Don't Skip One Essential Step Before Throwing Away Scratch-Off Lottery Tickets

According to  U.S. Census Bureau data, Americans spent a pretty significant $97.8 billion dollars on lottery tickets in 2022. That year, the top three highest spending states were New York at $8.86 billion, California at $8.85 billion, and Florida with $8.8 billion. However, according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) the amount consumers spent on lottery tickets increased significantly in fiscal year 2024 to $113.3 billion worth of tickets sold across 223,000 U.S. retailers. Now, when it comes to winning the lottery you'll find a number of theories — everything from statistical theories of how often you should buy lottery tickets to how joining a lottery pool might raise your odds of winning. 

However, when it comes specifically to scratch-off tickets you might not find as many theories, tips, and tricks out there as number games tend to have. With different techniques and strategies involved, there is one particularly important tip you should remember when playing a scratch-off lottery ticket — always submit your losing ticket. If you're wondering why, take a look at California. The California Lottery has previously reported that an average of $20 to $30 million in scratch winnings go unclaimed every year. Oftentimes, these unclaimed winnings are due to players misunderstanding the rules of the game or even facing confusing ticket errors like their overlaid prize amounts not corresponding to the scratch prize underneath.

Whether you think you've won or lost, the best way to avoid potentially lost winnings is to not immediately toss, what you perceive to be, a losing scratch ticket. In these instances, the barcode provided on each legitimate scratch ticket is your best friend, and whether you appear to win or lose, be sure to have your ticket scanned by your local retailer before throwing your ticket away. 

There are many ways to miss out on your lottery winnings, from absentmindedly not recognizing a winning combination, or there being an error on the part of the ticket manufacturer. These mistakes mean that you might still be eligible for a payout. Aside from the possibility you've made a mistake on your ticket, there's also the rare chance that a ticket manufacturer ends up without a winner and asks for losing tickets in order to award the jackpot.

Officially launched by the state of Massachusetts in 1974, scratch off tickets changed the game for lottery players and state lottery systems alike. However, with more complicated gameplay also comes a higher chance of players missing out on their winnings. 

A particularly famous example of an almost-miss happened in 2021, when a Massachusetts woman bought a million dollar scratch ticket from a local convenience store that she regularly frequented. With her break almost over, she quickly scratched her ticket and, thinking it was a losing ticket, handed it over to the store employee behind the counter before leaving. While the employee dutifully threw it away behind the counter — where it sat for 10 days — the store owner's son found the ticket and realized it hadn't been completely scratched. It turned out to be a million dollar winning scratch ticket. Luckily, the woman who bought the ticket was identified and she won her prize. While you've no doubt heard of people who've won the lottery and still ended up broke, it's less likely you've heard about people who ended up broke because they threw away their lottery winnings before they even knew they won.