Do you go out of your way to buy lottery tickets at designated "lucky" retailers?Prev Topic Next Topic

New Topic New Poll

oate

United States
Member #193,161
October 22, 2018
491 Posts
Offline

Jan 22, 2019, 6:34 pm

Some states (like California) designate retailers as "Lucky" stores if they meet some threshold for number and/or amount of winnings paid out over a certain period of time.

If your state does that, do you go out of your way to buy your tickets there rather than a luck-challenged store? I've heard it's better to buy scratchers at a lucky retailer because supposedly the lottery distributes more winning cards at such stores to keep up interest. I don't know much about that since I only play draw games.

Only my hairdresser knows for sure.
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
Member #30,469
January 17, 2006
12,515 Posts
Online

Jan 22, 2019, 7:05 pm

We have one lottery outlet in town with a Lucky Store sign in the window (one that I know of) but you can't prove it by me, so no, I don't go out of my way.

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.
oate

United States
Member #193,161
October 22, 2018
491 Posts
Offline

Jan 22, 2019, 8:24 pm

There's one near me that has a seating area presumably for people to eat their food at, but it's always filled up with people scratching away at their scratchers. I guess they really believe it's lucky.

Only my hairdresser knows for sure.
Cassie8620

California2EastCoast
United States
Member #180,559
March 13, 2017
7,458 Posts
Offline

Jan 22, 2019, 8:37 pm

Quote: Originally posted by oate on Jan 22, 2019
There's one near me that has a seating area presumably for people to eat their food at, but it's always filled up with people scratching away at their scratchers. I guess they really believe it's lucky.

Hi all.

and oate:

good evening.

i prefer poppin in a store diff ones and try my luck or my same local supermarket or CVS/RITE AID/SPEEDWAY...

so no, i really don't do that. 1x or 2 maximum but not more than that, if it is not too far from me. under 1 and a 1/2 hours, (i did this one time)

and another was only 1 to 2 miles away. But, i prefer just going at same few stores i am used of.

Good night. and good luck every body.

$47,000 WON on 3 + 4 lottery #Break The Bank $$$ 260 264 0806 2100.2107 5030 0680 6080 8060.
DownandDirty

Long Island, NY
United States
Member #57,410
January 3, 2008
446 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 1:16 am

I would suggest that anybody looking for a "lucky store" should go online to your local lottery website and see what types of stores (and where they are located) typically sell the winning tickets.

In New York, more times than not, winners are sold in some of the lowest income (trying to put this nicely as to not offend) areas. Many of these stores are the worst looking bodegas, gas stations, liquor stores, conveinence stores etc. While this is probably due to the fact that a greater percentage of lottery tickets are sold in these types of neighborhoods (vs. wealthy upscale areas) it's just the way it is. So I go out of my way to buy tickets in these places.

There are exceptions of course. Like the upper middle class lady who (on a lark) decided to buy a ticket at her local supermarket.
TheMeatman2005

Brooklyn, NY
United States
Member #169,714
October 29, 2015
1,704 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 5:00 am

More tickets sold = more winning tickets.

It's math, not "luck".

However, it adds to the dream that if someone else did it here, I can do it too.

The Meatman 🥩🍗🍔🍖🍤🌭

“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it in your back pocket.” Will Rogers

Winning happens in a flash, Like A Bolt Of Lightning!
Raven62

25

New Jersey
United States
Member #17,842
June 28, 2005
180,983 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 8:55 am

Quote: Originally posted by oate on Jan 22, 2019
Some states (like California) designate retailers as "Lucky" stores if they meet some threshold for number and/or amount of winnings paid out over a certain period of time.

If your state does that, do you go out of your way to buy your tickets there rather than a luck-challenged store? I've heard it's better to buy scratchers at a lucky retailer because supposedly the lottery distributes more winning cards at such stores to keep up interest. I don't know much about that since I only play draw games.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexadavis/2016/01/13/dreaming-of-a-lottery-win-find-your-local-lucky-retailer/#27ad6ac26f7f

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!
KY Floyd

NY
United States
Member #23,834
October 16, 2005
5,128 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 1:23 pm

"supposedly the lottery distributes more winning cards at such stores to keep up interest"

Stupid people often jump to the wrong conclusion because they can't see a more obvious explanation. A long time ago a friend knew somebody that worked some low level job at Publisher's Clearing House and the guy claimed that people who didn't order magazines didn't get entered in the drawing. He knew because the first thing they did with the mail was separate the entries without a magazine order into a separate pile. Well, duh. The entries without a magazine order don't need to have a magazine order processed, so it makes perfect sense that they'd be handled separately.

There's absolutely no question that some stores get more winners than others. People who aren't stupid probably realize that those stores also get more losers, because what's happening is that they sell more tickets than other stores and you can only sell tickets that the lottery has delivered to you.

