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jjtheprince

United States
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February 13, 2011
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May 28, 2016, 10:27 am

Is it the same everywhere?

It seems like every state I visit you can only buy tickets between 5am and 11pm.

This is extremely inconvenient to me since I'm pretty much tied up during those hours.

What's the reasoning behind this besides hurting their own sales and making it very inconvenient to play?
Lucky Loser

Texas
United States
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January 30, 2010
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May 28, 2016, 10:46 am

Quote: Originally posted by jjtheprince on May 28, 2016
Is it the same everywhere?

It seems like every state I visit you can only buy tickets between 5am and 11pm.

This is extremely inconvenient to me since I'm pretty much tied up during those hours.

What's the reasoning behind this besides hurting their own sales and making it very inconvenient to play?

jj, I'm just a tad bit confused and maybe I'm not reading it correctly either. The window you illustrate here is (18) hours and it would seem that you'd be able to get your tickets 'somehow' be it on the way to work, a lunch break, or after. I'm not saying that you're not a very busy person at all but, that's a lot of time to just stop and grab tickets...especially if you're into QP's. I'm probably missing something here and, if so, my bad.

Small games, frequent wins, and regular payouts 'cause.....

There are seven days in the week...'Someday' isn't one of them.

#lotto-4-a-living
rj6speed

United States
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February 28, 2014
28 Posts
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May 28, 2016, 2:50 pm

Quote: Originally posted by jjtheprince on May 28, 2016
Is it the same everywhere?

It seems like every state I visit you can only buy tickets between 5am and 11pm.

This is extremely inconvenient to me since I'm pretty much tied up during those hours.

What's the reasoning behind this besides hurting their own sales and making it very inconvenient to play?

Here it's 4:45am to 1:00am for lotto tickets from vending machines(WA state)...
Guru101

Indiana
United States
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January 7, 2007
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May 28, 2016, 6:56 pm

That's a pretty large window for you to not be able to buy lottery tickets.

Gonna win.
sully16

25

Ringleader

Michigan
United States
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October 28, 2009
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May 29, 2016, 3:56 pm

Quote: Originally posted by jjtheprince on May 28, 2016
Is it the same everywhere?

It seems like every state I visit you can only buy tickets between 5am and 11pm.

This is extremely inconvenient to me since I'm pretty much tied up during those hours.

What's the reasoning behind this besides hurting their own sales and making it very inconvenient to play?
mikeintexas

Texas Panhandle
United States
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December 20, 2012
1,660 Posts
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May 29, 2016, 8:14 pm

I always figured they did it to perform regular and necessary maintenance on the computers, just like any other. Defrag, back up, scan disk for errors, etc. Stop and think about the sheer volume of data they receive and send each and every day. They probably shut them down at night as a cost-cutting measure and if it was running during that time, they'd need someone there to keep an eye on it.

You're only person I've ever heard complain about not being able to purchase a lottery draw ticket in the middle of the night. ( I can buy a scratch ticket at any time, but can't cash one if the system is offline) I've worked some long hours and different shifts and always could find time to do the things I had to do, even if it put me out a little bit.

Epstein didn't kill himself.
Mamma28z

Lower MI
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May 29, 2016, 8:54 pm

Quote: Originally posted by mikeintexas on May 29, 2016
I always figured they did it to perform regular and necessary maintenance on the computers, just like any other. Defrag, back up, scan disk for errors, etc. Stop and think about the sheer volume of data they receive and send each and every day. They probably shut them down at night as a cost-cutting measure and if it was running during that time, they'd need someone there to keep an eye on it.

You're only person I've ever heard complain about not being able to purchase a lottery draw ticket in the middle of the night. ( I can buy a scratch ticket at any time, but can't cash one if the system is offline) I've worked some long hours and different shifts and always could find time to do the things I had to do, even if it put me out a little bit.

Agreed- I have never heard any one complain about not being able to 'play' say at 3am !

You can still buy tickets from machines in MI 24/7 - just not the draw games..
Everyone is allowed downtime...
jjtheprince

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February 13, 2011
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May 30, 2016, 9:52 am

Yeah I don't get it, it should be 24 hours. I'm over across the river in IL sometimes very late at night and have wanted to buy tickets in a "can't lose" state instead of a "can't win" state. I just worry they'll make the hours even more restrictive everywhere, like make it to where you can only buy tickets between 10:00 and 11:00am for example.
Raven62

25

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May 30, 2016, 10:06 am

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on May 29, 2016

A mind once stretched by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions!

Catch-22: A dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.

Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges: When the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous.

The best way to learn is to never stop being an Experiential Student!
pickone4me

Wisconsin
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January 23, 2011
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May 30, 2016, 10:14 am

Quote: Originally posted by jjtheprince on May 30, 2016
Yeah I don't get it, it should be 24 hours. I'm over across the river in IL sometimes very late at night and have wanted to buy tickets in a "can't lose" state instead of a "can't win" state. I just worry they'll make the hours even more restrictive everywhere, like make it to where you can only buy tickets between 10:00 and 11:00am for example.

That makes sense. Why aren't you running a blog on here? You can shut off comments on blogs for "civility" at least.

Redacted
haymaker

Egg Harbor twp.south Jersey shore
United States
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June 29, 2011
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May 30, 2016, 10:45 am

Quote: Originally posted by Raven62 on May 30, 2016

Ditto !

Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds -- Charles Mackay LL.D.
music*

Fresno, California
United States
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August 2, 2014
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Jun 2, 2016, 8:45 pm

Use the Search box and type in 182641 This Canadian is suing because his ticket was seven seconds too late.

mikeintexas makes a good case of why you cannot buy tickets at all hours.

"We are all in this together!"
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
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Jun 2, 2016, 11:59 pm

Remember s movie with Rodney Dangerfield and Joe Pesci where they were in a van and wanted to get something to eat?

They said "Let's go to Pop's (diner), got there at 11 PM just when the door closed and a sign was put on the door -

"OPEN 23 HOURS."

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
rcbbuckeye

100

Texas
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October 23, 2007
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Jun 3, 2016, 8:27 am

Quote: Originally posted by jjtheprince on May 30, 2016
Yeah I don't get it, it should be 24 hours. I'm over across the river in IL sometimes very late at night and have wanted to buy tickets in a "can't lose" state instead of a "can't win" state. I just worry they'll make the hours even more restrictive everywhere, like make it to where you can only buy tickets between 10:00 and 11:00am for example.

If you "worry" about the hours you can buy tickets are going to be made more restrictive, you must have a pretty easy life.

The hours I can buy tix are the least of my worries.

Making the hours between 10:00 and 11:00am (I'm assuming you mean 10:00am and 11:00) is not going to happen. I'm sure they want people to buy tix, but 99.9999999% buy during normal hours.

CAN'T WIN IF YOU'RE NOT IN

A DOLLAR AND A DREAM (OR $2)
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
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March 24, 2001
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Jun 3, 2016, 3:30 pm

In Ohio you can buy MM tickets any time the stores are opened until 15 minutes before the drawings unless the store decides to close its terminal.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *

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