Cross Tripler #1791 - Long In The Tooth but Still On Top

Sales have stalled for the top rated game due to the scarcity of tickets left to be purchased. Given that the game's deactivation date was Feb 6th we can expect it to be deleted from the Outstanding Prize listing shortly. Four $100,000 winning tickets remain outstanding and only an estimated 11% of the float remains to be sold. Pick them up, if you can find them.

(Orange version of the game depicted below)

Top Rated Games

1. $5 Cross Tripler #1791 - A strong choice. Worth the search for tickets. 
2. $10 Classic Ruby #1792 - Best churn for any current game and a positive top prize rating. 
3. $5 Diamond 7's #1822 - 60.6% churn and a 1.29 positive top prize rating. 
4. $5 20X Lucky #1808 - 4 of 7 Top prizes remain and only 26% of the float. 
5. $3 QFG Crossword #3208 - New game has a very high churn rate. 

Games to Avoid

1. $4 Double Cash For Life #1170 - The most top heavy game just lost a grand prize.
2. $2 Black Jack #1804 - All three remaining Grand Prizes claimed last week. A dud as of now. 
3. $10 Bejeweled #1786 - Poor churn and 1/2 the grand prizes gone in 1st 1/3 of float. 
4. $3 Scrabble #1821 - Top 4 prize categories all claimed. Largest prize left is $5000.
5. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794 - Game becomes less horrible as it winds down. Still horrible.

Games with most $/dollar spent going to Grand Prize Winners

1. Bonus Cash For Life #1168
2. Double Cash For Life #1170
3. 20X Lucky #1808
4. Cross Tripler #1791
5. Fortune #1779

Games Currently Devoid of Grand Prizes

• Scrabble #1821 - largest prize left is $5000
• Words With Friends #1798 - largest prize left is $25,000
• More Lucky Lines #1794 - largest prize left is $5000
• Black Jack #1804 - largest prize left is $1000

Comings and Goings

Royal 7's was retired. It had 1 Grand Prize remaining and 19% of its float (593,000 tickets). The game was rated as a poor choice.

New is Instant Bingo. It is a $3 - 9.5 million ticket float game with 10 Grand Prizes of $50,000. There is a "fast win" prize of $15 available (1 in 50 tickets) and multiple win tickets. The payout return is 65.07% which is the third highest for $3 games.

I'm not a big fan of these types of games but they are very popular among Instant Game players. To me, a 950,000 to 1 shot to win $50,000 is not enticing. The churn rate for the game is also only average.

Personal Play

My "annus horribulus" continues with a meagre $10 return last week on $50 worth of tickets. My overall return YTD is 44% with the raffle game investment yet to be determined. I'm going to play another $50 this week just to get my numbers up to poor from terrible - I hope.

In Conclusion

I have once again tweaked my rating system. I credit the readers and commentators to this blog for helping me refine in my own mind what it is that I am looking for in a game. My rating system now involves two factors:

1. The churn rate of the game. This is represented by the percentage of total revenue for the game that  is returned to winners of less than $100. These are the prizes that are not listed on the Outstanding Prize list. This number never changes throughout the life of the game. 
2. The top prize imbalance. I calculate the cash value of all the prizes listed on the outstanding prize list and calculate the percentage of prizes left versus the amount when the game began. I then do the same for the actual number of prizes claimed versus how many there were to begin with. 

I then divide the former number by the latter to determine if there is an imbalance between the two. If 50% of the top prizes have been claimed but only 40% of the cash value of those prizes has been claimed, the game will have a positive rating of 1.20 (60/50).

Lastly, I combine the two factors in my secret formula to determine the final rating for the game. My comments in the future will relate to "churn" and "ratio". This is the shorthand for the two factors described above.

Here is an interesting lottery story for readers to skim: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1494415/-i-m-just-here-to-help-leamington-resident-plans-to-donate-250-000-top-prize-from-instant-cadillac-riches-win . (A neighbour of Darth's, no doubt).

