Florida

Improving Your Chance of Scratch-Off Success Could Be a Click Away

It may take more than luck to win the grand prize advertised on a Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket

June Capeza is a regular lottery player, but when asked if she felt lucky she told us no.

“Well because I don’t win a lot,” Capeza said.

Capeza hoped her Topaz 10 scratch-off would turn her luck around.

Jake Arme told us his good fortune comes and goes.

“When you are having a good day you feel more lucky than others,” said Arme.

There are 82 games Florida Lottery scratch-off games available with grand prizes including $1,000, $30,000, and $15 million.

“In Florida people love scratch-off games,” said Florida Lottery District Manager Randy Fox last month when revealing new games available.

But luck won’t help you if you’re playing a game that has no grand prizes left.

On the day we met June, 20 percent of scratch-off games being sold only had only 1 remaining top prize.

“Wow that’s not very many,” said Capeza.

Five games being sold didn’t have any top prizes left.

When NBC 6 responds reached out to Florida Lottery officials, we found scratch-off games can continue to be sold even after all the top prizes are gone.

In a statement a Florida lottery spokesperson wrote: “Scratch-Off games are ended on a quarterly basis. While there is no pre-determined end date for a game, the following factors can determine when the game will end: sales levels, low inventory levels, contract requirements, seasonality, and other unforeseen circumstances such as changing market conditions, etc. Games with no remaining top prizes are immediately added to the next quarter’s end-of-game schedule.”

The Florida Lottery website does provide a list so you can find out which games have top prizes remaining. It also lists which scratch-off games are ending and when.

“It gives me information that I don’t have right now and if there are a lot of tickets still out, then I would want to buy those,” said Capeza.

But just because the top prize may have already been paid out, it doesn't mean you can't leave a winner.

“There are other prizes, in mid-range that are a lot of money to some people,” said Jake Arme.

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