I was not a big fan of the scratchers until recently. I started playing at a couple high traffic retailers. One such place has 10 ticket vending machines, plus multiple rolls of many of the games behind the counter that the staff can fetch as they work any of the four terminals. It just seems like that kind of turnover might yield better results - nothing scientific, just a hunch.
Part of my skepticism about my odds at winning at scratchers is based on the impossibility to accurately set odds. The odds you're given are "one in four" or so, which reflects odds of winning ANY prize, even if its a dollar. I'm assuming there is a computer that makes sure there are only so many big jackpot winners in the 6 or 7 million tickets that get distributed. That means there are algorithms at work to make sure pure chance has no real chance. What I wonder is, since they must physically distribute the tens of thousands of rolls of any given game to tens of thousands of retailers throughout a state, is there a strategy that insures a certain fairness? Take New York for instance. In the neighborhood of eight million people populate the New York City metro area. Its stands to reason that more rolls that might be big winners are likely to turn up there, so someone would have to be in charge of making sure some of the one horse towns in the hinterlands get rolls that have a big prize or else what's the use of trying. Also goes to reason that so many rolls have absolutely nothing of big value ( thousands of dollars). What gambling does is sell hope. You're odds cannot be one in 6 or 7 million, because you cannot randomly choose from any ticket in the entire game. If you play at a favorite location, that winner has to be distributed there AND be sitting in the right spot on the roll to be picked. And if you play as you travel, still, you aren't going to travel to every corner of the state, let alone never to New York City.
What I mean is, okay some human must ultimately know what tickets have the big prizes. They must because they have to program the bar scans. Assuming these persons are incorruptible, is there care given to the lesser populated areas of a state? And would they then be able to control which actual store is getting a big prize ticket among its rolls? I've read articles on here about the state taking back and destroying scratchers from a store that closes down or loses its vendors license. Some state websites track whether there are any big prizes left, but most want you to continue playing even if all the jackpots are gone.
By contrast, those lottery games that use the balls floating in air chambers seem much fairer.