As you know, lotteries have always been popular and brought a lot of news in every country and state, doesn’t matter where you look for the information. All news sources publish the biggest jackpots and shocking information about how much you can win in the Lotto or Superball.
Yet, no one really answers the most important questions like when do tickets expire, what do I need to do with lottery scratch tickets that are more than a hundred and eighty days old, what happens with the prizes I don’t claim and so on.
Well, today we will give you all the essential information you should know to play your lottery right, and even give you tips on the playing strategy for your new and old tickets. So, tune in and learn with us!
The Most Popular Lotteries
International:
- EuroMillions – one of the most popular international lotteries originated in Paris in 2004, February 7, where also the first drawing was held in the same year. It’s based on matching 7 correct numbers on the ticket. You can check the drawings twice a week – on Friday and Tuesday. The price of the ticket is $2.50 but it also depends on the currency.
- EuroJackpot – it was started in the year 2012, 18 country participants in it as of now. It costs 2 euros for the line. You need to match 5 main numbers and 2 bonus ones.
- SuperEnaLotto – this lottery has been established in Italy in the year 1997, but it has existed since 1950. This Italian lottery has the biggest jackpots all around the planet.
USA:
- Powerball – one of the biggest US lotteries with the best odds and biggest winnings. To play, you need to pay at least $2 and then pick 5 white numbers and 1 red number. It’s held in 44 states and was established in 1992.
- Mega Millions – Mega Millions was renamed several times but the first drawing was held in the year 2002. It mostly costs $2 but the price can be more in specific states. You should put down 5 numbers and 1 bonus number called Mega Ball.
- Cash4Life – this lottery is a bit different as you can win two huge prizes. One of them is $1000 a week and the other is $1000 a day for life. You can claim the prizes in a lump sum but it’s mostly picked up annually. It was established in the year 2014 and it costs $1-2 for a bet.
- Lucky For Life – one bet for the drawing in Lucky For Life costs $2 and is playable in 25 states as of now. It’s similar to Cash4Life and proposes prizes for life to their players. First one is $1000 a day option and the other is $25000 a year. The top prizes are shared by the winners. To win, you should match 5 white balls and one lucky ball.
- Lotto America – was established in 2017 and is a relaunch of Lotto America held in the ’90s. The bets can vary from $1 to $2 depending on what option you will choose. The more expensive one includes a bonus option. 13 states are a part of this lottery.
Tips And Tricks To Win Your Lottery
1. Don’t forget your lucky digits
Stick to your numbers you’ve picked out before when you think of a lucky combination for yourself. Don’t go crazy choosing a different one every time because then you’ll never win.
2. Don’t use weird patterns or special digits
Some of the players don’t know how to fill out the tickets and try to use a patterning method like filling out certain numbers in crosses or lines. Or they like to use a certain digit at the end of every number. That’s a bad method.
3. Try the pooling method
If you want to play with a bigger budget – try the pooling method with your friends of other players, where you’ll gather money and buy more tickets.
Expiration Date Of Lottery Tickets
So, do the lottery tickets expire? Of course, they do. The reason for that is the lotteries don’t really know or check their other winners, except for the bigger jackpot ones, and most winners don’t check their tickets in the second chances. Most of the prizes like that are lost. Some of the winners are just too lazy to check the results when they already get discouraged.
The expiration date of each lottery ticket varies and can be different depending on the title and the state you bought them in. They mostly lose their worth in 90 days to a year. You’ll have to check the dates for your lottery online or ask the distributor about the date. Powerball tickets, for example, expire in 180 days.
If Your Ticket Is Old…
In case your ticket is actually old and expired already, unfortunately, you can’t do anything about it as it’s not playable now. Yet, there are fun ways to get rid of them apart from just throwing them out. You can:
- learn to do interesting DIY projects with paper and include your colorful lottery tickets in;
- donate them to artists that include newspapers, magazines and so in their art; for example, people make boots and accessories with lottery tickets;
- learn the Japanese art of origami and fold the tickets into animals or shapes.
If Your Ticket Is Losing…
Is your ticket losing in the first drawing? Don’t get overly discouraged because you’ll always have a second chance to win at least something.
This rule works in almost all states and it basically lets you claim smaller prizes in random drawings with your losing ticket. While some players can get more prizes, it also positively funds the future prizes and the lottery game you’re playing, giving the state a chance to sell more tickets.
You can participate in these drawings online or offline, most of the time on the website but also available through the mail. Be sure to give the true information when you play again, or your prize can slip through your fingers.
What Happens With Unclaimed Lottery Prizes
When you think of the lost and unclaimed prizes, your mind probably wanders to the worst parts as you think they go in other pockets. It’s partially true, as some remaining money is spent on secondary prizes for other players. Yet, some of it goes to the states and is spent on curing the gambling addiction and on education, some on taxes.
Are all questions clear for you now? As much as it’s hard to find the options for the lottery players on what to do with old and expired tickets and how to manage a second chance for the player, we’re told you the main secrets to keep your game going. Now you know the answers to the questions like what do I need to do with lottery scratch tickets that are more than a hundred and eighty days old, how do I get rid of my expired ticket and what to do with a losing ticket and so on. Good luck with your lottery fun!
