Cracking the Scratch Lottery Code (2011)

Scratch lotteries are rigged in that, while it's pure random luck for a single person to win big, the odds are firmly against the punters and firmly for the house.

Depending on the algorithm used, the house can take as little as 1% of the punters' wagers, or as much as 100% of the punter's wagers. Usually, to sucker people in, the house only takes about 5-10%.

So, in a sense and counter-intuitively, the more often you gamble the more likely it is that you will end up losing all of your money. If you only gamble now and then, you will be more likely to come out on top.