9 Tips to Understand Your Chances of Winning Scratch-Off Games
Need a better way to improve your odds at scratch-offs? If you want to learn how to win scratch-offs, you should know that it all comes down to random chance — which is part of the excitement!
Whether you’re new to the game or a regular player, scratch-offs are a fun chance of winning prizes. Use these scratcher strategies to help you understand your chances of winning.
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Let’s review our nine scratch-off ticket strategies.
1. Understanding Scratch-Off Cards
There are so many types of scratch-off cards, and it can be confusing to determine which might actually provide the best payout if you win. Plus, not every scratch-off prize at each prize level may still be available. So, one of the best ways to win scratch-offs would be to better understand your scratch ticket and the potential payout by visiting your local state lottery page.
Google “your state” + “ lottery website” to see what scratch-off games are available in your state and what prizes remain for each scratch-off ticket. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be in the next round of scratch-off wins!
2. Choose the Right Scratch-Off Cards
Those $1 and $2 tickets can seem tempting since they are at a lower price point, but they also have lower prize levels. More expensive tickets may have lower odds of winning, but the prizes will be larger.
3. Set a Budget and Stick to It
Set a specific dollar amount you will spend daily, weekly or monthly, and try to stick with it! Having a specific lottery budget helps ensure you don’t spend more than you planned. Setting a budget can help you keep more money in your pocket.
4. Study the Odds and Prize Structures
Which scratch-offs win the most? Well, that depends. The good news is that you can find the odds of winning on the back of the card! Odds are calculated by the total number of tickets in a scratch ticket game divided by the total number of prizes in that game. Study the odds of winning and the prize structure for the games you want to play. The prize structures can get complicated, so make sure you understand them before making your ticket purchase.
Not only does each game have different odds of winning, but they also have different requirements to win. Some are simple: match three symbols to win. Others require different combinations in order to get the prize. Read the instructions carefully to know what you are looking for as you play.
In determining how to win scratch-offs, you may want to avoid tickets where the majority of top prizes have already been won. Why? You can’t win those prizes if they are no longer available. Your state lottery website often has this information (and tells you what prizes are still available) so you can decide what game to play.
5. Are New Scratch Games Better?
Some people believe another scratch-off ticket strategy is to play a new game when it comes out. In reality, prizes are scattered randomly throughout the entire run of tickets.
Want to check if a top prize is still up for grabs? This information will be listed on your state lottery website. Be sure to read the fine print on the ticket to see the prize structure and odds of winning, or check your state’s lottery website for further details.
6. Avoid Common Mistakes
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to scratch-off cards is not saving your ticket. If the instructions weren’t clear, or you’re unsure if you won any prize, you could potentially be throwing out a winning ticket. When in doubt, have your ticket checked by the clerk at the store where you purchased it. This is one of the biggest strategies for how to win scratch-offs. They’ll scan your ticket, and the machine could catch something you missed! When you order scratch tickets on Jackpocket (currently available in Colorado and Texas), you can tap the “Reveal Prize” button at the bottom of the screen to calculate your total winning prize amount and go to your next ticket!
In fact, you want to hold onto those losing tickets because you could…
7. Utilize Second-Chance Drawings
Many states will run “second-chance lotteries,” which means you have another shot to win a prize with the same ticket. State lottery commissions will occasionally hold these drawings for a second chance to win fun prizes, from money to concerts, once the top prizes have been given out. When it comes to knowing how to win scratch-offs, saving your ticket is a way to be eligible to potentially win a second-chance prize.
8. Keep Track of Your Wins and Losses
Another scratch-off ticket strategy is to track your wins and losses on a specific game. As with all lottery games, your losses will most likely significantly outnumber your wins. Understanding this fact before you play will help keep the lottery fun.
9. Enjoy the Thrill and Play Responsibly
You’ve heard the saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” That can apply to knowing how to win scratch-off tickets, too. If you win, enjoy what you’ve won. Know when enough is enough or if it’s time to take a break. Play responsibly, and everyone wins!
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