Can you smell the spring? Its coming.

Doug

Cross Tripler #1791 Strengthens Its Grip

I don't know how another 30,000 of those tickets were sold last week given that they are nowhere to be found where I am. We have a situation brewing here whereby four of the initial 15 Grand Prizes remain outstanding and only an estimated 11% of the float remains. The game is on its last legs given that its deactivation date was Feb 06th. Get out and turn over some rocks. Your chances are only 223,000:1. Scratch ten a day for 61 years and you'll have a good chance to win a Grand Prize. Sound terrible? Well, its the best of any game currently for sale.


It's the orange version of this game:

Top Rated Games

1. $5 Cross Tripler #1791 - All systems go.
2. $4 Bonus Cash For Life #1168 - Good game, great Grand Prize.
3. $5 20X Lucky #1808 - Good choice, top game with lots of tickets available. 
4. $5 Diamond 7's #1822 - first appearance on top 5 list. 
5. $1 Wild 8's #1813 - Love it when $1 games make the list. It's scratch heaven. 

Games to Avoid

1. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794 - saw a woman playing this game the other day. Noooooo!
2. $3 Scrabble #1821 - lost last Grand Prize last week. Largest prize left is $5000.
3. $3 Words With Friends #1798 - tripped and fell right out of the gate. Zero Grand Prizes left. 
4. $10 Bejeweled #1786 - Low value for a $10 game. 
5. $20 Extraordinary #1742 - 10 months to sell 30% of the float. Horrible value for $20.

If It's The Grand Prize You're After

(Games with most $ from every dollar spent that goes to the Grand Prize winners)

1. Double Cash For Life
2. Bonus Cash For Life
3. Cross Tripler #1791
4. Fortune
5. Bejeweled

Comings and Goings

Win Take All #1825 was introduced this past week. The game is a little light on churning prizes due to its relative high amount of prizes between $100 and the Grand Prize. Not keen on the game but alternate evaluation methods may rate the game higher. It has potential to move up.

Also new is Living The Life. It is a hybrid game falling somewhere between the Lotto games and the Instant games. It is marketed as a raffle game and that is fairly accurate. There is a maximum of 6,172,840 tickets that will be sold. The computer spits out your ticket number(s) from among those that are remaining. There is an early bird draw to encourage us all to get out there early.

The game is top heavy, like a Lotto game,  with the Grand Prize winner hauling down $3,000,000. There is a secondary prize of $1,000,000 and three $100,000 prizes. You will have essentially one chance in one hundred to win anything and almost 100% of those winners will win $20.

The game also has the chance to be quite profitable to the OLG. Because the tickets can be sold at three different price points ($5 for 1, $10 for 3, $20 for 7), it is hard to know what the final revenue will be. If all of the tickets were sold individually, the OLG would return 21.6% of the revenue. If all the tickets were sold on a 7 for $20 basis, the return would be 59%. What does this mean? In a worst case scenario, the game will be as profitable to the OLG as a $1 Instant Game, speaking in terms of percentages. Potential profit on the game for the OLG is somewhere between $11 and $24 million, if all the tickets are sold. The good thing about the game is that we know that there will be a winner for every prize level above $20. That's something.

Personal Play

My brutalization continues. Why? $10 tickets are proving to be a wasteland. I have purchased 3 Holiday Spectaculars, 6 Cadillac Riches, and 2 Ruby Reds so far this year. My total return is $10 for that $110 investment. Beyond lame! Should I continue to beat my head against that wall or move on? You tell me.

In Conclusion

A reader was told by a seller that a Cross Tripler ticket that they had was not available for sale as it was a sample ticket for marketing purposes. I phoned the OLG and was informed that no such thing exists. A photocopy, maybe, but the OLG does not produce samplers. Methinks a return visit to that vendor is in order.

