Top of the season to any folks who remain subscribed to this blog. It's been some time since I have posted. There are some games that are imminently playable, at this time, based upon my evaluation method. Whether you play those games or any others, my strongest advice is to avoid the games that are rated as being poor. It makes no sense to knowingly handicap your chances of winning in a game that is stacked against you under the best of circumstances. 

 $2 Games 

 These games are true stocking stuffers. There are presently three such games. Of the three, I recommend Money Multiplier (#2396). The other two games (Peppermint and Wild Aces) only have one grand prize each left to be claimed. I'm not crazy about games in that situation as if someone was to win the final grand prize tomorrow, you'd find yourself playing a game whose largest remaining prize is $1000 rather than the $35,000 Grand Prize. 

 $3 Games 

 These are the bread and butter games for the OLG. The Bingo and Crossword variations are very popular with the public. As a result, the OLG often runs two games of the same variety simultaneously. You need to be careful about which game you play. 

 A prime example are the current Bingo games. Game #3037 has no Grand Prizes remaining and 85% of its ticket float sold but version #3038 has sold 18% of its tickets and all the Grand Prizes, Second Prizes and Third Prizes are presently unclaimed. If you are buying this game, check the Game #. 

Crossword game #3237 is brand new and is just a slightly better version than the old version #3236. Either version is a reasonable choice. Avoid Lucky 7 #3236 as all of its Grand Prizes and Second Place prizes have already been claimed. Silver Bells #2399 is also a poor choice. 

Slingo #2374 is a good choice and Winter Tripler #2401 is an excellent choice. In fact, it is the best choice currently for sale with all of it's Grand Prizes remaining and one of its two second prizes still outstanding and 54% of its tickets sold. 

 Cash Lines #2376 is one of the flat games where the $3 investment has a Grand Prize of $100 but there are 22110 of them to be won. 

 $4 Cash For Life #1180 Cash For Life is another one of people's favourite games to play. The OLG sells these tickets en masse but it is a vertical game. The number of secondary prizes is very low. You either get a free ticket or the Grand Prize, as there is very little in between. If you like vertical games like this one, I recommend buying LottoMax or 649. 

 $5 Games 

 The best current game at this price range is 10X Wild #2386. Only 35% of the tickets are left to be sold which means that they are about to become harder to find. Stick with it - it's worth it. Bingo Doubler #2336 is not a bad choice and the rest of the games (Arctic Blast #2400, Bingo Double #2365, Cross Tripler #3302, Festive 5X #2402, Ht Slt Multi #2382, Moo La La #2388, Plinko #2280, The Big Spin #3109) are all neutral in their profile. 

 $10 Games 

 The best choice in this area is Bingo Multiplier #3081 with 4 of its 5 Grand Prizes left to be claimed and 42% of its float left to be sold. $500,000 Fortune is also a good choice with 44% of its float sold and 4 of its 6 Grand Prizes left to be claimed. 

 Stay away from The Bigger Spin #3152 as only 1 of its 5 Grand Prizes remains and 56% of its tickets remain to be sold. Red Hot 10X #2378 is also a poor choice. All the other games are reasonable choices with the slightest of edges awarded to Hit It Big #2387 and Holiday Rich #2390. 

 $20 Games 

 Now we're beginning to get into the pricey area. 20X Supreme #2204 and Instant Gift Pack #1930 are less than ideal while 20x Supreme is in a slightly positive position. It's the best of the three. 

 It surprises me that Christmas Games are sold, scratched, and claimed all before Christmas. I would have thought that almost all of those tickets were opened on Christmas morning. 

 $30 - $100 Games 

 The best game in this area is $50K #2385. This is an interesting game as the top prize is $50k and the ticket costs $50. The offset is that there are 40 Grand Prizes available and 40 $1000 second prizes. At present, 28 of the 40 Grand Prizes are left to be claimed and 47% of the float is left. We shall see how folks respond to this game. One would think that there is a price point where players will show resistance to the price of a scratch ticket. 

