There’s nothing more exciting than getting the winning ticket! Scratching your way to a win can be rewarding and fun, but leaving your scratch-off ticket choice to chance will lead to disappointment. But what if you could increase your odds of winning easily and effortlessly?
You might be surprised how easy it is to win with enough data. But, there’s no need to worry if you don’t have the math chops for complicated calculations. The simple scratch secrets can make it easy to win money more often from scratch cards.
If you’re sick of searching for the winning ticket, we’ve got you covered. Here are 5 helpful hacks to win more money on scratch-off lottery tickets.
1. Only Play Games With Top Prizes Remaining
Scratchcard buyers who don’t check the odds are basically throwing away their money. If all the top prizes are gone, you likely won’t want to try your luck at a game where there’s no chance to win big. Most states include information about each game on their lottery website, including how many cards with each prize are still available.
One of the easiest ways to increase your chances of winning is by buying games that still have unclaimed top prizes. Checking your state’s lottery website can show you which games are dead and not worth your money, so it’s a great place to start boosting your odds.
If you already check your local lottery website, keep an eye out for an unexpected increase in available prizes. Occasionally, games are reprinted to continue selling tickets if the top prizes are won early, and your state’s website may indicate reprinted games with an asterisk. Avoid buying reprinted games whenever possible.
2. Never Scratch Cards in the Store
One of the best ways to increase the win money in your pocket is to decrease someone else’s odds. The most frequent winners of scratch-off lottery tickets are retailers and clerks. When a clerk notices a scratchcard hasn’t won all day, they may be more tempted to try their luck at a game.
Many retailers look at the cards that people throw away in their store or watch the cards buyers scratch to increase their own odds. That’s why scratching a card in-store can be diminishing your chances of winning. To keep retailers from having an unfair advantage, always scratch your lottery cards at home or in the car.
If you win, returning your winning ticket to a different retailer can help decrease the clerks’ odds of winning. Generally speaking, pay attention to who is winning or losing in your local stores, but don’t give away your wins and losses. Sharing your data only gives others a better chance of winning.
3. Know How Many Tickets Remain
Even if you know top prizes are still available, how do you know which cards give you the best odds for winning?
Figuring out how many tickets remain in play can help you determine your real odds for the game. Even if the game has better overall odds of winning any prize, you may have a higher chance of winning a top prize if you know how many tickets are left. One way of figuring out how many tickets remain is to do your research on the state lottery website, depending on what information is available on your state’s site.
If there are thousands of tickets remaining for one ticket, but only a thousand or less still out for another, you may have a higher chance of winning something on the latter. Be sure to check how many prizes are remaining at all levels to get a good idea of how likely it is that you will win. You can also get weekly detailed odds emailed to you if you don’t want to do the math every day yourself.
4. Verify Your Winnings
Before you throw away that losing ticket, make sure you validate it first! You’d be amazed how often people may not realize that they’re holding a winning ticket. In these cases, retailers might be claiming the winnings on the ticket after you’ve thrown it in the trash.
First and foremost, always sign your lottery tickets to confirm that they are your winnings. That ensures no one else can claim extra winnings on your ticket. Next, validate all of your tickets with a self serve verification machine if possible.
You may be surprised and discover that the card you thought was a dud is actually a winner! You never know when errors on the card or other surprises could make you a winner, so don’t throw away your odds.
5. Claim Your Ticket as Soon as Possible
Waiting to claim your ticket can cost you big time. It might seem inconvenient to claim your prize right away, but being timely ensures that your ticket is claimed before the Last Day to Claim date. Beyond that date, you can’t get your prize.
When you’re excited, you may try to run and claim a ticket at the same retailer right away. However, if your ticket is over a certain amount, you may need to contact the lottery directly. Otherwise, retailers may not be able to pay out your full winnings.
Check your state lottery’s website or the back of your scratchcard for claim details. You may need extra documentation to get your winnings, so be prepared to work quickly to claim your prize before the last day. This is especially important if you play a game with only a few hundred tickets left, as the last day may be coming soon!
Increase Your Chance of a Winning Ticket
Playing scratch-off tickets is a great way to have fun and win some extra money. However, without a strategy in place, the likelihood that you’ll get a winning ticket isn’t high. Armed with these five scratch secrets, you may be able to increase your chance of winning!
If you’re ready to boost your odds, we can help! Our weekly reports can give you the detailed odds you need to win more often. Subscribe today for your state’s weekly report and start finding more winning tickets today.