I'm going to write to suggest to the OLG that they create a game where the Grand Prizes are trips to Florida in the winter. This weather is brutal. It takes everything I have to venture out to buy Instant tickets. Wait! What about www.olg.ca? Nah.


Keep plugging away.

Doug

Cross Tripler #1791 Continues Its Run on Top

The top rated game went through an estimated 90,000 tickets this past week without losing one of its four remaining Grand Prizes. The remaining float is now down to 11% and the tickets are definitely hard to find in the Ottawa area. The game also reached its deactivation date on 6 February which means the retailers will be returning unopened packages and perhaps selling their odds and ends. Your chances to win a prize are 1:230,000. That is the best odds of any game currently offered for sale.

There was discussion on last weeks blog about the extreme unlikelihood of winning a Grand Prize. What is one chance in 230,000? In terms we can relate to, if you purchased 10 of these tickets every day, you could expect to win a Grand Prize in 63 years time. You indeed have to be lucky.

If you're out looking for this game, remember, it is the orange version, not the purple one appearing below:

  

Top Rated Games

1. $5 Cross Tripler #1791 - 27% of Grand Prizes left and 11% of the float. 
2. $4 Bonus Cash for Life #1168 - 1 juicy Grand Prize left. Check before you buy.
3. $3 Scrabble #1821 - 14% of float and 21% of top prize money left. 
4. $5 20X Lucky #1808 - 59.6% of revenue to winners of less than $100.
5. $10 Cadillac Riches #1797 - 41% of float and 52% of top prize winnings left.

Games To Avoid

1. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794 - deactivation date reached. Yippee!
2. $10 Bejeweled #1786 - 3 of 6 Grand Prizes left and 70% of the float. Watch out!
3. $20 Extraordinary #1742 - They can't sell these tickets. $20 for a poor choice. 
4. $3 Cashingo #1820 - More top prize money lost versus tickets by 10%.
5. $3 Keno #1415 - Negative winners to prize ratio of 16%.

If Its the Grand Prize You're After

(Based upon the amount of each dollar spent that goes toward the Grand Prize(s))

1. Double Cash For Life
2. Bonus Cash For Life
3. Cross Tripler 1791
4. Fortune
5. Bejeweled

Comings and Goings

The horrific $1 Lucky Lines was expunged from the world this past week. Thank goodness I don't have to whine about that any more.

Quest For Gold Crossword and Words With Friends were each introduced. A review of each game is contained in the comments to last week's post. QFG Crossword is a jumbo game with a ticket float of over 25 million - ten times the float for Words With Friends. Each game is intended to be a churning game with lousy Grand Prizes. The problem is that they are not even the best games for churning. I rank them at 14th and 15th to begin their respective life spans.

Personal Play

The lottery gods smacked me down after my good previous week. A single $5 was returned from a $35 investment. My YTD ROI now stands at 55%. Bad, but the year is young.

In Conclusion

I enjoyed TMF's comments on what he looks for in a game. He wants to churn tickets as much as possible with continual reinvestment in his search for the Grand Prize. I'm going to work this week on a measure that captures that element.

I also signed up for www.playolg.ca a couple of weeks ago. After burning through my first free $10, the kind folks at OLG sent me a second $10 freebie. I'm pleased to report that after twenty minutes of play I still had $5 left.

The site is entertaining and the ability to buy Lotto Max and 649 tickets on-line will be appealing for many. The sign-up process was laborious and involves many different rules around usernames and passwords. My usual ones could not be used so I had to alter them which means that I will never remember them.

They are also prominently displaying messages about regulating your play. They require you to set limits on your play in terms of time and losses on an hourly, weekly, and monthly basis. There is also messaging about this all over the site and they have even run radio spots on the subject specifically as it relates to the on-line site. It's strange, by comparison, that when I visit an OLG Casino it is next to impossible to find the Responsible Gaming Council representative anywhere. At Woodbine, they have a tiny booth outside the slots near the coat check.

