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Scratch Games: Overview

Typical Game Life Cycle

game life cycle

New Ticket Orders

Please Note: All Scratch tickets are ordered for retailers by each Retailer’s Washington’s Lottery District Sales Representatives (DSR).

The DSR’s review prior sales history at each of their retailer location, review current inventory levels, consider what new games are coming out soon, and develop a ticket order for retailers that is designed to deliver the right amount of product to the right place at the right time.

Most retailers are on a one review cycle for scratch game orders.

If a Retailer’s current inventory is running too low, prior to the time for their next regular order, DSR’s will be notified. In these cases, the DSR’s will expedite orders to the retailer location so they don’t have an out-of-stock situation.

Scratch Ticket Statuses & Inventory Trackin

Please Note: All Scratch tickets, from the moment they are shipped from the warehouse until they are processed for payment are being tracked. Retailers should follow the below procedures when tracking the status of Lottery scratch ticket inventory.

In-Transit: Indicates the packs and/or shipment are in route to a retailer.
Receive Packs: Indicates that the pack of tickets is in the possession of the retailer but not placed in a bin for sale. (Tickets in received status are still considered the property of the Lottery.)
- Retailer should promptly receive all ticket shipments.
- The shipment must be received in order to activate any individual Scratch Packs.
- Scan shipping slip to receive entire shipment.
- Received status confirmation will print once shipment is received.
  - This notifies lottery that the shipment was delivered to the correct retailer
  - Deferred payment process does not begin upon receiving
Activate Pack: Indicates the retailer has made the pack of tickets available for sale to customers.
- Packs must be in received status before they can move to activated status.
- Retailer activates ticket packs individually to meet sales needs
  - DSR will collect any older tickets that are not activated before specified date; will return and credit retailer for any older tickets that have been activated, but have not been sold
  - Activated status confirmation will print when scratch packs are activated
    - Packs can be activated up to 10 at one time
  - Deferred billing process starts as soon as scratch packs are activated
    - Scratch ticket packs that have not activated cannot be sold
  - Tickets will be unable to be validated if they have not been activated
  - Packs loaded into Gemini Touch (vending machine) will automatically activate when loaded
Settling Packs: Indicates the packs have been closed and ready for payment.

Scratch Game Closures

Why would a scratch game be closed?

Most Scratch game closures occur when the last highest advertised prize is claimed and no longer available.
- When a game closes, Retailers will receive a terminal message from Washington’s Lottery informing them to stop activating game packs. Players will have up to 180 days to validate winning tickets after the game has been closed.