# I found an old (now expired) lottery ticket...do I scratch it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835 "2011-03-24T14:10:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/1 "2011-03-24T14:10:41Z")
My wife and her sister have been de-cluttering the house (finally) in small areas. Today she found an old Valentines card that she had misplaced a couple of years ago. She gave it to me and inside I found a Cash For Life scratch ticket. It states on the back ‘PRIZES MUST BE CLAIMED BY SEPTEMBER 30, 2009’. My wife says not to scratch it. She couldn’t bear to know that we have a winner that we can’t cash in. I want to scratch it to see what I would have won, knowing full well that I can’t do anything with it. What would you do if you found an old lottery ticket (any lottery ticket, scratch or Pick6, etc)? ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/2 "2011-03-24T14:42:39Z")
I’d scratch it because I couldn’t stand not knowing. I would rationalize it by thinking, “well, the prizes on scratch-offs are usually so small it wouldn’t bother me.” Then, of course, my unscratched ticket would be the Grand Prize and I’d pout for a week. I’d still scratch it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/3 "2011-03-24T14:57:11Z")
Don’t scratch it. You can’t win you can only lose. I know a guy who makes his living betting on sports. One of his principles is, if he picks team A as a good bet and then due to later injuries/suspensions/whatever he believes they will lose to team B, he refuses to back team B. So he just passes the game. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/4 "2011-03-24T15:11:31Z")
Scratch it. The odds are a gazillion to one against you anyway. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/5 "2011-03-24T15:12:03Z")
Of course you should scratch it. Odds are excellent that either you didn’t win or you won a negligible amount, and you’ll feel much better removing that trace of doubt. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/6 "2011-03-24T15:43:07Z")
If it was a winner, and you were a dishonest type of guy, you could always sell it to some sucker way below face value. If you pretend like you just scratched it off, they probably wouldn’t notice it was expired. Then just tell 'em that you owe money to the IRS and since they would take it all, you just want some quick cash. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/7 "2011-03-24T15:56:41Z")
Put it in a birthday card for someone you dislike. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/8 "2011-03-24T16:18:21Z")
voltaire, I couldn’t do that…unfortunately. Funny idea, rachelellogram. That’s basically what my wife just did to me. My wifes sister had bought a ticket for the [LottoMAX](http://www.olg.ca/lotteries/games/howtoplay.do?game=lottomax) which tops out at $50MM and then extra money in the pot is set aside for $1MM prizes. The extra prizes must match on all 7 numbers with no chance for partial wins. She got 6 out of 7 numbers and the last number she missed by one. Worth nothing. I told her to frame it…she didn’t. Maybe I should just frame the unscratched ticket and see what peoples reactions are to it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/9 "2011-03-24T16:27:26Z")
> [@cantara](#): > > Maybe I should just frame the unscratched ticket and see what peoples reactions are to it. That is a really good idea. I used to keep an instant lottery ticket in my wallet. I had scratched off everything except the last square and had two **Win For Life** symbols. So if the last one was **Win For Life** I won $100,000 a year for 25 years. I knew my chances of winning were virtually nil but I would show it to people and tell them I was saving the last square for a really bad day when I just wanted to quit work. Provided plenty of laughs. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/10 "2011-03-24T20:39:16Z")
I wanted to pick 1 _and_ 4. Scratch the darn thing. Lets us know. I _ **need** _ to know what the results were. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/11 "2011-03-24T21:08:14Z")
Scratch tickets are for the joy of scratching them. The winning is a bonus. Enjoy it! ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/12 "2011-03-24T21:29:49Z")
> [@perfectparanoia](#): > > Scratch tickets are for the joy of scratching them. The winning is a bonus. Enjoy it! When I was little, my grandma would let me scratch off the edges of the losers. It was fun. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/13 "2011-03-24T23:12:31Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Don’t scratch it. You can’t win you can only lose.\ > [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Of course you should scratch it. Odds are excellent that either you didn’t win or you won a negligible amount, and you’ll feel much better removing that trace of doubt. Both of these perspectives make perfect sense to me. I think I’d have to scratch it, though - we didn’t come down out of the trees because we aren’t a curious species. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scamartistry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@scamartistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scamartistry)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/14 "2011-03-25T05:46:15Z")
Throw it away, scratch it whatever. you didn’t win anyway. Next ---
**Author:** ![Hennessy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hennessy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hennessy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/15 "2011-03-25T06:09:51Z")
Don’t get mad and rip it if it’s a winner. The odds are good for it to be the winner as that is the way life works. Personally, I would then frame it. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/16 "2011-03-25T06:24:54Z")
I would just toss it in the trash can. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/17 "2011-03-25T09:58:25Z")
Leave it on the kitchen counter, with everyone in agreement that it will stay in the same spot, never to be moved or scratched. I give it a week before it is mysteriously scratched or tossed away. Something like that simply cannot be ignored. Sort of like staring at a hot mosquito bite, there is no human strong enough to endure that itch without giving it even just a little scratch. It would be a torturous test of will power. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/18 "2011-03-25T18:41:30Z")
Well? ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/19 "2011-03-25T19:55:24Z")
I haven’t scratched it…yet. Is it killing you? There is nothing I can do with it so it doesn’t bother me one way or the other. It’s just a fancy piece of paper. I am a little curious to see, but it wouldn’t make any real difference what is under it. My wife on the other hand simply does not want to know, with the fear that it was a big win. I don’t think she should be too worried. She’s been buying [Tim’s Roll up the Rim](http://www.rolluptherimtowin.com/en/index.php)coffee at an alarming rate and only won 2 coffees. The odds stated are 1 in 6, but she’s probably at 1 for 25. Of course that doesn’t count the 2 or 3 coffees she’s bought for her sister that were winners. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835/20 "2011-03-25T21:18:50Z")
I voted scratch it, but maybe you could try to sell it on eBay. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-an-old-now-expired-lottery-ticket-do-i-scratch-it/575835.md?page=2)