Another advancement in self-service: Now there are vending machines for lottery tickets at South Florida supermarkets.

The Florida Lottery has been installing 1,000 machine statewide, starting in August in Tampa and Fort Myers. The machines have 24 games, including Monopoly and Million Dollar Blockbuster, ranging in price from $1 to $30 and take bills only.

They are the instant scratch-off games, meaning that you don't get to pick your own numbers. (Or, what we learned in kindergarten: "You get what you get and you don't get upset.")

Independent contractors hired by the lottery are installing machines at 26 Publix stores and 3 Winn-Dixies this week in Broward County. Palm Beach County is likely next week. When exactly your store launches has some wiggle room: After the independent contractors set up the electrical portion of the machines, another contractor comes a day later to put in the tickets. (One complaint when the Lottery tried vending machines from 1997-2001 was that the machines didn't stay fully stocked. Imagine going to buy a Coke and seeing a "Sold Out" light.)

A Publix in Weston was among the first supermarkets up and running, and did about $600 in business Tuesday, employees said. (I can't quote them directly unless I go through Publix corporate.)

Zoe Pirella, a regular player who pledges to give at least a 10 percent tip to the counter person if she ever hits a jackpot over $1 million, bought a ticket from the counter Wednesday morning, but says she'll try the vending machine during busy times.

"It'll be quicker if there's a long line," she said.

While the supermarkets can place soft drink and even DVD machines near their entrance, the lottery machines must be near the customer service area, because employees have a kill switch nearby if the person buying tickets is suspected to be under 18. The machine then reboots in six minutes.

The instant machines have prompted some complaints, including from Pat Fowler of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. She said the machines will enable compulsive gamblers to go from store to store because they're embarrassed about how many tickets they buy.

This comment from Publix: "Publix offers the lottery to our customers as a service; however, we do not endorse or promote the lottery," emailed Kim Jaeger of Publix's Miami division.

Parimutuel owners also point out that the lottery pays out only 50 percent of what it takes in; horse racing, dog racing and jai-alai pay back about 80 percent and slots return 90 cents of each dollar to players. But lottery helps education, so you can argue you're being noble...

A few more numbers: There will be 185 ITVMs are being placed in the Miami District (which includes Miami-Dade, Monroe and Broward counties) and approximately 115 in the West Palm Beach District (which includes Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. The Lottery will release the exact locations later.

Overall, the scratch-off games have been down slightly, and some attribute it to Powerball coming to the state this year. Officials hope the machines will boost business. Other states have had the vending machines for years, and it helps sales.

So, the usual question applies: Will these machines affect your playing habits?