Where to Buy Scratch Off Lottery Tickets

There are plenty of vendors selling the best scratch off lottery tickets in your area, you just need to know how to spot them. While many stores will display a sign outside their establishment indicating that they sell scratch off tickets, there are types of stores that almost always have them available.

Here’s a list of places you can purchase scratch off lottery tickets. You can play your favorite scratch off games day or night if you just know where to look, and these locations are some of the most popular.

Retailers

Major retailers like Walmart and select Walgreens sell scratch off tickets, while others like Costco, Target, and BestBuy do not. If you have a Walmart or Walgreens near you, check in to see if they have a ticket vendor. These stores also sell Powerball tickets and other lottery game tickets.

The reason many major retailers don’t sell scratch off lottery tickets is because of the queueing these purchases create in their stores. For this reason they prefer to leave the scratch off ticket sales to smaller stores like corner shops, convenient stores, and gas stations.

Convenience Stores

Smaller businesses that are often open after hours almost always sell scratch cards of all types, allowing you to conveniently purchase one during the day or at night. 7-Eleven is a popular choice for many to buy scratch off lottery tickets because they are open until late and there are plenty of them around the country.

Gas Stations

A popular place to purchase scratch cards is gas stations, because these are usually open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bear in mind that although you can purchase scratch off tickets from gas stations pretty much whenever you want, they do have limitations on what times you can cash in winning scratch off tickets. This is to ensure the safety of cashiers by limiting the amount of cash held at the gas station after a certain time of night.

Online Scratch Cards

Ordering physical scratch cards online and having them delivered is a great way to play the best scratch off tickets. You can purchase a bulk roll of tickets and have enough to keep you busy for a whole month! Most players choose to order bulk tickets this way and ration them out throughout the month.

To buy scratch cards online, simply visit an online lottery site that sells them, fill in your banking or credit card details, and purchase whenever you want. The tickets will be delivered to you within a short amount of time from ordering. It’s also very easy to check scratch off tickets online to see if you’ve won a prize!

Digital Scratch Cards

The technology of scratching virtual scratch off tickets has grown in popularity over the past few years. Thanks to touch screens, you can now enjoy the fun of scratching and winning on your phone or any other mobile device. There are a lot of apps that allow you to play different types of scratch off games such as Bingo, Poker, and even Crossword themed cards.

Digital Scratch Cards

Source: GooglePlay

These games hold more or less the same odds as physical scratch off tickets, and many of these apps are very generous with offering additional scratch cards as part of their prize pool.

Although this phenomenon has become very popular with business promotions, it is yet to catch on in the world of national lottery scratch off tickets. Perhaps players feel that their chances of winning are not as good as with physical scratch off cards, but this will likely change in the near- to mid-future.

Final Thoughts

So whether you choose to frequent your nearest 7-Eleven, or a gas station near you, there’s likely a store near you that sells scratch off tickets. To avoid long queues at a Walmart or Walgreens, you may want to opt for a smaller vendor like a convenient store, gas station, or corner shop to get yours.

Either way, if you enjoy the thrill of possibly winning with a scratch off ticket, be sure to play responsibly by sticking to a budget and only buying what you can afford.

FAQ

What are the odds of winning a scratch off jackpot?

With scratch off lottery tickets, the odds of winning actually increase the more of them you buy and scratch. That’s because of all of the smaller prizes available to scratch off ticket players, which are usually hidden amongst your roll of tickets. As for winning the jackpot, this will depend on the region you are playing; but the odds are usually one in several million.

Can I cash in a scratch off prize at any time of the day?

No, there are limitations to when you can cash in your scratch off winning prize. Vendors will not allow you to claim a cash prize after a certain time of the day due to safety concerns.

How old must I be to cash in a scratch off prize?

In the US you must be 18 years or older to play a scratch off ticket. This is also true in most other countries if you want to play a scratch off game or claim a scratch off ticket prize. This may differ for various countries, so check online for your country’s restrictions.

Are all scratch off prizes cash wins?

No, not all scratch off tickets pay out cash prizes. Some are for physical prizes like devices, vacations, and even cars! Many of the scratch off games you play will have second and third tier prizes that allow you to play for smaller prizes other than cash. Others are for grand prizes along with smaller consolation prizes that may or not be cash. Check the prizes of the game you’re playing to be sure you’re playing for the prize you want.