps you start to ScratchSmarter.