Tons of folks jump online to share their favorite theories behind maximizing your winning potential when it comes to gambling, picking lottery numbers, and even taking a coin to scratch off tickets.
One of the most prevalent theories when it comes to scratch-offs is the “white line” hypothesis—i.e. buying the tickets on a roll of scratch-offs that are on or near the bold white line on a roll. Many folks believe they’ve found a correlation between this line and winning tickets, and demonstrated how they’ve won varying amounts on “white line” scratch-off cards—like this one woman who certainly believes the myth carries some weight.
One TikToker, @pryncsdom0, has posted several videos about this theory herself, with one of her clips where she tries it out garnering over 801,000 views. In the video, she records herself in front of a collection of different scratch-off tickets and writes in a text overlay: “Testing the white line theory which one should i pick.”
She scans the selection until finally finding one that she seemingly settles on at the end of the 10-second clip. In a follow-up video, she takes a key to the scratch-off card, uncovering a line of “winning numbers” at the top and then scratching through several more beneath them to see if those numbers match.
As she goes through the card’s different numbers, keying them off one by one, she reveals that there is indeed a match right smack dab in the center of the different choices: number 17. The value? $10, which is what the scratch-off ticket cost in the first place, giving her her money back.
One commenter wrote: “The white line is usually what u paid for the ticket,” casting doubt on anyone’s ability to get the grand prize from white line scratch-offs.
In another video where she tests the theory, @pryncsdom0 documents herself getting a dud, which didn’t surprise one TikToker who wrote: “Naughty neighbors. As soon as I saw neighboring numbers I knew it wasn’t a winner.”
Another person thought that there was a numerical method to the madness, anytime there were repeated numbers, like 11, 22, 33, etc., they could always tell that a ticket isn’t going to pay out. “Soon as I seen the 22 I knew it was a looser,” they said.
However, in another $10 Money Drop card TikTok, she documents how she was able to get yet another $10 winner, and it was indeed on a “white line” ticket.
Th TikToker explains the theory further, provided by gas station worker and fellow TikTok user @alexcal760 who says that under no circumstances should a person purchase $5 scratch-off tickets. @pryncsdom0 demonstrates in several clips how her purchases of $5 scratch-offs ultimately failed like this one where she bought 4 of them off of a new roll and every single one was a dud.
@pryncsdom0 #lottery #whitelinetheory #scratchoff ♬ original sound – Pryncsdom0
If you’re thinking of trying the white line theory out for yourself, you may want to heed the advice of this TikTok user who claims to sell tons of these tickets every day and knows better than to try and play these games. “I sell hundreds a day.. White line theory is bogus,” they wrote.
Another person who said they sell scratch-offs also thinks that winners are completely random and that the white lines don’t have anything to do with it. “I’m a cashier and have a bag of winners next to me and I only have maybe 10 out of 100 tickets that had the white line,” they added.
But then some believed in the myth and provided some tips of their own. “Tickets before or after the white line are usually winners,” one user wrote.
Others who sold the tickets were convinced the theory held weight too and even bragged about helping their customers win some money. “This works lol I worked as a cashier and would pick all the good tickets for customers i liked they would hit do big too !” one said.
Some argued that it’s probably best for social media users to keep this information to themselves to not blow up the theory’s spot. “So now it’s a tic Tok thing lottery will change it, always better to buy 3 or more of the same ticket,” one commented.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @pryncsdom0 via TikTok comment for further information.
