What To Do With Losing Lottery Tickets?

So you didn’t get any winning numbers on your ticket. But wait! Don’t throw your lottery ticket away. You could enter it into a second chance lottery. There have been many players who’ve won prizes and money through their losing lottery tickets.

Everyone dreams of winning the jackpot but even if you don’t win big there is still a chance of claiming a smaller prize. In this article, we’ll explain how non-winning lottery tickets can still payout and what second chance lotteries are all about. If you want another way of winning a prize then you may find some valuable information in this post. Keep reading to find out more!

How Non-Winning Lottery Tickets Can Still Pay Out?

Many people opt to recycle their non-winning lottery tickets or simply throw them in the trash. Others wait for them to pile up on a counter before throwing them away. If you’re savvy you could turn your non-winning lottery ticket in for another chance to win a prize.

You can hand your scratch-off or lottery tickets into a second chance lottery which gives you another shot at winning. However, each country may have its own set of rules when it comes to entering into a second chance lottery.

What Are Second Chance Lotteries?

A second chance lottery is a bonus drawing that gives you a higher chance or odds of winning with your losing ticket. The only drawback to second chance lotteries is that they don’t pay out large jackpots. Prizes typically range between $500 and $1000. However, the prize money may vary depending on the lottery you play.

Some second chance lotteries offer larger monetary prizes that go into the millions and others may offer cars or vacations. Anyone who has a losing ticket can enter into a second chance lottery. These types of lotteries exist so that the countries can continue selling tickets for as long as possible.

Countries can’t continue selling tickets once someone has claimed the jackpot. However, if a country reserves one prize for a final drawing they can continue with ticket sales until they’ve made more money. This will benefit you because it gives you another chance to enter and win.

Are Online Lotteries With Non-Winning Lottery Tickets Legal?

Online lotteries with non-winning lottery tickets are legal but this will depend on which state or country you live in. The lottery site will state whether or not they offer second chance lotteries and how to play them. Make sure that the site you choose is a licensed service provider before you play the lottery through them.

In Which Countries You Can Play in a Second Chance Lottery

There are many lotteries around the world that offer second chance lotteries. So if you don’t stay in the US you can try one of the following lotteries in the table below.

Country Second Chance Lottery Biggest Prize
Europe EuroMillions 2 Chance £184 million
Australia Scratch eClub $1000
US SuperLottoPlus $193 million
South African LOTTO PLUS 1 R29 million

How Do Second Chance Lotteries Work?

The rules for second chance lotteries will be different in every country you play in. Every non-winning lottery ticket is eligible for the second chance lottery. However, you need to still submit the losing tick in order to play the game.

What’s more, some lotteries may require an extra fee for you to be entered into the second chance lottery. For example, South Africa’s LOTTO PLUS 1 costs an additional R2.50 to be entered into the draw.

Some countries will have an online platform where you can register your non-winning ticket. Simply follow the instructions on the website and enter in the required details. Another way to enter your non-winning ticket is to scan it onto the lottery site’s system using your smartphone camera.

Other countries allow you to take your non-winning lottery ticket to a lottery vendor to have it scanned. The system will then tell you if you’ve won a prize or not.

How To Play Second Chance Lottery Games?

How to play a second chance lottery will depend on the lottery you’re playing. You could automatically be a player simply by having a non-winning lottery ticket. Other lotteries require an extra fee to play second chance games. This fee can cost between $1 and $2. You must have a non-winning lottery ticket to be eligible to play.

Why Does the Lottery Offer Second Chances?

By law, countries must stop selling tickets for the round when a winner claims their jackpot prize. However, second chance lotteries allow countries to continue selling tickets and make extra money. The sale of tickets can continue even after someone has claimed the main lottery’s jackpot.

Even though the country is making more money from extra ticket sales and taxes from the jackpot win, the second lottery is beneficial to losing ticket holders. It gives the losing ticket-holder an extra chance to win cash or a large prize.

What Prizes Losing Lottery Tickets Can Get You?

Second chance lottery prizes don’t always consist of cash. Scratch off cards may offer prizes such as:

  • Cars
  • Vacations
  • Gift cards
  • Houses
  • Discounts
  • High-end appliances

Monetary prizes may not be as high as the main lottery jackpot but you can still win up to $1 million depending on the lottery you choose to play. Additionally, some lottery sites allow you to earn points for every lottery ticket that you buy. You can redeem these points for prizes.

How To Avoid Scams With Losing Lottery Tickets?

When playing the lottery you should know how to avoid scams. You should only enter your details into an official licensed lottery site. Never respond to random text messages or emails. Messages and information will always be sent to you via the official lottery website. So if you have won a prize you will be notified on the site.

Furthermore, you can only win through losing lottery tickets if you have bought a ticket and scanned it to enter the draw. If you’ve been notified of a prize win even though you didn’t buy a ticket it’s most likely a scam. Either ignore it or report it to your local authorities.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know that a second chance lottery exists you should never throw your lottery tickets away until the secondary games are over. Once the second chance lottery is done you can then recycle your lottery ticket or use it as a coaster.

If you’d like to play second chance lotteries, then use the tips and information in this article to help you. You can also read the terms and conditions on the lottery website to find out more about how to play and what prizes can be won.