If anyone could prove that the lottery was deliberately giving even one store a higher percentage of winners it would prove that the lottery isn't a fair game of chance. In fact it would prove that it's a deliberate, and criminal, fraud. The repercussions would make the Eddie Tipton stuff look meaningless.
oate

United States
Member #193,161
October 22, 2018
491 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 2:03 pm

Stupid people often...

Some of the scratchers addicts I chat up at the "lucky" retailer are stupid I'm sure, but mostly they are old and superstitious and very set in their ways. If there's room to sit down and I have time, sometimes I chat them up about which games they think are best or what they think good strategies are for winning scratchers. What I'm often told is that certain stores are lucky.

Of course it's irrational, but it's far from the most irrational "tip" I've been given. There's also the crucial matter of choosing a lucky coin to scrape off the coating.

Only my hairdresser knows for sure.
DownandDirty

Long Island, NY
United States
Member #57,410
January 3, 2008
446 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 9:17 pm

Quote: Originally posted by KY Floyd on Jan 23, 2019
"supposedly the lottery distributes more winning cards at such stores to keep up interest"

Stupid people often jump to the wrong conclusion because they can't see a more obvious explanation. A long time ago a friend knew somebody that worked some low level job at Publisher's Clearing House and the guy claimed that people who didn't order magazines didn't get entered in the drawing. He knew because the first thing they did with the mail was separate the entries without a magazine order into a separate pile. Well, duh. The entries without a magazine order don't need to have a magazine order processed, so it makes perfect sense that they'd be handled separately.

There's absolutely no question that some stores get more winners than others. People who aren't stupid probably realize that those stores also get more losers, because what's happening is that they sell more tickets than other stores and you can only sell tickets that the lottery has delivered to you.

If anyone could prove that the lottery was deliberately giving even one store a higher percentage of winners it would prove that the lottery isn't a fair game of chance. In fact it would prove that it's a deliberate, and criminal, fraud. The repercussions would make the Eddie Tipton stuff look meaningless.

I like your point about people jumping to wrong conclusions.

Yes.. busy high volume stores have more winners, losers etc...

I am still not sure if this thread is all about scratch offs or all lottery games (when it comes to finding a lucky store)
Big Joey

United States
Member #191,884
August 27, 2018
994 Posts
Offline

Jan 23, 2019, 9:41 pm

No. I buy everywhere. I like automatic ticket vending machines most of the time.

A grocery store that I frequented for my quick picks closed. They didn't really have customers buying groceries, just lottery tickets. So, the corporate office closed the location. Another boutique gift store is now closed on Mondays, all they do is sell lottery tickets. Many miles from me, there is an area with miles of gas stations that do not sell lottery tickets because they take business from the store. (I haven't figured out that thinking, lottery takes from a store?) I think high volume stores just sell lottery tickets, so they are on the verge of closing?
sully16

25

Ringleader

Michigan
United States
Member #81,736
October 28, 2009
160,587 Posts
Offline

Jan 24, 2019, 7:41 am

Quote: Originally posted by oate on Jan 22, 2019
Some states (like California) designate retailers as "Lucky" stores if they meet some threshold for number and/or amount of winnings paid out over a certain period of time.

If your state does that, do you go out of your way to buy your tickets there rather than a luck-challenged store? I've heard it's better to buy scratchers at a lucky retailer because supposedly the lottery distributes more winning cards at such stores to keep up interest. I don't know much about that since I only play draw games.

I have , you never know.
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
Member #30,469
January 17, 2006
12,515 Posts
Online

Jan 25, 2019, 7:37 pm

oate,

This thread got me curious so I called the Illinois lottery on their in-state 800 number.

I asked what made a store a 'lucky store', a certain amount of winners paid out? Only scratchers? All games?

The guy on the phone said no one had ever asked that before and told me to hang on while he checked with his supervisor.

When he came back on the phones he said he was told it's just a promo tool that the lottery gives out and the store has the choice of putting the Lucky Store decal on their window.

So in Illinois anyway it would be a bit much to go out of your way just because a store decided to hand a giveaway promo decal on its window.

It looks like this with the words Lucky Store around it

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.
Tucker Black

Colorado
United States
Member #173,294
February 25, 2016
1,135 Posts
Offline

Jan 28, 2019, 3:18 am

Don't fall for the lottery's advertising.
maximumfun

United States
Member #124,608
March 16, 2012
3,734 Posts
Offline

Jan 28, 2019, 10:17 am

Rhode Island has a charming way of selecting lucky stores... there are 2 lists on the GoLocalProv one for top 25 luckiest for BUYING a lottery ticket, and another for top 25 luckiest for WINNING lottery tix.

Since its about a coin-toss in distance between a "lucky" store and an average-joe store, I go to the lucky store. Why not?