What this tells me is that OLG is well aware of how dangerous a concept this is. For some folks, being able to pump money into the slots and on-line table games while sitting around the house in their pajamas presents an almost irresistible bogey man. At least when one has to get dressed, go out into the cold, and drive to the casino, it actually takes some effort. I suspect that most casual players will not be attracted to the site other than for Lotto purchases. It's the folks with gambling problems who will be at risk and that is why the OLG is so obviously trying to cover its tutu. Modernization - ain't it grand!?

I'll find it interesting to track the OLG's financial statements post launch to see if the site ends up cannibalizing the slots play. One last point is that they publish on the web site the actual return rate on each slot game. Strange that that is the same information that the OLG refused to release to me under Freedom of Information as, in their view, it compromised the financial interests of the Province of Ontario. Why the difference? I'll let you ponder that one.

Best

Doug

Cross Tripler #1791 Tops Revised Rating Method

In my never ending pursuit of evaluating Instant Games I have implemented a new method. I have been swayed by those whose priority is plentiful smaller prizes. At the same time, I can't entirely forsake imbalances in the availability of Grand Prizes. The new method rates two factors:

1. I take the percentage of top prizes (all those listed on the outstanding prize list) that remain available and compare that to the percentage of prize money remaining as compared to what it was at the beginning of the game. All games begin with a ratio of 1. If Grand Prizes are claimed at a rate faster than the total prizes reported, the number will fall below 1. If a positive imbalance develops the number will grow to be greater than 1.

2. The percentage of revenue returned to players who win prizes greater than the cost of the ticket and less than $100. This number represents the volume of smaller prizes in any game.

I combine the two numbers in the following formula ( First Factor x 100 + 2 x Second Factor). I'm pleased with the initial results but we'll see how it goes. This is my third method since I began this blog. Lets hope it lasts. Comments are always welcome.

The first top rated game in the new method is Cross Tripler #1791. The game has 13% of its tickets left and 23% of the top prize revenue left. 47.8 percent of its total revenue is allocated to prizes greater than $5 and less than $100. All I have to do now is find some.

Note: This is the orange version of the game.

Top Rated Games

1. $5 Cross Tripler #1791 - 4 $100,000 prizes left and only 1 million tickets. 
2. $4 Bonus Cash For Life #1168 - only 1 Grand Prize left and 11% of the float.
3. $5 20XLucky #1808 - 50% of top money and 36% of top prizes left. 
4. $3 Scrabble #1821 - 2 of 3 Grand Prizes left and only 17% of the float.
5. $10 Cadillac Riches - positive ratio by 24% but prizes a bit low at 41.3%.

Games to Avoid

1. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794 - can it be true that it has reached its deactivation date?
2. $1 Lucky Lines #1770 - Has been horrible since it arrived. 
3. $10 Bejewelled #1786 - One poster loves this game. Only 3 Grand Prizes left and 74% of float.
4. $20 Extraordinary #1742 - The game is becoming an albatross. 
5. $3 Keno #1415 - - 26% on the ratio but a good number of small prizes. 

$1 - $2 Game Update

Wild 8's is the pick in this area. 

$3 Game Update

If you can't find Scrabble, Cashingo Crossword and Super Bingo are all reasonable choices.

$4 - $5 Game Update

Three of the top five games come from this group. Stick to them. 

$10 - $20 Game Update

Avoid Bejewelled and Extraordinary.

Comings and Goings

It was a Stalinistic purge with seven games being retired from play. All the Holiday games were included including one of Shelley's favourites - Holly Jolly. Cash For Life #1161 and Crossword #3206 were caught up in the housecleaning. I'm sorry to see Holiday Spectacular go as it was a very well rated game but it was a Holiday Game and I have to agree that their time was up. 

No new games were introduced. 

Personal Play

A rare positive week as I struck for a $20 prize in both 20X Lucky and Bonus Cash For Life. A further $5 produced a $45 return on a $32 investment. 

