Scratch cards are a fun way to try and earn some quick cash without having to spend too much when purchasing them. Just like the lottery, they are based on pure luck. But there are actually ways you can improve your chances of winning on scratch cards.
We may not be able to show you how to win scratch offs every time you play, but these tips will certainly help improve your odds!
1. Don’t Buy The Cheapest Ones
The number of scratch cards available these days is mind-boggling and it can be a bit of a minefield for those who aren’t familiar with them.
There are so many different designs, prices, prizes, and
brands that it can get very confusing or hard to make a decision, so keep your
focus when buying scratch cards to enhance your chances of winning.
We know it might be tempting to opt for the cheaper tickets and some people will often buy a number of these. However, they’re cheap for a reason. The prize pool is lower.
You would be better off buying higher-priced scratch cards but buying fewer. Quality over quantity is very true when it comes to scratch cards.
2. Check The Small Print
This might sound more like advice you would heed when you’re
taking out a loan, but it also applies for scratch cards.
The small print can often tell you what your odds are of winning on that specific card. So it makes absolute sense to read it. Who would want to opt for longer odds over shorter odds?
Also, it’s crucial you check your state’s lottery home page. They will have information about the remaining prizes. It’s estimated that in more than 10% of scratch off tickets sold, there are no longer any major prizes left in the game. By comparing prizes left on the lottery site, you can get a much better sense of whether it’s worth buying tickets for that particular game.
3. Buy In Bulk
One tactic some scratch card players swear by is buying their scratch cards in bulk.
They’ll purchase about five scratch cards from the same game in a single trip to the shop, as opposed to buying just one single scratch card and then making several trips over a period of time to buy another from the same game.
Some believe that if you buy in bulk, then the odds of hitting a win increase, since the manufacturers often place a win frequently throughout their scratch cards.
So if you bulk buy scratch cards in one purchase, the chance
of hitting one of those planted winning scratch cards is going to be higher
than if you bought the same number of scratch cards over a period of several
purchases.
You should only do this if your budget allows this, though.
4. Play Them Like Slots
You’ll find there are some slots players who loiter around machines to wait until players go on a dry spell or a number of players fail to hit a jackpot prize. The long drought can mean that the slot machine is about to hit.
If you try this method, you’ll need to hang around a store or outlet that sells the scratch cards for a bit of time and that could be something you’re not entirely comfortable with – or have the time for!
Maybe start a conversation with the store keeper or ask the vendor if they have had any winning tickets being bought lately. Be subtle, but it could be the key to a big win.
5. Keep Your Old Tickets
No, this isn’t for a feeling of nostalgia. There is a damn
good reason for this.
You might breeze through a scratch card and think it’s a
loser. But don’t throw it away! You never know, you might pick up on a mistake
you might have made at a later date.
In some cases, jackpots are never won, so the manufacturer requests losing tickets to pick a best loser. It can happen.
Don’t be the dummy who threw away a winning ticket!
6. Submit All Losing Tickets
Similar to the above: The only way you can be absolutely sure you haven’t won is if you have your ticket officially checked.
Whether it’s a missed winning combination or there is simply
an error on the card, you could be eligible for some sort of payment. There is
always the chance you might have missed something.
7. Study The Scratch Cards
Yes, there is actually a process called the “Singleton Method” that’s used by experienced scratch card players.
They analyze the layout and design of a scratch card to pick
up on patterns that can give clues as to whether a scratch card has certain
numbers, symbols, or combinations that can lead to a win.
Most scratch card manufacturers have caught onto this strategy and a large number now design their scratch cards to work against it.
But there are still a few who’ve not yet taken steps to address it. You can use it on the type of scratch cards where numbers are visible on the side, so it’s a method still worth pursuing.
8. Be Strict With Your Budget
You might not win more or less by this tactic, but it’s a
safety buffer to keep you from losing too much money.
Set yourself a weekly or monthly budget and make sure you stick to it, so your finances don’t spiral out of control.
9. Pick A Game And Stick To It
This just seems to make logical sense. If you stick with a
game and keep playing it then you will either win, or every losing ticket you
play will be one more losing ticket out of the equation.
However, if you spread your spending over a number of games, then you could just endlessly hit losing scratch cards.
So pick a game you like and stick to it. In the long run, it’s a much better strategy.
It’s All About Lady Luck
We may not have been able to show you how to win scratch offs every time (if there was one simple trick, everyone would be doing it and companies would stop creating them!), but we have shown you some methods and strategies you can use to enhance your chances of winning.
Ultimately, it does come down to chance, but there is no harm in improving your odds of success.