 Another good game here is Ultimate #2397. This game boasts the best chance to win $1m and sales are scheduled to end in early January. With only 14% of the float sold to date, it will be interesting to see how many of these tickets are ultimately sold. 

 Prestige #2201 and Platinum #2206 are neutral games and Mega is negative with 3 of 7 Grand Prizes left and 70% of the float left to be sold. 

 Summary 

 The best games currently for sale are $3 Winter Tripler, $10 Bingo Multiplier and $5 10X Wild. 

 I wish you all the best of luck. My goal for 2024 is to publish one blog entry per month. I also intend to run a Lottario trial that I will report upon as well. 

 Doug

Time to Reboot

Well, folks, it's been over a year and a half since I posted to this blog. I'll be surprised if any of the previous readers and contributors are still checking in on the blog. I guess I'll find out in short order. 

There are lots of topics to catch up upon with the wiley OLG and their new casino colleagues, betting sites and horse racing etc. All of this got started with the OLG Modernization report (https://about.olg.ca/who-we-are/changes-to-olg/) that predicted that after the OLG Modernized itself, it would increase its contributions to the Provincial Treasury by close to $1 Billion per year. Did they? Did the pandemic set them back? These are things to look at in the postings to come. 

Despite the efforts of the OLG to sell off its Instant Ticket business, it still operates within the OLG purview. I took a look at the current status of games for sale and decided to focus on all the $10 games. There are ten of them currently for sale which is quite a lot compared to before. The good news is that none of them are currently poor choices. Bigger Spin 3150 and Bingo Multiplier 3078 and Cross Deluxe 2279 are all neutral and they are the worst of the lot. The best of the lot are 250 Stacks 2323, Sonic Multiplier 2305, Turbo 2301 and X 2202 are all in positive territory. 

I'm going to run a trial of these games over the coming weeks to see if my luck continues to be as bad as it used to be. I suspect that the answer to that question is a resounding yes! 

I'm starting off the trial with a three ticket purchase: one each of Sonic Multiplier, $250,000 Stacks, and X. 

Anyone familiar with this blog would know that held on to an unproven theory that smaller communities tend to enjoy a disproportionate number of big Instant Ticket prizes. Seeing as I have now moved from Mississauga to Chatham, I fully expect my luck to improve. He he. 

Let me know in the comments if you're still around and if you have anything OLG related that you'd like me to look into. It's time to have some fun. Next week's blog will include a detailed breakdown of one of the $10 games. 

Doug 

It's Christmas Scratch and Win Time

 We may all be locked down but Instant Tickets remain available. The Christmas Games are on sale, however, as always, be sure to be playing the good games, or, more importantly, avoid the bad games! Here is the current list of games. Any game not mentioned falls into the category of "neutral" meaning that the availability of Grand Prizes is roughly in line with the size of the ticket float remaining to be sold. 

The Best Games

$10 Gifts of Gold #2219

$ 5  Merry Money #2228

$30 Cross Extrem #2188

Good Games

$5 5X The Cash #2212

$5 Triple Play #2213

$10 Cross Deluxe #2216

Poor Games

$1 Red Hot 100's #2192

$3 Uno #2165

$5 Bingo Doubler # 2180

$10 Bingo Multiplier #3073

$10 Chrome #2154

$10 Turbo #2198

$20 200x Multiplier #2056

I am following with some interest the arrival of single event sports wagering in Ontario. This is presently against the law but bill C-218 will change the Criminal Code to allow it. The Bill's sponsor is a PC MP from Saskatchewan, Kevin Waugh. The bill had been introduced in the previous parliament and is now playing catch-up. At the same time, the Provincial Budget Bill allows for the establishment of this form of wagering in Ontario. So, my question is, who is behind this initiative? It appears to be across parties and in every order of government. 

This type of wagering is presently allowed in 14 states with Ohio and Mass next to join the party. In Ontario, sports wagering is restricted to Pro-line which requires a minimum three game parlay for any wager. That portion of OLG revenue will be obliterated when single game wagering arrives. 