To Conclude

Two posts ago I mentioned the problem with the new Double Cash for Life Game. The game sheet indicates that 69% of the revenue is returned to players whereas when you work out the math the total comes to 64%. The 64% is more in the range of $3 games and 69% is the normal range for $10 games. Bonus Cash For Life was a notable exception with a 69% return thus justifying its name. 

The OLG called me about the matter offering the explanation that the difference was based upon the outcomes for people who may take the $2000/wk for life instead of the lump sum. That answer did not make any sense as the 5% discrepancy amounts to $2 million and they would have no idea what the difference is in outcomes for winners who take one option over another as almost all of those cases are still playing themselves out. I was told that they would get back to me. 

A second call informed me that the lump sum payout for the game is $1,850,000. That answers makes sense but is surprising nonetheless. The $2 version of the popular game has a lump sum option of $67,500, the regular $4 version $675,000 and one would have thought that the Double Cash For Life would have paid $1,350,000. In fact, I called the OLG when the game launched and confirmed that fact. Now I'm told that the lump sum for the game is fully $500,000 more than double the normal game. The answer works but it seems a little strange. Might it have something to do with the fact that the ten year bond pays a scant 1.7% requiring the OLG to put more cash aside to pay the annuity if someone takes the $2000/week? I'm scratching my head but that is an outstanding prize for a $4 investment. The money allotted to the four Grand Prize winners represents 18.5% of the total revenue for the game. That is the highest such figure by far for any game that I have seen. 

I signed up for www.playolg.ca this week and quickly burned through my free $10. More on the new site next week. 

Good Luck to All. 

Doug

Holiday Spectacular #1816 Moves To The Top

Bonus Cash For Life surrendered the fourth of its five Grand Prizes last week knocking it out of top spot again. Twenty percent of the Grand Prizes remain with only an estimated 12% of the float left to sell. The game is coming to an end soon.

Replacing it at the top is Holiday Spectacular. It is in a similar situation with only one of its three Grand Prizes left and an estimated 12% of its float left to sell. Posters have indicated that these tickets are hard to find. In raw terms, only 100,000 are left versus 1.2 million Bonus Cash for Lifes so I can well understand how difficult they are to find. If you can find some, almost twenty-four cents of every dollar you spend on the game will go to the outstanding Grand Prize and you should expect a return of 60% on the dollar even if you don't find that big prize of $250,000.

Top Rated Games

1. $10 Holiday Spectacular #1816 - Only one GP left - check before buying.
2. $4 Bonus Cash For Life #1168 - Again, only one GP remaining.
3. $4 Cash For Life #1161 - Same comment as the first two games.
4. $10 Fortune #1779 - Slow selling Inter Provincial game. Worth a try.
5. $4 Double Cash For Life #1170 - Promising game.

Games to Avoid

1. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794 - Please make it stop.
2. $3 Crossword #3206 - Two prizes of more than $100 left and 1.3 million tickets.
3. $1 Lucky Lines #1770 - A truly horrible game.
4. $3 Crossword #3207 - Two Grand Prizes of 10 left, but over 7 million tickets too.
5. $3 Keno #1415 - 52% of top prize money remains but 72% of the tickets remain.

$1 - $2 Game Update

Holiday Cashout is the best choice, by far, in this area.

$3 Game Update

Top rated game is Scrabble #1821.

$4 - $5 Game Update

Lots of good choices here. Avoid Hit Jackpot and Merry Money.

$10 - $20 Game Update

Avoid Instant Gift Pack and Classic Ruby.

Comings and Goings

Not much action here. Cash In was retired as OLG policy dictates. All the Grand Prizes had been claimed and the Grand Prize was $100,000.

A post to last week's update indicates that a new game is coming soon for those who are bored with the current offerings.

Personal Play

I am in transition at present in terms of my evaluation method. As such, I am expanding my play to various games and was rewarded last week when I hit for $20 on 20X Lucky on the only ticket I bought, and another $20 on Bonus Cash For Life. (3 purchased). Three Crossword Triplers included 1 - $5 winner and my Lottomax ticket went pfft, as one would expect.

