Someone's loss is my win- An Instant Scratch-off storyPrev TopicNext Topic

• WhoaMama

  

  United States
  Member #175,642
  June 27, 2016
  303 Posts
  Offline
  Jun 21, 2018, 2:59 pm

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  Just be warned it's nothing to get TOO excited for.....

   

  OK, so I was waiting for the city bus and there was a BINGO Instant Game on the ground folded in half. I noticed the Second Chance code wasn't scratched off so I decided to scratch it off anyways. I signed on to the lottery website, and tried entering the code, but it kept showing up invalid,and wondered, "what the heck is going on"? So I chatted to the represented, and referred me to Public Relations. I called the number, it at first it went to voicemail, so I decided to call back. Somebody answered this time, and when she was asking for a different code I was like, "what?", then I realized what she was saying, I told her that code and then told me it was a $5 winner. So I went to the gas station, the barcode wasn't scratched all the way, I was worried, then I scratched the bottom of the Bingo call numbers, scanned it and the Public Relations lady was right, so I cashed for a $5 bill and went home.

   

  The end.

   

  Have you ever got lucky finding a ticket on the ground?
• NeedyNotGreedy

  

  The land of fantasy 5 and other daily draws
  United States
  Member #175,675
  June 30, 2016
  81 Posts
  Offline
  Jun 21, 2018, 4:37 pm

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  No, but I have found $5 lying around.

   

  but one thing I don’t like to do: is throw losing scratch offs on the ground. There’s too much of a chance for error and risk of someone else claiming something that wasn’t caught.

  Especially considering some of the people tossing such scratch offs are probably a bit...”mentally short-sighted” and could easily miss a winning number
• Dragonsofra

  

  San Francisco, CA
  United States
  Member #166,241
  May 12, 2015
  210 Posts
  Offline
  Jun 21, 2018, 7:14 pm

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  Bingos are the easiest to miss. And pretty much any crossword-type Scratcher is difficult to verify with just your eyes alone. The more expensive the ticket the easier it is to overlook something.

   

  I have had issues with ticket-checkers though, to be fair. There have been instances where, even if the machine beeps and the screen refreshes, it will continue displaying "Non-winner" -- despite it being a cash prize or free ticket (Although I've never used mobile checkers). I have found a free $20 ticket before, and a $10 on a $3 game, that may have been confusing (Loteria)... As well as a $6 winner on a $5 Scratcher that was a dinky-multiplier-type win, of course someone could have just been fed up... Another was a $15 on a $10 Scratcher that someone abandoned on the customer service counter at Safeway. In that case, I can't be sure, but Safeway can be realllly slow at service counter. I swear though, I was playing this Deluxe 7's Playbook ($20) and I just had the barcode ripped off so I could scan it later, and I nearly forgot about it... But that limitless fragment of that playbook (just the barcode) was $100 when I finally scanned it! And thank god the guy accepted it! The thing is I'm not sure if that was one of mine or one that I found... Crazy... I have found Scratchers unscratched before: a couple $1's, $3's, a $2 (denominations) and maybe a free ticket on one of them.
• Coin Toss

  

  Zeta Reticuli Star System
  United States
  Member #30,469
  January 17, 2006
  11,791 Posts
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  Jun 23, 2018, 12:11 am

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  Speaking of crossword scrathers;

  https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/06/21/Complicated-scratch-off-ticket-keeps-1M-secret-for-two-days/3131529601625/

  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.
• john007

  

  United States
  Member #190,667
  June 24, 2018
  1 Post
  Offline
  Jun 24, 2018, 9:22 pm

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  Congrats on your $5 win! There's a theory that if you are always grateful (even for a small win) a big one will eventually happen.

  I have a question:

  In California or any state, do you ALWAYS 100% of the time surrender the winning scratch-off ticket to the merchant who cashes it for you? Or does the merchant ever let you keep the ticket after it is cashed like a souvenir?

  In other words how can you be certain that a winning scratch-off you find on the ground hasn't already been cashed? And when you try to cash it again a nervous merchant calls the cops on you.
• Mamma28z

  

  Lower MI
  United States
  Member #94,542
  July 22, 2010
  253 Posts
  Offline
  Jul 2, 2018, 7:38 am

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  No reason to call the police!  We have machines in Michigan that let you 'cash' in your ticket and you still have it.  And if someone else tries to cash it in the machine spits out a ticket that says already cashed- at a different terminal or this terminal.
  The police could care less about someone trying to cash a ticket already cashed.  I've done it many times thinking I threw that one away..
  
  I have found quite a few winning tickets on the ground- by garbage cans.  People quickly scratch and don't recheck =)
  I found a $50 winner that was clearly scratched and it said $50 on the scratched off area. A few $25 winners and lots of $2 winners.

  Always pick them up!