The average American consumer spends an estimated $86 per month on lottery tickets. At gas stations and convenience stores across the country, you can easily spot individuals lining up to grab their lottery tickets. Everyone is hoping their life is about to change with a financial windfall.
Some people prepare by saying a prayer, and others wear their lucky socks as they scratch off the squares. But what if it wasn’t all just luck?
Below are 7 scratch off tips to help you strategize your weekly lottery ticket investment.
1. Stick to Your Budget
Much like gambling in a casino, it’s important to incorporate a budget into your scratch off strategies.
Unfortunately, many people believe the more money they spend on tickets, the more money they’ll end up with. This is rarely the case.
Spending hundreds of dollars per week on tickets will put you in a hole, and you’ll be using any money you win to make up for the debt you’ve created. Approach scratch offs with discipline.
Consider only spending $50 or so dollars per week on tickets. If your income allows you to spend more, decide what’s appropriate for your lifestyle.
2. Make Bulk Buys
There are a few different lottery strategies you’ll see in consumers.
A common strategy is buying one ticket at a time but returning several times per week to buy more. In your head, it may make more sense to spend minimal money each trip to the convenience store.
However, it’s better to buy in bulk. Instead of buying 1 ticket each day for 5 days, we suggest buying 5 tickets once per week.
Your chance of hitting a winning ticket is higher when buying in bulk than if you bought your tickets at different times. (Once again, only do this if your budget allows.)
3. The Cheapest Option Isn’t the Best Option
When learning how to win scratch offs, many people make the mistake of believing buying tons of cheap tickets is better than investing in a single, yet more expensive ticket.
The winning pool is much lower for cheap tickets than it is for the higher-priced scratch offs. C’mon, there’s a reason they’re so cheap!
Think about quality over quantity when buying lottery tickets. Take time to check out your different options to avoid panic-buying a handful of cheap tickets.
4. Choose a Less Popular Lottery Game
It’s fun to buy into the hype every now and then, especially if the prize is millions of dollars.
We hate to burst your bubble, but buying into the popular game each time isn’t one of the best strategies for winning the lottery. Too many hands are in the pot so you’re chances of winning are low.
Explore less popular options that offer a winning pool worth investing in. While you might not win as much as the popular option, you have a much higher chance of winning.
5. Keep With One Game
Once you decide which game to play, keep with it. It feels discouraging to get one losing ticket after the other in a single game, but we promise there’s a process to the madness.
Diversifying your portfolio in lottery games isn’t beneficial like it is with stocks. Buying one ticket from several games will most likely turn into having one losing ticket from several games.
The more you invest into a single game, the higher chance you have of actually winning something.
6. Read the Small Print
Reading the fine print on the back of the cards is crucial when learning how to choose scratch offs. There’s important information on the back of the cards, including the odds of winning in each game.
Compare the odds of winning between different cards to make your decision. Don’t forget to glance at the price of each card as well. If the price is high and the odds of winning are low, pick another game.
You’ll typically see the odds of winning written as a ratio. For example, the odds of winning might be 1:20. This means 1 out of every 20 cards is a winner.
7. Hold Onto Past Tickets
If your lottery strategies didn’t work one week, don’t get upset and throw away your losing cards. Always hold onto your old cards.
Every now and then, a lottery isn’t claimed. This could be due to someone throwing away a winning ticket by accident or misreading the instructions.
The manufacturer may decide to call upon an old card as the winner. This old card must just be yours, but you won’t know if you throw it away.
What’s So Great About the Lottery?
There’s a chance you’re not interested in learning scratch off strategies because you don’t see the point of even trying.
The major thrill of playing the lottery is the chance of a quick, big win. Who doesn’t love instant gratification? You could walk into a gas station broke and walk out a millionaire.
Even if you don’t win, there’s no guessing game involved in the process. Placing bets at a horse race or playing a card game in a Las Vegas casino requires skill and patience. There’s no need for that when scratching off a ticket.
Some people even have more fun with the lottery by investing in expensive tickets with their friends. Each friend throws in some money to buy the ticket as they agree to split potential winnings.
Strategize With Scratch Off Tips
The lottery seems like a senseless, random game to many people. While there is an element of luck involved in winning, there are also many scratch off tips you can use to strategize your approach.
Next time you go to buy your tickets, spend time considering your options. Look at the fine print, the prices of each ticket, and the value of the winning prize. Good luck to all!
Explore the rest of our site for more useful scratch off secrets. Our site also offers testimonials from past lottery winners, quizzes, and free reports.