# Instant Lottery Tickets **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300 "2006-01-23T20:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/1 "2006-01-23T20:19:23Z")
Is there a readily-available solvent (like, say, rubbing alcohol) that will easily remove the paint that they use to cover the numbers (or symbols or whatever) on instant lottery tickets? When I scratch them I end up with a little mess of paint granules. NOTE: I know “paint” may not be the exact word for this situation, so if anyone can supply the correct word, I’d appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/2 "2006-01-23T20:32:37Z")
Scratch them over a garbage can or the sink. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/3 "2006-01-23T20:45:17Z")
I just tested rubbing alcohol on this Subway Fresh Resolution ticket. It works, but if you go too much, you’ll start to wipe away the graphics on the ticket too. So I would just use a coin as usual if you want to keep your prize. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/4 "2006-01-23T21:15:46Z")
I’d be wary of anything that leads to a card that looks different than the normal card for fear that if you win something you’ll be turned away. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/5 "2006-01-23T21:51:46Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > I’d be wary of anything that leads to a card that looks different than the normal card for fear that if you win something you’ll be turned away. The NY State instant tickets have a barcode (serial number) on the back, and a 4 digit number in the scratch-off area, that validates the ticket. So you’d probably be OK here with a messed up card as long as those two pieces of info are intact. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/6 "2006-01-23T22:21:12Z")
> [@c\_goat](#): > > The NY State instant tickets have a barcode (serial number) on the back, and a 4 digit number in the scratch-off area, that validates the ticket. So you’d probably be OK here with a messed up card as long as those two pieces of info are intact. Ditto for Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/7 "2006-01-23T22:23:57Z")
Hey, it’s your nickel. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/8 "2006-01-23T22:34:21Z")
Hey, it’s your nickel. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/9 "2006-01-23T22:44:39Z")
I’ve had them scan my losers before and have caught a couple of winners while doing so. So I guess you could just buy them and have them scanned without even scratching them off. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/10 "2006-01-24T01:30:14Z")
> [@Si Amigo](#): > > I’ve had them scan my losers before and have caught a couple of winners while doing so. So I guess you could just buy them and have them scanned without even scratching them off. I think if that were the case, the vendor with the validating machine could become real rich, real quick. I think some, if not all validating numbers are under the scratch off area.(as noted in another post). ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/11 "2006-01-24T02:34:24Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Hey, it’s your nickel. > > –Cliffy > [@Cliffy](#): > > Hey, it’s your nickel. > > –Cliffy Does that add up to “It’s my dime” ? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pests](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Pests](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pests)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/12 "2006-01-24T06:13:34Z")
> [@ltfire](#): > > I think if that were the case, the vendor with the validating machine could become real rich, real quick. > I think some, if not all validating numbers are under the scratch off area.(as noted in another post). My grandpa owned a store when I was younger in Michigan. There are barcodes on the back which are scanned into the lottery machine and it will tell you if its a loser or a winner. The tickets can only be scanned once however so you cannot just resell the losers without causing some suspicion. Theres not enough winners in a book of tickets in order to compensate for the cost of the tickets. I remember stealing a book once (just for fun). It was a bingo game and each ticket was worth 10$ and the book held 100 tickets. Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/13 "2006-01-24T19:55:46Z")
> [@ltfire](#): > > I think if that were the case, the vendor with the validating machine could become real rich, real quick. > I think some, if not all validating numbers are under the scratch off area.(as noted in another post). Not necessarily. As **Pests** said, maybe the system keeps a list of numbers already scanned, and will label them as sold by the vendor to which those tickets have been distributed. The result would be that the vendor will have to pay the lottery company the price of the tickets (minus his share of sales) without being able to sell those invalidated tickets. Since vendors make their money selling tickets, not keeping them, searching for the big wins, that would not pay off for them. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/14 "2006-01-24T20:13:51Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > Not necessarily. As **Pests** said, maybe the system keeps a list of numbers already scanned, and will label them as sold by the vendor to which those tickets have been distributed. The result would be that the vendor will have to pay the lottery company the price of the tickets (minus his share of sales) without being able to sell those invalidated tickets. Since vendors make their money selling tickets, not keeping them, searching for the big wins, that would not pay off for them. Besides, as I understand the Lottery in Texas, selling the tickets is the big winner for the vendor. He/She gets a piece of the big winners that are sold at his/her store. Sell more tickets and the odds of your store selling a winner improves. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/15 "2006-01-24T21:18:31Z")
Here in British Columbia, the latex covers not only the ‘symbols’ but also a control number. When the ticket’s barcode is scanned by the lottery terminal, the clerk has to manually enter the last few digits of the control number to complete the validation process. Besides telling the clerk if the ticket is a winner or not, it will also tell the clerk if the ticket has already been validated. (Retailers are required to keep and destroy and discard winning tickets but many of them don’t and give them back to the customer, which causes all kinds of confusion). ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-lottery-tickets/341300/16 "2006-01-25T14:45:26Z")
> [@fighting ignorant](#): > > Does that add up to “It’s my dime” ? 😃 Hes trying to make up for the money he lost in the lotto.