Many people claim to know how to win the lottery. However, their methods for doing so often leave much to be desired.
For example, one method that’s grown popular on TikTok in recent months is the “white line theory.” This says that if a scratch-off lottery ticket has a white line on it, it’s more likely to be a winner. However, there’s little evidence substantiating this idea. Other methods involve gaming which ticket one does and does not buy.
Now, a user on TikTok has sparked discussion after revealing a method that he says is sure to win players at least a little bit of cash.
In a video with over 120,000 views, TikTok user Peter (@peterpetrella), who says he “love[s] scratch-off lottery tickets,” reveals his method to “guarantee that I always make my money back, no matter what.”
In short, this method involves looking up the odds on your local lottery’s website, which most have displayed somewhere on their website. From there, one must find the ticket with the best odds and buy enough so that the odds work out in their favor.
“For example, my favorite lottery scratcher is the Lotteria one, and the odds of winning are one in three,” explains Peter. “This means that when I buy my scratch-off tickets, I always buy them in four, because then I’m guaranteed that at least one of them is going to be a winner.”
This is a misstatement on Peter’s part. Even if one buys 3 tickets where the odds are 1-in-3, that does not mean they are guaranteed to have a winning ticket.
This is because the odds of each individual ticket winning are 1-in-3, not that a series of 3 tickets will have at least one winner. While buying 3 tickets will increase one’s chances of winning, that does not mean that a ticket in this series is sure to be a winner.
Regardless, Peter says that he’s found success employing this method.
“Sometimes maybe two of them will be winners, depending on, you know, how they were given out throughout the day. Nine times out of ten, I always make back at least the money that I put into it,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll make back, like, $20. Sometimes I’ll make back, like, $50.”
To conclude the video, Peter advises to check all of the rules of the game before playing, recounting a story in which he accidentally threw away a $50,000 ticket because he did not understand the rules.
“Not only if you play the lottery should you look at the odds, but also please look at the d*mn instructions,” he details.
@peterpetrella Please check your scratchers, good luck!! #lottery #lotterychallenge #winner #lifehack #scratchoffticket #scratchoff #prize #winmoney #fyp #foryoupage #trending ♬ original sound – Zach Bryan Archive
In the comments section, users offered further advice on how to improve one’s lottery experience.
“Download the fla lottery app and always scan the ticket. My hubby almost threw a $500 ticket away, I scanned it to find it was a winner,” explained a user.
This user is referring to apps offered by most state lotteries that allow users to determine whether a scratch-off is a winner without actually scratching off the ticket.
“Hey! You can use losing scratch offs as a tax write off up to the amount that you have won, just a FYI (so if you don’t win no write off),” advised a second.
This is also true.
“You can deduct your losses on gambling to include lotteries, raffles, horse racing, casino games, poker games and sports betting, according to TurboTax,” writes Jonathan Rizk for PIX 11. “According to NerdWallet, the first hurdle most people will face is that you cannot write off more than the amount you’ve won. Another issue some might face is you cannot claim your losses unless you itemize your deductions, which many people skip by choosing the standard deduction.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Peter via Instagram direct message.
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