How to Win More Scratch Offs Without Doing Any Math
Play more often., Play the odds., Remove randomness, or at least some of it., Buy in batches., Wait out the losers.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Play more often.
You’ve surely heard people say “You have to play to win,” or “You can’t win if you don’t play,” and of course this is true.
If you only care about winning more often, the best way to do so is to play scratch-offs more often.
Joan Ginther, the American who won roughly $20 million on mega-jackpot scratch-offs between 1993 and 2010, played a lot, buying thousands upon thousands of tickets.
She surely beat the odds in some way or another to win so much money, but buying so many scratch-offs automatically meant she had more winning tickets.So, if you don’t care about losing some money, and simply enjoy the “high” of winning, just keep buying more tickets.
If you want to improve your odds of winning, that’s another story. -
Step 2: Play the odds.
Not all scratch-offs are created equal.
Generally speaking, the larger the potential prize, the lower your odds are of winning it.
To put lottery odds in perspective, mega-jackpot lottery tickets based on number draws can have odds like 175 million to one, while a basic scratch-off may have 4:1 odds.You should be able to find the odds for any scratch-off game on the ticket itself, in the fine print of its advertising, or on the lottery website.
Scratch-offs with better odds cost less, so you can buy more and win more times, although you’re unlikely to get rich by winning $3 a pop.
Focus on the fun of winning, not on making money. , Unlike number-draw lottery games, which rely on a random series of numbered ping-pong balls, scratch-offs are not technically random.
The lottery fixes the number of winning tickets and then tries to distribute the winners widely.Scratch-offs are sent to retailers in large packs with a roughly-equal number of winners in each pack.
Winning tickets, especially in high-prize games, are also usually spread out geographically and over the life of the game.
Lotteries usually provide information on their websites regarding where winning tickets have been purchased, at least for scratch-offs with larger prizes.
If you see an area within the lottery’s territory where winners seem to be in short supply, you can probably at least slightly improve your odds of winning by buying there., Because scratch-offs are not entirely random, and lottery operators usually try to spread out the winners, buying one kind of ticket in bulk can possibly net you more winners than spreading your purchase over several ticket types.Instead of buying one ticket every day, buy seven once a week or even 30 once a month.
Since winners are usually spread out through the pack, you are more likely to end up with a winner this way., Since there are a set number of winners and a set number of tickets for sale for most scratch-off games, you can often improve your odds of picking a winning ticket simply by being patient.
Say, for instance, that a large-jackpot scratch-off promises three grand prize winners out of 120,000 tickets sold.
If you wait until half the tickets have been sold, and know that only one grand prize has been won so far, you have already improved your odds of winning the big jackpot from 1:40,000 to 1:30,000.
It might not seem like much, but it is an improvement.On a smaller (and somewhat sadder) level, there is another way to use patience to your advantage.
You can hang around the store where the scratch-offs are sold and wait for someone who buys several tickets of the same game, scratches them, and fails to find a winner.
Because winners are distributed roughly equally through each ticket pack, your odds of winning if you buy several of the same ticket immediately after are much improved.
You may not want to gloat in front of the person who just lost $20, however. -
Step 3: Remove randomness
-
Step 4: or at least some of it.
-
Step 5: Buy in batches.
-
Step 6: Wait out the losers.
Detailed Guide
You’ve surely heard people say “You have to play to win,” or “You can’t win if you don’t play,” and of course this is true.
If you only care about winning more often, the best way to do so is to play scratch-offs more often.
Joan Ginther, the American who won roughly $20 million on mega-jackpot scratch-offs between 1993 and 2010, played a lot, buying thousands upon thousands of tickets.
She surely beat the odds in some way or another to win so much money, but buying so many scratch-offs automatically meant she had more winning tickets.So, if you don’t care about losing some money, and simply enjoy the “high” of winning, just keep buying more tickets.
If you want to improve your odds of winning, that’s another story.
Not all scratch-offs are created equal.
Generally speaking, the larger the potential prize, the lower your odds are of winning it.
To put lottery odds in perspective, mega-jackpot lottery tickets based on number draws can have odds like 175 million to one, while a basic scratch-off may have 4:1 odds.You should be able to find the odds for any scratch-off game on the ticket itself, in the fine print of its advertising, or on the lottery website.
Scratch-offs with better odds cost less, so you can buy more and win more times, although you’re unlikely to get rich by winning $3 a pop.
Focus on the fun of winning, not on making money. , Unlike number-draw lottery games, which rely on a random series of numbered ping-pong balls, scratch-offs are not technically random.
The lottery fixes the number of winning tickets and then tries to distribute the winners widely.Scratch-offs are sent to retailers in large packs with a roughly-equal number of winners in each pack.
Winning tickets, especially in high-prize games, are also usually spread out geographically and over the life of the game.
Lotteries usually provide information on their websites regarding where winning tickets have been purchased, at least for scratch-offs with larger prizes.
If you see an area within the lottery’s territory where winners seem to be in short supply, you can probably at least slightly improve your odds of winning by buying there., Because scratch-offs are not entirely random, and lottery operators usually try to spread out the winners, buying one kind of ticket in bulk can possibly net you more winners than spreading your purchase over several ticket types.Instead of buying one ticket every day, buy seven once a week or even 30 once a month.
Since winners are usually spread out through the pack, you are more likely to end up with a winner this way., Since there are a set number of winners and a set number of tickets for sale for most scratch-off games, you can often improve your odds of picking a winning ticket simply by being patient.
Say, for instance, that a large-jackpot scratch-off promises three grand prize winners out of 120,000 tickets sold.
If you wait until half the tickets have been sold, and know that only one grand prize has been won so far, you have already improved your odds of winning the big jackpot from 1:40,000 to 1:30,000.
It might not seem like much, but it is an improvement.On a smaller (and somewhat sadder) level, there is another way to use patience to your advantage.
You can hang around the store where the scratch-offs are sold and wait for someone who buys several tickets of the same game, scratches them, and fails to find a winner.
Because winners are distributed roughly equally through each ticket pack, your odds of winning if you buy several of the same ticket immediately after are much improved.
You may not want to gloat in front of the person who just lost $20, however.
About the Author
William Cruz
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: