In other words, a $1 USD ticket might be super cheap, but the top prize is pretty low: maybe around $300 USD. On the other hand, a $20 USD ticket might be a bigger investment, but you have a chance of winning a jackpot that’s, in some cases, $500,000 USD or more. Pick a price point that works for you and stay within your budget—buying a pricier ticket in no way guarantees that you’ll win a prize, so remember just to have fun and be mindful of your spending habits.
Remember, just because some games present higher odds of winning doesn’t mean you’re more likely to win the jackpot: instead, you’re probably more likely to win 1 of many lesser prizes, like $300 USD-$1,000 USD. Buying “in bulk” (say, around 15 tickets or more) is for serious lottery players who are willing to invest in their hobby since buying a bunch of lower-price tickets gives them greater odds of winning a prize. Purchasing 15 $20 USD tickets runs you $300 USD, while getting your hands on a roll of 30 $20 USD tickets would cost you $600—these are pretty steep prices, and usually only pro-gamblers or YouTubers take the plunge. [3] X Research source Also bear this in mind—you might just break even or even lose money when you buy a whole roll or book of tickets. Ultimately, scratch offs are a game of chance. You could win between $600 USD-$1,000 USD after scratching off all your tickets, but you may also earn nothing.
Now, just remember–1:5 odds don’t mean that every fifth ticket in a row wins: it just means that 20% of the tickets dispersed in all participating stores are winning scratch-offs.
Unfortunately, a thin roll of tickets probably means that the remaining scratch-offs are guaranteed losers. Hit the convenience store on another day when they have a new roll of tickets. Ask the convenience store operator or cashier if someone’s already won. If they’re honest, then they’ll be able to save you some money. Just wait a couple days and come back (or go to another store to buy a scratch-off from another game. ) Scratch off tickets are sold with a guaranteed number of winners and losers in each pack, which is usually about 30 or 40 tickets. One way to guarantee that you’ll win is to buy an entire pack. Now, it’s a bit risky because you might end up not making a profit. However, you’ll definitely end up winning something. Look for a roll of tickets that has at least 1 white line—rumor has it that any white lines are connected to a winning ticket. This has been put to the test by many interested lotto players, and they’ve reported winning at least a small cash prize, like $30 USD. [6] X Research source
If someone in front of you just bought 10 tickets and lost on them all, buy a few from that game. You’re not guaranteed to win, but there’s a better chance the next tickets in the roll will be winners if the previous 10 weren’t.
If you have a favorite game that’s at your price point and are considering buying some tickets, check out the top prize first before you head to the store. If it’s lower than usual because the top prizes have been claimed, think about switching to a different game at the same price point. The cashier may even be able to print out a list of any prizes that are still available for the game you’re interested in.
Sometimes, the lottery commission will advertise these second-chance drawings when the top prizes have already been paid out, to try to drive the sales of essentially useless tickets. Buying tickets that will surely be losers just to have the second-chance opportunity isn’t the most profitable idea, so we don’t really recommend it. Ideally, you’ll participate in “second-chance lottos” when you’re already sitting on a stack of losing tickets—there’s no reason to buy more losing tickets just for a shot at a consolation prize.
When you’re done collecting your winnings, keep your losing tickets in a safe place in case they’re contenders for a “second chance lotto. "
It’s better to focus on active games in which the numbers are more “friendly” and you actually stand the chance to win some real money.
When you’ve set a weekly budget, take money for scratch-offs from the leftover cash, not savings used for rent, groceries, or other necessary expenses. If you’ve got a fund set aside for fun stuff, you could take it out of there if you enjoy playing scratch-offs. Never spend more than your budget. Resist the temptation to chase your losses. The statistics won’t change in your favor.
Some serious players differ on their philosophy regarding this. Alternatively, you could pick a store to always buy from, and buy different sorts of games from that store. Make one part of your buying routine consistent. Since there’s always a higher-percentage chance of losing over winning, regardless of what you do, playing consistently is just one way of staying optimistic and slightly tipping the odds in your favor.