I'm looking at playing a combination of games again this week.

In Conclusion

I'm curious to know what readers thoughts are about this story: http://bit.ly/1uJ0YxF .

A friend and I are of differing opinions. He sides with the player and I do not. What do you think?


Doug

Bonus Cash For Life #1168 Reclaims Top Spot

After taking a week off, Bonus Cash For Life returns to take top billing. An estimated 13% of the float remains while 2 of the initial 5 Grand Prizes remain to be claimed. Your chance to win one is slightly more than 600,000 to 1. That is pretty good to win a $675,000 prize when you consider that you  can expect to get a return of 56.5% of your money even if you don't win a prize of $100 or more.

Top Rated Games

1. $4 Bonus Cash For Life #1168 - time is running out. 
2. $10 Holiday Spectacular #1816- 1 Grand Prize left and 110k tickets.
3. $10 Fortune #1779- ticket sales have dried up. Not a poor choice
4. $4 Cash For Life #1861 - Game is gutted below last Grand Prize. Skip. 
5. $2 Holiday Cashout #1812 - All 3 Grand Prizes left and half of float sold. 

Games to Avoid

1. $5 Cash In #1807 
2. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794
3. $3 Crossword #3207
4. $1 Lucky Lines #1770
5. $3 Keno #1415

$1 - $2 Game Update

Holiday Cashout is the strong choice.

$3 Game Update

Not much to choose from. Just avoid the three Games to Avoid.

$4 - $5 Game Update

Stick with Bonus Cash For Life

$10 - $20 Game Update

Holiday Spectacular is the choice before it retires or the last prize is claimed.

Comings and Goings

A new $10 Interprovincial game, Classic Ruby was introduced. It is a little low on the top end and a few too many "Win your Money Back" prizes for my liking but it does come out OK according to the formula I use. There are 6 - $500,000 Grand Prizes but your chances to win one are currently over 1 million to 1. Watch.

Personal Play

An encouraging start to the year was met with an immediate dip. I won $11 on 3 Cashingo Tickets and $6 on 3 Holiday Cashout tickets but the three big Holiday Spectacular Tickets were all duds. Very disappointing.

In Conclusion

I'm looking to change my evaluation method. After reading comments from folks I find that I need to provide more emphasis on smaller prizes. We all know that we would never buy a ticket for a game for which all the Grand Prizes had been claimed nor would we buy a ticket for a game for which all the money went to one Grand Prize winner. More next week.

I am reading with interest the comments from those who are playing on PlayOLG, the on-line casino. Keep them coming.

I noticed that the game sheet for Double Cash For Life indicates that the total return for the game is 69.63%. When one crunches the numbers it only totals 64.6%. A call to the OLG resulted in a return call from a very helpful employee, Sam. Same tells me that the Marketing Department has provided him with and explanation that makes no sense to me. He sent the inquiry back to the Marketing Department so they can have another try. Stay tuned.

Best to All.

Doug

Holiday Spectacular #1816 Gets Its Day In The Sun

Even though Holiday Spectacular is down to one Grand Prize from its original three, it takes over top spot given that only 14% (+/- 2%) of its float remains to be sold. You presently have one chance in 120,000 to get the last prize. The game has also reached its deactivation date meaning that retailers can no longer activate new packages for sale. Will a player manage to snag the last prize somewhere or will the OLG claim it indirectly? Time will tell. At present, $.21 of every dollar spent on the game will go to that Grand Prize winner.

Top Rated Games

1. $10 Holiday Spectacular #1816 - One Grand Prize left and the clock is ticking. 
2. $4 Bonus Cash For Life #1168 - Two Grand Prizes left, 2 million tickets left to sell. 
3. $4 Double Cash For Life #1170 - $1,350,000 prize for a $4 play. 
4. $10 Fortune #1779 - Nine $1 million prizes left. Can't find these tickets in my area. 
5. $2 Holiday Cashout #1812 - 450,000:1 to win $35,000. All three Grand Prizes remain and half the tickets are sold. 

