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Lotto checker thingys

houseplant

You know the scanners in shops. Do you use em to check your tickets or do you check them on telly or net?
I'm always very weary of those scanners, what I'd they give a wrong reading? I could have been a millionaire and never known

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Thwip!

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I absolutely trust the scanner thingies, at least you can check the d&mn thing yourself. It's when they shop doesn't have one and you have to give it to the young one behind the counter I get paranoid. They scan it and go 'no, no winners'. And then don't give it back to you. And the next thing is they are off living in the Seychelles on your millions.

I really think the National Lottery should impose something where the shop are required to give the customer back their ticket, drives me mad having to ask for it/live forever being haunted by the thought of someone laughing all the way in to the Lotto offices on Abbey St with MY winning ticket.

Where i work we're obligated to give them back, unless the person says they dont want it in which case it is ripped up and thrown in the bin

eth0 wrote: »

I wonder what it would display if you put the winning ticket under it. Did the fella who programmed it put in any special features like make it play a little jingle, would the person behind the counter know that you scanned a winning ticket?

He programmed it with a net to be released to capture the rich fooker

MickySticks wrote: »

That'd be OCD.

Obsessive Cash Deficiency

AgileMyth

Sinfonia wrote: »

3) While I wouldn't say that it's rigged, this did happen an awful lot, which I found very strange.

I assume its just because more people do the lotto, as they think its rigged..

Calibos

Sinfonia wrote: »

Having previously worked in a busy shop that sold a lot of Lotto tickets for 10 years, I can tell you three things in my experience:

1) The machines were never wrong, even once.

2) The person in the shop is supposed to give you back your ticket, unless it's a winner, in which case they keep the ticket but give you the printed receipt from the machine which shows the prize you have won. If it's not a winner, they should be giving it back to you.

3) While I wouldn't say that it's rigged, this did happen an awful lot, which I found very strange.

1)Thats what I thought until........
Family Newsagents, Worked there for 12 years full-time and another 12 part-time before that. Pretty much covering the entire time the Lotto has operated. Up till a few years ago, I would have said exactly the same thing. I would mentally raise my eyes to heaven when someone said, "recheck that, its definately a winner". I'd say the machine is never wrong. If it was a ticket with only a few lines I'd check it manually against a result sheet in front of them and point out their mistake. If it was a full sheet multidraw, they could feck off because it would take too long to find their mistake. Instead I'd remind them the machine is never wrong and tell them to check it in another shop. However about 3 or 4 years ago when I went through the rigmarole of finding their mistake in front of them, I realised they were right. They had won a prize and yet the machine still said "Not a Winner" when I rescanned it. Sure its only happened once in 20 years but it can happen. That knowledge is a pain in the arse tbh though because now I can't simply brush people off anymore with, "The machine is always right, now go away and bother another shop with it"

2) I always ask does the person want it before I bin a non Winning ticket.

3)Again, don't think its rigged and its probably a simple case of confirmation bias, but it sure does seem to rollover to large sums and be finally won on a Bank Holiday/Xmas/Easter etc weekend

ace2012

There is a very cool iPhone app that lets you check several lotto numbers at once.
It's called "Lotto Checker".
Check it out. There's a Lite version that is free.

Paparazzo

Kidchameleon wrote: »

Lad I know from Tallaght. His GF sent him to the shop to check her ticket, she thought she had 5 numbers. So he brings it to the shop and the fella said he didn't win anything and throws the ticket in the bin. My friend asked for the ticket back, scanned it, 10 grand :eek:. Id say this must happen all the time with small wins.

They were talking about them on Gerry Ryan a few years ago. A few people scanned their tickets and were told they had a big win when there was no prize at all. Don't trust the scanners, always check myself.

languagenerd

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I absolutely trust the scanner thingies, at least you can check the d&mn thing yourself. It's when they shop doesn't have one and you have to give it to the young one behind the counter I get paranoid. They scan it and go 'no, no winners'. And then don't give it back to you. And the next thing is they are off living in the Seychelles on your millions.

I really think the National Lottery should impose something where the shop are required to give the customer back their ticket, drives me mad having to ask for it/live forever being haunted by the thought of someone laughing all the way in to the Lotto offices on Abbey St with MY winning ticket.

