| Buying and scratching instant lottery tickets is | | | | to some, in the form of gambling addictions. |
| something that almost everyone has done at one | | | | Most folks buy instant (scratch off) tickets, and if |
| time or another. For some folks it's probably | | | | they don't win anything, they throw the tickets in |
| something they do too often. I guess for me, the | | | | the trash. Did you know that every time you |
| bad buying habit is junk food. If I had spent my | | | | throw a losing instant lottery ticket in the trash, |
| extra money on instant lottery tickets over the | | | | you are throwing money away ? Yes, there are |
| years, I may have been rich by now instead of | | | | literally hundreds if not thousands of folks around |
| overweight. Like anything, whether it's food or | | | | the world that would love to buy your tickets |
| gambling one must do it in moderation, and that is | | | | from you. I have seen losing lottery tickets sell |
| often not easy to do. | | | | for as high as $15 each, these were tickets that |
| Here in the state of Pennsylvania where I live, the | | | | had no redeemable value. I once went to a local |
| first scratch off ticket came out in 1975, and | | | | convenience store and asked them if I could have |
| they have been a big hit every since. | | | | a bag of losing instant lottery tickets I saw they |
| I have bought instant lottery tickets of every | | | | had on the floor behind the counter. The clerk |
| available price range in my state. I usually buy the | | | | gladly gave them to me, I took the tickets home |
| $1 - $2 tickets, but once in awhile I buy a $5 - | | | | and after checking through them all, I found two |
| $10 ticket, and one time, I purchased a $20 | | | | that were $1 winners that were not redeemed, |
| instant ticket. I won nothing on the $20 ticket, not | | | | and I sold the remaining losing tickets for $30, and |
| even $1 or a FREE ticket, so that was like | | | | the store was just going to throw them away. |
| throwing away my $20. You would think that with | | | | Where did I sell them ? On eBay. I happened to |
| having to spend that much money, they would | | | | look one day and I noticed there was losing |
| give everyone at least a FREE $1 ticket or | | | | instant lottery tickets for sale on the eBay |
| something. I thought afterwards that I was kind | | | | auction website. There are folks selling |
| of foolish for spending and losing the $20 on one | | | | non-winning, so called 'worthless' lottery tickets on |
| ticket, but heck as they say, "If you don't play, | | | | eBay all the time. I just did a search now while |
| you can't win !", it was a gamble, and I didn't win | | | | writing this article, and I found over 100 different |
| that time. I have known two individuals who each | | | | auction listings for them. Who buys these |
| won near $20,000 on instant lottery tickets. So I | | | | non-winning lottery tickets ? Collectors. |
| can say for sure, "yes, some folks do win it big." | | | | Instant Lottery Ticket collecting is fast becoming |
| Unlike the live lottery that is usually drawn by | | | | a big thing. There are groups and individuals all |
| picking numbers, the instant lottery is | | | | around the world, that love collecting lottery |
| pre-determined months ahead of it's release. The | | | | tickets. There are many websites, discussion |
| tickets are designed and printed, then they are | | | | groups and forums now just for lottery ticket |
| distributed to the lottery retailers throughout the | | | | collecting. In fact there is even a new term or |
| state. Most small convenience stores offer instant | | | | name for an instant lottery ticket collector: |
| lottery tickets, as well as the large chain stores. | | | | LOTOLOGIST, and the instant lottery ticket |
| You can usually find them in a vending machine | | | | collecting hobby is called: LOTOLOGY. To see how |
| with multiple styles and price ranges to choose | | | | big this hobby is becoming just visit your favorite |
| from, or they are at the cashiers area on the | | | | search engine, such as GOOGLE, and do a search |
| counter or behind a shielded section. Instant | | | | for: lotologist OR lotology. And you can find many |
| lottery tickets sell for as low as $1 and as high as | | | | sites collecting, selling and buying used non-winning |
| $20 each in most states of the U.S. but some | | | | instant lottery tickets. |
| states may have tickets that sell for even more | | | | One unique website is the 'Pennsylvania Lottery |
| than $20 each. | | | | Merchandise Museum' - They will buy or accept |
| States do instant lotteries to help fund many | | | | donations of Pennsylvania Lottery Merchandise. |
| different programs. For instance in Pennsylvania, | | | | The Museum has all of their lottery merchandise |
| the lottery is used to generate funds to benefit | | | | online for visitors to easily view, you can visit the |
| programs for the Commonwealth's older | | | | museum at this website address: |
| residents. In Ohio, since 1974, the Lottery has | | | | There is Computer Software that is made just |
| provided more than $13 billion to public education. | | | | for collecting instant lottery tickets. The software |
| Annually, the lottery provides about 4.5 percent | | | | is called: ' Lottery Ticket Collector Professional ', |
| of the funding needed for Ohio's public education. | | | | you can download and try the software for free |
| In Missouri, approximately 27.3 cents of every | | | | at this website address: |
| dollar spent on the Lottery benefits education | | | | By Robert W. Benjamin |
| programs; 61.6 cents goes back to players as | | | | Copyright © 2006 |
| prizes, 5 cents is used for administrative costs | | | | You may publish this article in your ezine, |
| and 6.1 cents goes to retailers in the form of | | | | newsletter or on your web site as long as it is |
| commissions, incentives and bonuses. In all, more | | | | reprinted in its entirety and without modification |
| than 93 cents of every dollar stays in Missouri. It's | | | | except for formatting needs or grammar |
| different for every state, but the lottery is very | | | | corrections. |
| beneficial despite the few problems it can cause | | | | |