Don't let anyone fool you. State lotteries exist to generate revenue for their states. Like any revenue-generating business, they want the most popular scratch-offs for their customers.
The most obvious way to grab your attention is to use a catchy name or flashy graphics on the ticket. Unfortunately for the lottery players, the number of "7's" or the size of the sparkles is not a good indicator of a game's quality for you. This post will cover some lesser-known tactics that the lotteries use. These tactics should have an effect on which games you, the player, should buy.
If a scratch-off game becomes popular, lotteries may try a few tactics to keep the fun going a bit longer. Not every state uses all these tactics. Some try to avoid the more misleading ones for their customers.
This post is Part 2 of the 3-part "Playing the Lottery Smarter Series." It focuses on how lotteries design and sell the games to you. Part 1 Tips for Playing Lottery Scratch-Offs covered what you can control when buying scratch-offs. Finally, Part 3, Pick‑A‑Ticket Will Have You Playing the Lottery Smarter, will show how a tool can ease some challenges from Parts 1 and 2.
Same Game, Multiple Printings
The lotteries print the scratch-off games in full before sending them to retailers. This gives players an advantage over other lottery games (draw-style, digital, etc.). A specific number of winning tickets has been set, and we know how many there are. Like, a full deck of cards contains four aces before dealing them.
If a scratch-off is very popular, the lottery may print more tickets. Too many top prizes being claimed early may also cause this to happen. The lottery would mix these with the remaining tickets from the earlier printing. These extra printings are usually large. They aim to keep the game's original odds the same. These printings are often at least half the size of the original. In some cases, they are the same quantity as the original.
Continuing the analogy, it would be like dealing 3 of the 4 aces in the first half of the deck. So, the odds of getting an ace drop from "1 in 13" to "1 in 26" for the remaining set of cards. Since the dealer wants you to keep playing, they will open a new deck of cards and shuffle it with the 26 undealt cards. Having 5 aces in 78 cards improves the odds back to "1 in 15.6," but it still dilutes the original odds.
Unless you check the lottery's info often, it is hard to tell if a lottery is using this tactic. It's also hard to see how it affects the appeal of a specific scratch-off compared to others. Pick‑A‑Ticket maintains a constant watch on the lottery's info. It makes the right adjustments in its calculations for this scenario.
Same Name, Multiple Games
If a lottery can't or won't do multiple printings for a game, an alternative may be to create a new game with the same name as the old one. This wouldn't be a big deal if the lotteries would wait for the older game to finish before distributing the new game. But most don't. Some have had up to six games with the same name active at the same time.
Some lotteries try to reduce confusion by making the cards' graphics different. The font may be different, or the background color. But, in some cases, the lottery may use graphics that are exactly the same or a very close match.
When it's confusing, the only way to be sure you're picking the right game may be to use the "Game Number" to tell the difference. This is usually a four-digit number. Retailers may provide this information in the scratch-off ticket display area. If not, you may need to rely on the experience of the clerk behind the counter to know how to locate the game numbers. It may be part of the barcode on the back of the ticket.
Not every game is duplicated but utilizing a tool like Pick‑A‑Ticket can be very helpful when it does happen. Pick‑A‑Ticket displays a warning icon on these games. Tapping the icon lists all the other games with this name. It enables users to shift between options, simplifying game selection.
Bigger Jackpots and Higher Prices
It's no secret that higher-priced scratch-offs can offer bigger jackpots. Higher prices mean higher revenue, which leads to more prizes being available for you to win.
Not all jackpots have the same value. The big jackpot on the scratch-off may exist on only two winning tickets (out of millions). Sometimes there can be a significant gap between the top prize and the next available top prize. Also, what about comparing a $10,000 top prize on a game that costs $2 versus a game that costs $10? Finally, let's not forget that people claim these top prizes over time. So, the number of available top prizes is always changing.
As a rule of thumb, choosing higher-priced scratch-offs is better than the cheaper ones. Yet, this is not always the case when comparing specific games on any given day. Additionally, you should never spend more than your personal entertainment budget allows.
Taking in all these variables and scenarios is where Pick‑A‑Ticket shines. Since it compares every game to every other game. Read Pick‑A‑Ticket Will Have You Playing the Lottery Smarter (Part 3) to learn how.