I worked in a newsagent from when I was 15 til 17, and we'd always offer them back to the customer after checking them! We had a few syndicates who'd come in, and the person would usually want them back for the records (in case someone accused them of keeping winnings or whatever). A lot of people wouldn't want them back though!

That said, if it was a winning ticket, we were supposed to pay them and then tear off the barcode if they wanted the ticket back with the cash. I have no idea why, tbh. Is the shop supposed to keep winning ones to send to Lotto maybe?

EDIT: Just saw Sinfonia's post ^^, that's why, you send the winning ones to Lotto HQ. We usually would just give the prize slip, but I distinctly remember us having to tear it above the barcode a few times, probably if some insisted on keeping it.

I Heart Internet

I recommend anyone needing a bit of an escapist thrill to go to the lotto.ie website and enter the 6 actual winning numbers for the last draw.

Then sit back, watch the little fanfare/tickertate parade on the screen and dream that it's all for real.

Good clean fun!!

Buceph

I've always been a bit curious, if you do win the jackpot to the lotto people ask any questions of you? Like where you bought the ticket and when you bought it? Just as a confirmation that you didn't find it, or even steal it off someone. Or is it literally a case of hand over ticket -> receive dosh?

I've always thought about what if I found a winning ticket, how do I handle that. Any fecker could come forward saying they had all the numbers. I could probably say it to the Lotto people and hope someone realises they had the numbers and can confirm the time and place of purchase. But if they didn't come forward within the 90 or whatever days, would I be allowed claim the money?

Oceans12

eth0 wrote: »

I wonder what it would display if you put the winning ticket under it. Did the fella who programmed it put in any special features like make it play a little jingle, would the person behind the counter know that you scanned a winning ticket?

when you scan a winning ticket, it displays " please check with retailer"

then the retailer scans it, and then tells you you have to ring a number which they give you,

1800366566 , which is what i had to do..

foxyboxer

In the states, lottery companies carry out spot checks on retailers.

It's a sting operation in effect. You get an old codger and get them to ask the cashier to check the tickets for them. Usually $500 or $1000.

If they were to say "Sorry, not a winner" and pocket the ticket, they are arrested.

The_Banker

The Lotto Checker Thingys dont appear to be working at the minute...
I think there is a change over in technology so the scanners wont work...

Which is a right pain in the hole for me... I have two syndicates on the go... One with 120 people and another with 14..

So, €134 Euro Millions quick pick twice a week...
Now I have to get the retailer to check the tickets which is usually met with eyes been thrown up to heaven as they are pretty busy at the cash desks at the minute...

Everlong1

Always use the Lotto website checker myself, though it insists in giving you bolloc*s about what you "could have won" on Plus which I don't use.

And I always sign the ticket, more in case my house got broken into and ticket got robbed rather than thoughts of the shop assistant living it up on my millions.

How do you lot pick your numbers? Anyone remember the Scruffy Murphys syndicate years ago who won and then published a booklet with the method they used? It was based around a syndicate focussing on a small selection of numbers and using combinations of same. I was in a syndicate but use the same system for my own numbers. Any day now

The_Banker

Everlong1 wrote: »

Always use the Lotto website checker myself, though it insists in giving you bolloc*s about what you "could have won" on Plus which I don't use.

And I always sign the ticket, more in case my house got broken into and ticket got robbed rather than thoughts of the shop assistant living it up on my millions.

How do you lot pick your numbers? Anyone remember the Scruffy Murphys syndicate years ago who won and then published a booklet with the method they used? It was based around a syndicate focussing on a small selection of numbers and using combinations of same. I was in a syndicate but use the same system for my own numbers. Any day now

I just do a quick pick... then photocopy the numbers and email the pdf out to all the members...
As there is always some amount of money won I need to be sure that I collect...
The scanner was perfect for checking and the fastest way... I never knew it to be wrong... Now it takes me all day to check as I need to get through 14 tickets with 5 lines on each for the Euro Millions.
Its not that I mind checking but I am always concious that I might make an error, throw away a winning ticket (no matter how small the win, and be accused of pocketing winnings)

As for the Scruffy Murphy syndicate... they had a good system. They effectivily bought all the possible number combinations... They would then break even if they won the jackpot (which they did) but the profit was made from all the match 3/4/5 combinations...
While they made a profit.. I dont think they made a lot of money each when it was all sub divided. I think they were a bunch of well heeled chaps who decided to just pull one over on the National Lottery at the time.
The Lottery people then decided to increase the numbers in the lotto (from 37 to 40 I think - and more since) to prevent another stab to it...