Games to Avoid

1. $5 Cash In #1807 - Largest prize left is $2000.
2. $3 Crossword #3206 - Three $10,000 prizes left and 1.4 million tickets. 
3. $3 More Lucky Lines #1794 - I'm tired of beating this drum. Turns out the OLG can peddle these losers. 
4. $1 Lucky Lines #1770 - De-Activate these dogs, please!
5. $3 Crossword #3207 - 1 chance in 2.7 million to win $50,000? No thanks. 

$1 - $2 Game Update

Holiday Cashout is a remarkably good game for $2. 

$3 Game Update

Cashingo #1820 is new and is the best rated of the $3 games. 

$4 - $5 Game Update

Bonus Cash For Life #1168 still tops the list but I'm tired of losing with it. 

$10 - $20 Game Update

Instant Gift Pack has become a poor choice. Avoid. 

Comings and Goings

Four new games have come on line to start 2015. Check out CL66's reviews on the games in the comments to last week's update.

Double Cash For Life offers a lump sum payment of $1,350,000 which is attractive for  $4 investment but the 40.4% return to winners of more than $4 and up to $100 is the lowest of any game for sale. The cash rate of 1 in every 5.83 tickets for more than the cost of the ticket is also good. How can both things be true? The answer is that there are many small prize winners and not much else other than the Grand Prizes. 

The new Cross Word Tripler #1810 has potential but the older version (#1791) is a better choice at the moment. 

Cashingo #1820 is an odd game in that there are no prizes offered between $500 and $75. The prize structure at the top end is good for a $3 game. I did not get a chance to play the older version of the game as its ticket became scarce when it became a recommended game. I may try some of this version early on. 

Diamond 7s #1822 is hot off the press. Not crazy about the low Grand Prize of $77, 777 but the game does return 51% of its total revenue to winners of more than $5 and less than or equal to $100. That's a big plus. 

Personal Play

Started the year out with two Crossword Triplers and two 20X Lucky tickets. Also threw in a Lotto Max just for fun. I struck out on the 20 X Lucky Tickets but both Triplers were winners returning $15. Lotto Max won a free ticket. I must confess that the ticket that won $10 was one that I thought was a loser until I checked it at the store. Based on blog commentators, I'm not the only one to whom this happens. Always always always check your losing tickets with a scanner in the store. 

In Conclusion

There have been several media stories lately of mistake tickets showing up. Check the comments to last weeks posting for more. Here's one:

http://news.yahoo.com/not-fast-mexico-says-lottery-winner-213732609.html?soc_src=copy

I love these stories as they remind us that these games are not foolproof and forums like this one can serve to keep interested folks updated on glitches as they occur. 

I had occasion to call the OLG yesterday concerning the new Double Cash For Life game. The game sheet indicates that 69.63% of total revenue is returned to players. As part of my analysis of new games I always multiply out the prize structure for my purposes. According to my calculations, the return rate for the game is 64.6%. This is more in keeping with games that cost $4 or $5. I spoke to a very helpful young woman at the OLG. She indicated that someone would call me back within 48 hours. I think that there is a typographical error on the game sheet. I'll let you know the outcome next week. 

I hate delving into the political arena but I would recommend that more businesses and government departments set up their call centres in communities outside of major metropolitan areas. The OLG Centre is in Sault Ste Marie and I have never failed to have a positive experience when I call them. It makes sense to me that there are young people living in such communities who would choose to stay there instead of moving to the city if they could obtain employment. I imagine that the OLG jobs are good jobs and that the people who hold them, appreciate them. I also suspect that they stay with their employer for longer periods of time thereby becoming better assets to the employer. Frankly, I don't see a downside. 

Best to all. 

Doug