What I can't figure out is who is going to run the platform. I saw a video clip of a Windsor MP saying that its arrival will save Casino Windsor from the doom of cross border competition. The CEO of the Woodbine Entertainment Group said in a press release that if their group was not chosen to operate the platform, it could mean the end of horse racing in Ontario. Off shore established companies such as Bet Fair have actively barred Canadian residents from holding accounts as they want to secure the contract and they are already running the identical business in England. The OLG will want their slice of the pie in order to replace the lost Pro-line revenue that is going to result. So, who is the puppeteer here? Please reveal yourself. 

My best to all during these challenging times. 

Doug

The World of Scratch Tickets Returns to Normal

The OLG has opened its prize office again (with safety protocols) which has no doubt flushed out all the winners who had been unable to cash their prizes. Here is the current list of games along with my recommendations;

Very Good

$3 #3229 Crossword ; $5 #2212 5X The Cash ; $5 #3104 The Big Spin ; $10 #2190 Sonic Multiplier.

Good

$5 #2180 Bingo Doubler, $5 #2136 Cross Tripler; $10 #3147 The Bigger Spin; $20 #2151 Silver Stacks.

Poor

$2 # 2103 Cashilicious; $3 #3030 Bingo ; $10 #2154 Chrome; $20 #2056 200x Multiplier.

Terrible

$3 #2191 Cash Words; $5 #3103 The Big Spin. 

All other games are in the neutral range. 

I haven't been to my local seller since the virus arrived. I have decided that it is safe for me to walk across the street, put my mask on, and spend two minutes picking out some tickets. I hope that Dr Tam approves. 

OLG News

With the velocity that the news cycle works these days, I have no doubt that most people have forgotten that Premier Ford tasked the Finance Minister, Rod Phillips, with looking into the bonuses that were paid to OLG Executives during the pandemic. In my earlier post I pointed out that it was Mr Phillips himself who was the benefactor of similar bonuses when he served as the CEO of the OLG. I've been scouring the media for word on how Rod is handling his assigned task. So far, no news. Hmmm. 

I noted that a group titled "Casino Host Municipalities Group" has been lobbying Premier Ford to loosen the restrictions that casinos would have to comply with if they re-open. This group is comprised of the Mayors of municipalities where casinos are located. It must be nice for the casino companies to be getting Mayors of cities to be doing their bidding. Under phase 3 re-opening the casinos will only be able to admit 50 people at a time. The casino operators, through their spokespeople (The Mayors), say that they should be able to allow many more in and to do so safely. Let's see, you're sitting in a place with recirculated air for prolonged periods of time, enclosed with no windows, sharing chairs, touching slot machines and money. I can't think of any "business" at higher risk of contagion than a casino with the possible exception of a strip club. There is one of them in Toronto that re-opened and when some patrons tested positive some time later, the authorities were unable to contact trace the cases backwards as the patrons had provided false identities. Beautiful!

I'm confident that the Premier will give the casino operators the consideration that they are due - nada! And shame on the mayors who are being cuckolded by these casino poo-bahs. 

Doug

Strange Days Indeed

Now that we are 100 days into the world of Covid, I decided to do a blog update. Personally, I have not been purchasing any tickets but I can feel the urge returning, bit by bit. My local variety store has been open almost throughout this ordeal but I've been too cautious to go inside.That could change shortly.

When I reviewed the outstanding prize information that I use for the updates, I was shocked at the number of games that were in positive status. Many were in unbelievably strong "buy" positions. In fact, it was so strong as to not be possible.

After thinking about the situation for a while, the eureka moment struck me. What's going on is that OLG Prize Center has been closed since min-March. At present, people can cash winning tickets of less that $1000 at local retailers, if those retailers have a sufficient float. Tickets from between $1000 and $50,000 can be mailed in to the OLG. The website warns that the vetting process normally takes 4-6 weeks. This will be extended due to Covid. I also have to ask myself that if I had a $5000 winning ticket, would I mail it in? Not likely. All tickets of $50,000 or greater cannot be cashed at present.

The result is that web site shows many games that were launched over the past four months as having all or almost all of their Grand Prizes remaining outstanding. People are cashing small tickets at their local retailers so it appears that the games are proceeding as one would expect from that vantage point.