FullblownRose

I Heart Internet wrote: »

I recommend anyone needing a bit of an escapist thrill to go to the lotto.ie website and enter the 6 actual winning numbers for the last draw.

Then sit back, watch the little fanfare/tickertate parade on the screen and dream that it's all for real.

Good clean fun!!

I did it. Must be bored!
They're upgrading the website and you've to check in the shop

anncoates

I get beset with attacks of paranoia that the scanner is faulty and that I'll miss out on a unclaimed fortune so end up checking it abut 2 or 3 times online as well.

DublinCJM

The_Banker wrote: »

As for the Scruffy Murphy syndicate... they had a good system. They effectivily bought all the possible number combinations... They would then break even if they won the jackpot (which they did) but the profit was made from all the match 3/4/5 combinations...
While they made a profit.. I dont think they made a lot of money each when it was all sub divided. I think they were a bunch of well heeled chaps who decided to just pull one over on the National Lottery at the time.
The Lottery people then decided to increase the numbers in the lotto (from 37 to 40 I think - and more since) to prevent another stab to it...

You're right about the Match 4 combinations, they were guaranteed, every now and again, at the time for €100 if you got Match 4. That, combined with winning the thing meant they made a few quid alright.

Think it increased from 36 numbers to 39 after that, and they never guaranteed a "big" prize for Match 4 since....

maximo31

looksee wrote: »

I am a bit wary of the machines ok, but I use them because I am checking a synicate. True you would be a bit weary waiting for the 'Ready' sign to come up - why does it have to take so long?

I do it for a syndicate as well so have a good few tickets to check. I don't wait for the 'Ready' sign to come up as yes it does seem to take ages!! Do you have to?!:eek:

The_Banker

I spoke to a few retailers that sell lotto tickets and the scanners will only work for the old tickets.

According to the retailers I spoke to there doesnt seem to be any plan to introduce new scanners going forward which makes my work a lot harder unfortunately.

fryup

i'd trust the scanners more than my local shop staff

they'd probably tell that i didn't win out of spite or probably keep the ticket for themselves to cash the winnings

(aren't i cynically minded)

Batzoo

maximo31 wrote: »

I do it for a syndicate as well so have a good few tickets to check. I don't wait for the 'Ready' sign to come up as yes it does seem to take ages!! Do you have to?!:eek:

No you do not have to. Have a quick check of the number on the bottom of the ticket. Scan the bar-code, you should hear a little confirmation beep, then the machine will display the not a winner message and display the number that is on the bottom of the ticket. If its a winner it will tell you what is won. If its a big winner it tells you to check with the retailer. Once it displays this message, scan another ticket and listen for the beep. The last three digits on the number at the bottom of the ticket was always enough confirmation for me that the correct ticket was checked.

It always annoyed me when I went to check my tickets and someone was in front of me with several tickets. They would scan one and get the result then wait for the ready to come back on the display, then they would scan the same ticket again, sometimes a third scan for luck. Each time waiting for the ready to come back up.

I used to wait until I had a bunch of tickets, I would go to a retailer and scan them. Most of the time you could easily scan ten tickets in under a minute. Although on occasions the scanners use to run slow, probably network congestion or just busy times.

Its not really relevant now though as the scanners no longer work with the new tickets. Although if your syndicate uses the same numbers every week and not just quick picks, I believe you can open an account with the lotto and register the numbers and have them checked automatically.

The new lotto machines and tickets and website seem to be having teething troubles and I am sure they will have everything running smooth in a few months, but until then I would advise double checking your tickets manually before going to the retailer. Also as your in a syndicate, try and rope another member into the checking process if there is a large amount of quick pick panels to check.