# Fuck scratch-off lottery tickets **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 6, 2015, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693 "2015-10-06T07:35:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/1 "2015-10-06T07:35:52Z")
I rarely buy these things anymore, but I bought 15 $1 ones of the same type-- ‘Fab 4s’ and all I won was 2 fucking dollars. It’s like I paid $13 to clean up the scratch-off dust in my car. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/2 "2015-10-06T07:38:55Z")
I’m curious about what you expected to happen. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/3 "2015-10-06T07:39:31Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I’m curious about what you expected to happen. I expected to win a lot of money. Or at least get $10 back. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/4 "2015-10-06T07:50:12Z")
Um, if that were likely, the lottery would never make enough money. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/5 "2015-10-06T07:54:04Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > I expected to win a lot of money. > Or at least get $10 back. When you find a lottery where that is a realistic expectation, would you mind sending me a PM? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/6 "2015-10-06T07:54:14Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Um, if that were likely, the lottery would never make enough money. Why do scratch-offs exist > [@Princhester](#): > > When you find a lottery where that is a realistic expectation, would you mind sending me a PM? > > Thanks. Then why do scratch-offs exist?! What type of people buy scratch-offs? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/7 "2015-10-06T07:57:43Z")
Scratch offs exist to cause money to flow from you to the operators of the lottery. As to your second question, well, you may have heard that fools and their money are soon parted. You were parted from your money, and soon. You work out what that makes you. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/8 "2015-10-06T08:02:57Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > To cause money to flow from you to the operators of the lottery. Fuck them and their fancy cars. I seriously expected to get closer to breaking even. Winning $2 from 15 tickets is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/9 "2015-10-06T08:07:23Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > As to your second question, well, you may have heard that fools and their money are soon parted. You were parted from your money, and soon. You work out what that makes you. I am a fucking fool. Now I need to full-on pit myself. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/10 "2015-10-06T08:08:26Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > Why do scratch-offs exist > > Then why do scratch-offs exist?! > > What type of people buy scratch-offs? > [@brovolone](#): > > Fuck them and their fancy cars. > I seriously expected to get closer to breaking even. > Winning $2 from 15 tickets is bullshit. Hoo boy. Bro, bro, bro. In your previous posts here you come off as eccentric and only just a little dumb, but you’re digging your own grave here. Well in any case, I hope next time you scratch off three avocdae in a row. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/11 "2015-10-06T08:08:44Z")
I usually buy two $5 scratchers every couple weeks. The odds seem a little better-- I usually get one winner of at least “free ticket” every 4 tickets I buy. NOT guaranteed though. And you can just ask for the $5 for the free ticket winner. So last time I bought two tickets, one $5 winner, one loser. So I lose $5. Only reason they appeal to me is the tickets obviously won’t be as big a jackpot as say Power Ball, but the chances of me winning a small amount are much better. Once I won $100. But overall, i probably spent over the $100 prize to get the damn scratchers. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/12 "2015-10-06T08:10:41Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Hoo boy. Bro, bro, bro. In your previous posts here you come off as eccentric and only just a little dumb, but you’re digging your own grave here. > > Well in any case, I hope next time you scratch off three avocdae in a row. It’s avocadae, ffs. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/13 "2015-10-06T08:12:24Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I usually buy two $5 scratchers every couple weeks. The odds seem a little better-- I usually get one winner of at least “free ticket” every 4 tickets I buy. NOT guaranteed though. And you can just ask for the $5 for the free ticket winner. So last time I bought two tickets, one $5 winner, one loser. So I lose $5. > > Only reason they appeal to me is the tickets obviously won’t be as big a jackpot as say Power Ball, but the chances of me winning a small amount are much better. Once I won $100. But overall, i probably spent over the $100 prize to get the damn scratchers. I’m not going to buy anymore scratch-offs, but I’m curious to know if there’s a more promising technique to buying these things. For example, instead of me buying 15 of the same type. Maybe I’d have been better off buying 5 of 3 different types? Or only 3 $5 ones? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/14 "2015-10-06T08:15:21Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > It’s avocadae, ffs. I actually made a typo typing that but now I’m just throwing shit in the quarry all over the place. I honestly can’t tell if you’re serious or not. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/15 "2015-10-06T08:16:31Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > I’m not going to buy anymore scratch-offs, but I’m curious to know if there’s a more promising technique to buying these things. > > For example, instead of me buying 15 of the same type. Maybe I’d have been better off buying 5 of 3 different types? Or only 3 $5 ones? I see them all the same, no matter what they cost-- each ticket a potential winner, but probably not. The only real guaranteed difference is what the biggest prize is per game. They have scratchers now that cost $20 apiece, but the jackpot is a million. Your dollar scratchers probably have a top prize of $25,000. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/16 "2015-10-06T08:17:40Z")
Sigh. Look, the odds of winning on a scratchy are very carefully calculated and controlled by very smart people so as to ensure that no matter what you do, no matter what combination you buy, there is _nothing_ you can do that will mean that the odds are in your favour. You may get lucky. You probably won’t. If you find scratchies entertaining then buy them for the same reason you’d buy a ticket to a game or a show. Someone who buys them to make money once is a fool. Someone who buys them to make money more than once, having been taught a sharp lesson the first time, is a major fool. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/17 "2015-10-06T08:22:12Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Sigh. Look, the odds of winning on a scratchy are very carefully calculated and controlled by very smart people so as to ensure that no matter what you do, no matter what combination you buy, there is _nothing_ you can do that will mean that the odds are in your favour. > > You may get lucky. You probably won’t. > > If you find scratchies entertaining then buy them for the same reason you’d buy a ticket to a game or a show. > > Someone who buys them to make money once is a fool. Someone who buys them to make money more than once, having been taught a sharp lesson the first time, is a major fool. We’ve already established that I am a fool FUCKED OVER ON LOTTERY So what you’re saying is that the lottery exists today because people are fools. What percentage of the world are fools? Actual fools. And who exactly is the fool to argue with a fool? I still don’t see how I only won $2 out of 15 tickets. At least give me a coupon for a bottle of that KY Intense lube that doesn’t exist anymore so I can have hopes of being greased up proper. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/18 "2015-10-06T08:22:20Z")
It’s often pointed out that lotteries are a system of taxation on people who are bad at math.\* There is nothing unusual about spending $15 on scratchers and getting zero cash out of it at all. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that this outcome is MORE common than coming away with two dollars. \*Personally, my calculation is that a millions-of-dollars lottery windfall at non-zero, if infinitesimal, odds is more likely than obtaining a similar sum through my own efforts and talents, the likelihood of which is exactly zero. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/19 "2015-10-06T08:23:31Z")
> [@brovolone](#): > > It’s like I paid $13 to clean up the scratch-off dust in my car. Live and learn. You can do better with the _next_ $15 dollars of scratch-offs you buy. Scratch them off in the parking lot, outside your car. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2015, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693/20 "2015-10-06T08:25:30Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I actually made a typo typing that but now I’m just throwing shit in the quarry all over the place. I honestly can’t tell if you’re serious or not. He’s decided that he’s another **Snowboarder Bo** , and this lame joke from a thread about plurals is going to be his qarry-esque catchphrase. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/733693.md?page=2)