Multiple Ways to Win
Lotteries keep scratch-offs exciting by using different game styles. These include crosswords, symbol/number matching, bingo, and more. Also, some games have made it more complicated to know if you've won or lost, and by how much.
Take this real example of a $2 scratcher that has five different ways to win $40:
- "$4" could be revealed ten different times on 500 tickets.
- "$10" could be revealed four times on 500 tickets.
- "$20" could be revealed two times on 500 tickets.
- "$5 (5X)" and "$10" and "$5" would all appear on 2,000 tickets.
- "$40" could be revealed one time on 500 tickets.
While it may be more exciting to reveal 10 "$4" symbols than 1 "$40" symbol, it took no more skill, luck, or better odds to do so. In all five scenarios, the player did the same thing. They bought a $2 scratch-off and won $40. There are 4,000 tickets where this could happen.
Besides the 5 ways to win $40, this game example also has 28 other ways to win nine different prizes between $2 and $14,000. It's no wonder that players are often confused about winning and the amounts that they have won. So, always check your tickets, even if you think you have lost. Also, follow our Tips for Playing Lottery Scratch-Offs (Part 1). It's essential for getting the most out of your playing experience.
Controlled Prize Distribution
"Random" doesn't always mean "random" when it comes to printing tickets. Note: Every lottery has its own rules and guidelines. They also have different standards for printing each game. The following is an oversimplified example to illustrate the concept. Actual printing orders may be much more complicated.
Let's consider an example of a $2 scratch-off where the lottery has ordered the printing of 1,200,000 tickets. 10 smaller "pools" of 120,000 tickets each may comprise that total "order." Each pool has 960 smaller groups of "rolls" (or "packs"). Each roll has 125 tickets. It's these rolls that get distributed to retailers.
The lottery will then define prizes for the game into the tiers: lower ($2-$20), middle ($40-$400), high ($1,400), and top ($14,000). Then they may specify that:
- Every roll contains 28 winning tickets from the lower prize tiers.
- Every pool has 544 winning tickets from the middle prize tiers and 1 from the high tiers. But there is at most 1 of these tickets on any given roll. Meaning that approx. 57% of rolls within a pool will have one prize-winning ticket of $40 or more.
- Each order has four winning tickets from the top prize tiers. But there can be no more than one ticket in any given pool. Also, they must not be on any roll with another middle- or high-tier prize.
While winning tickets may be "random" within a roll, pool, or order, they often follow rules. So, they aren't completely random. Additionally, this tactic will spread the significant winning tickets among the retailers.
The best way as a player to address this tactic is to talk with the clerks at the retailer and buy one ticket at a time. Read our Tips for Playing Lottery Scratch-Offs (Part 1) to learn more.
New Games, Launched Frequently
Lotteries have noticed players' alertness to newly released games. Many retailers have noticed this too. They often highlight the latest games in their displays. It is common to see several new scratch-offs released every month in some state lotteries. This frequency lets them use seasonal themes to attract players, like Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, and summertime.
Most scratch-offs at a given price are designed to be as good as the other games at that price. As a result, new games are usually in the middle of the crowd when they start out. The game will favor or disfavor players over time, depending on whether others claim top prizes. This is why older scratch-offs are often at the top or bottom of Pick‑A‑Ticket's ranked list.
Players unsure of their choice can settle on a mediocre new ticket. At least they're avoiding the worst games to play. But players who use a tool like Pick‑A‑Ticket (or do all the hard work themselves) will know that the best option may be the oldest scratch-off in the retailer's display.
Play Smarter
Winning is not guaranteed; buying scratch-offs is gambling. But now that you know these tactics, you can make better decisions. Please check what information your state lottery makes available to you, whether or not you use Pick‑A‑Ticket. If you want to continue to improve your lottery experience, check our Tips for Playing Lottery Scratch-Offs (Part 1).
We designed Pick‑A‑Ticket to make navigating these tactics as easy as possible. If you haven't, please download the app. Or, read the next post: Pick‑A‑Ticket Will Have You Playing the Lottery Smarter (Part 3).
Good Luck!