So, what games to play at this time? I would recommend either games that are brand new or the games with large numbers of grand prizes. In the latter category, it is very difficult for an imbalance to be created given the large number of winning tickets. If you're buying any other games there is a chance that the Grand Prizes have been either all or mostly won. On that basis, here is my recommended list of games:

$3 Bingo 3030 (beware and avoid version 3029)
$3 Crossword 3228 (beware versions 3226 and 3227)
$3 Wild $100  2177
$5 Bingo Doubler 2180 (beware version 2171)
$5 Fast $500 2183
$5 Tripling 2186
$10 5000 Flash 2174


OLG News

Of note is the $500 million line of credit that the Province has extended to the OLG. One would think that a positive side effect of the privatization of the the casinos would be that the off loading of risk would have worked in their favour. However, one of the reasons for the financial support is the "Contractual Payments to Casino Operators!" Huh? Someone needs to look under that stone.

The OLG also lost a court case recently as it relates to First Nations groups. The original agreements called for First Nations groups to receive 1.7% of all OLG revenue. It was the OLG's view that since the casinos had been privatized, the casino companies fell outside that agreement. Not so said a judge.

The OLG is now only reporting financially on an annual basis. They used to report quarterly but now the casino revenue is accruing to private businesses. I'm particularly interested in their revenue from www.playolg.ca . The OLG made lots of predictions about the growth in revenue from that source and that was before the Covid closures of casinos. It's my view that the revenue growth there will not be explosive. I have a friend who logged on, deposited $100 and promptly lost it on the virtual slots. He won't go back. There is something discomforting about losing money on a fake slot machine. I want to know if other people have the same reaction that I do.

Lastly, a feather for the OLG. Poster AJ had some damaged tickets that he mailed into the OLG. The OLG verified the tickets and sent him his winnings in prompt order. For more information, drop AJ a line.


Stay save everyone. The OLG needs your money.


Doug

Wild Cards #2166 is the Recommended Game

In the midst of a pandemic coupled with a stock market crash, thank goodness the world of scratch tickets remains unscathed.

The top game, Wild Cards, is presently enjoying a 47% positive Grand Prize imbalance. Further, 1 of 2 second prizes is outstanding and 2 of 4 third prizes. An estimated 70% of the float remains to be sold which means that the tickets should be readily available.

Players should look out for Super Money and Pac Man. All the Grand Prizes have been claimed for both games. For Super Money, the Grand Prize is $250,000 which, according to OLG rules, must result in the cancellation of the game. Lets see how long it takes them to get around to it seeing as an estimated 30% of the float remains to be sold.

Players face the situation that The Big Spin and Bingo Multiplier both have two versions of the game running at the same time. For the Big Spin, play Game #3103 and for Bingo Multiplier search the less abundant Game # 3070.

In the news this week is the announcement that Stephen Rigby is leaving his CEO position this coming summer. Rigby was the President of the Canada Border Services Agency before coming to the OLG. The articles in the paper list his salary at $800k with a severence package of $1 million. Let's not forget that he is not the first OLG President to reach those compensation highs. His predecessor, Rod Phillips, was the first to pull in big numbers. He achieved his during a period of Liberal government austerity. Senior public servant salaries had been frozen but Rod managed to spit that hook when Paul Godfrey doubled his annual bonus pushing his compensation into the same strata. Sneaky, eh? Oh yea, this is the same Rod Phillips who is now the Minister of Finance for the Government of Ontario.

I suspect that Rigby decided to jump before the unrealistic projections from the OLG Modernization Plan, drafted by Phillips, become seen as the pie in the sky falsehoods that were used to justify the privatization of the casinos in Ontario. Further, the OLG will be reducing staff in the coming year and no public executive wants to be on the bridge for that. Stay tuned to see who the next person with no gaming experience is who is chosen to head the gambling monopoly known as OLG.

