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[NinSoX]

I recieved about 10 scratch + win lottery tickets from cousins for my birthday yesterday and I didn't win a thing. :lol AFAIK winning tickets can be detected from any legitimate lottery ticket seller so I'm here wondering what the chances are of having these store employees scan every ticket and keeping the ones that are detected winners and selling duds only.

Are there any other secure measures that prevent these store employees/owners from doing it?

 

[PaulHitsChildren]

I worked at a pharmacy, when you scratch off a ticket there is also a number that you reveal also, the last 4 digits are underlined and this is what you need to scan and put into the lottery machine to see if it's a winner or not.

 

[Brannon]

In Georgia at least you have to manually scratch off a series of code numbers at the very bottom of the ticket and key it in to verify if it's a good ticket or not. Just scanning it means nothing; the UPC codes are all the same. There is no risk of fraud, unless the lotto company is intentionally putting out bad tickets.

Also, were your tickets $1-$3 tickets or $5 and up? Because the $5 and up tickets give you a much better chance than the former, which have higher odds against the player. Which is natural because cheaper tickets are sold much more frequently and to have them win at the same rate as the more expensive tickets would bankrupt the company.

True story, I've been trying to get rid of the same $20 since November....

-Turn in ticket
-Get 4 from the winning ticket
-scratch/lose
-scratch/lose
-scratch/lose
-scratch/$20
-and time flows like a river, and history repeats itself.

It's ridiculous.

EDIT: About your suspiscions on the cashier; their lotto terminals may be able to display which tickets have won the most in recent times, so they can use that to factor the odds in their favor and buy tickets that seem to have a higher chance of winning at the time.

 

[MrToughPants]

One of my friends used to do this so i'm guessing shit loads of people do it. Just buy 649/State Lotto tickets the chances are much higher and always pick them same numbers and something should come your way in the next 50 years. I won $1000 with the Extra a few months ago. :lol

The most i've won with a scratch and win is $20 and that's when I was like 6 years old, that's 15 fucking years ago!! :lol

 

[JPRaup]

i worked behind the service desk at a store, and some of them just scan automatically, but some give you an error, and you have to put in the last 4 digits (which need to be scratched)

 

[Varuna]

I would be more worried about straight up lottery tickets (daily numbers and such). You have the ticket scanned, you hear the machine voice say, "Congratulations, you're a winner"

Spoiler

(nh lottery)

and nothing more.
Employees could easily give you the $10 you "won" and pocket the other $490.00 if you catch my drift.