$5	2166	Wild Cards	Excellent
$1	2152	Fiesta Treas	Very Good
$3	2080	Scrabble	Very Good
$3	2178	Slots	Very Good
$10	2130	Bigger Spin	Very Good
$10	2175	Monopoly	Very Good
$3	2182	Round Trip Rich	Good
$5	2138	Bingo Doubler	Good
$10	2170	Cross Deluxe	Good
$10	2054	Royale	Good
$10	3070	Bingo Multiplier	Good
$30	2055	Triple Million	Good
$50	2159	Classic Extra	Good
$1	2143	Emoji Money	Neutral
$2	2149	Movie Money	Neutral
$3	2177	Wild 100	Neutral
$3	3227	Cross Word	Neutral
$4	1175	Cash For Life	Neutral
$5	2171	Bingo Doubler	Neutral
$5	2135	Cross Tripler	Neutral
$5	2183	Fast 500	Neutral
$5	2126	Sizzling 5's	Neutral
$5	3103	The Big Spin	Neutral
$10	2155	Cash Blowout	Neutral
$10	3071	Bingo Multiplier	Neutral
$20	2052	Supreme	Neutral
$20	2168	Cash Club	Neutral
$20	2172	Super Set For Life	Neutral
$3	3029	Bingo	Poor
$20	2156	Celebrate 2020	Poor
$3	2142	Pac Man	Terrible
$5	3101	The Big Spin	Terrible
$10	2162	Super Money	Terrible

More Turnover

About half a dozen games have been eliminated since the last update. New games coming on board include a new Bingo Doubler (2171), Emoji Money (2143), Fast 500 (2183), and Cash Blowout (2155).

The size of the float for Scrabble 2080 is dwindling. You may have trouble finding those tickets. Apart from that one, Slots 2178 is the top rated game.

JD posted last week about an individual player who has knocked down several big pots in Point Spread Pools. It does strike me as strange and I am going to look into it. I doubt that there is anything fishy going on although one can never be certain of that. This chap, Jeffrey Cisma, obviously puts a lot of money into the pools. It may be that because he buys a lot of tickets that he can gain an advantage over players who only play one or two tickets per pool. By playing a lot he can take underdogs that players who only play a couple of tickets would stay away from. Regardless, he has to overcome a steep house cut. I'll keep you updated.

An article this past week indicated that the OLG will be reducing the size of its workforce. I never want to see someone lose their job but this move seems inevitable. They sold off the operating of all the casinos and their head office head count did not budge. The number of OLG staff who made the Sunshine List did not budge between 2018 and 2019. At the same time, the OLG's contributions to the Provincial Treasury failed to meet projections. Something needed to be done. Maybe OLG CEO Stephen Rigby could take a salary hair cut given the level of his current compensation.

$3	2080	Scrabble	Excellent
$3	2178	Slots	Excellent
$5	2166	Wild Cards	Very Good
$10	2054	Royale	Very Good
$20	2052	Supreme	Very Good
$5	2138	Bingo Doubler	Good
$10	2130	Bigger Spin	Good
$10	2175	Monopoly	Good
$10	3070	Bingo Multiplier	Good
$20	2156	Celebrate 2020	Good
$30	2055	Triple Million	Good
$50	2159	Classic Extra	Good
$1	2143	Emoji Money	Neutral
$1	2152	Fiesta Treas	Neutral
$2	2149	Movie Money	Neutral
$3	2177	Wild 100	Neutral
$3	3227	Cross Word	Neutral
$3	3029	Bingo	Neutral
$4	1175	Cash For Life	Neutral
$5	2098	Bling	Neutral
$5	2135	Cross Tripler	Neutral
$5	2183	Fast 500	Neutral
$5	2126	Sizzling 5's	Neutral
$10	2155	Cash Blowout	Neutral
$10	2170	Cross Deluxe	Neutral
$10	2129	25x Multiplier	Neutral
$20	2168	Cash Club	Neutral
$20	2172	Super Set For Life	Neutral
$3	2142	Pac Man	Poor
$5	2171	Bingo Doubler	Poor
$5	3101	The Big Spin	Poor
$3	3225	QFG Crossword	Terrible
$10	2162	Super Money	Terrible