Scratch-off tickets are instant lottery games where the result is printed under a coating. This page explains how odds on scratch-off games work, how to read the information that lottery operators publish for each game, and how scratch-offs differ from draw games. It is general information, not a recommendation to buy tickets and not a ranking of games.
What the odds on a scratch-off mean
The overall odds printed for a scratch-off game are the chance of winning any prize on one ticket, including small prizes that may only return the price of the ticket. They are not the chance of winning the top prize. The chance of the top prize is much lower and depends on how many tickets were printed and how many top prizes remain unclaimed.
How to read a game page
- Check the overall odds and the prize table, which lists each prize level and how many remain.
- Check the ticket price. A higher price does not guarantee a better chance of winning.
- Check how many top prizes are still unclaimed; the lottery operator publishes this for each game.
- Use only the operator official figures. Figures quoted elsewhere may be out of date.
Scratch-offs versus draw games
Scratch-off results are fixed when the tickets are printed, and the prizes are drawn from a finite pool. Draw games such as jackpot lotteries are decided by a random draw after tickets are sold. Neither type can be predicted, and no strategy changes the odds.
Odds do not change with tips
You will see tips about when or where to buy tickets. They do not change the odds. Each ticket is an independent chance, and the expected return of lottery games is below the amount spent.
Reading a scratch-off game page
State lotteries normally publish a page for each scratch-off game. Look for the ticket price, the overall odds, the number of prizes at each level and how many remain unclaimed. The prize table is more useful than any ranking, because it shows how the prize pool is divided.
Why “best odds” lists are unreliable
- Odds change as tickets are sold and prizes are claimed, so a list can be out of date within days.
- The overall odds include small prizes that only return the ticket price.
- A higher ticket price usually means larger prizes, not better odds of making a profit.
Scams to avoid
- Messages saying you won a lottery you did not enter.
- Requests to pay a fee or “tax” to release a prize.
- Sellers claiming to know which tickets are winners.
What a typical prize table looks like
A prize table lists each prize level, how many prizes were created at that level and how many remain. For example, a game may have many small prizes equal to the ticket price, a few mid-sized prizes and one or two top prizes. When the top prizes have all been claimed, the headline odds on the game page may still list them, so check the number remaining before you buy. Remember that remaining prizes do not make a ticket more likely to win.
Frequently asked questions: more
Do scratch-offs get better odds as prizes are claimed?
Not in a way you can rely on. Each ticket was printed with its outcome fixed, so unclaimed prizes do not make a particular ticket more likely to win.
Is it worth buying many tickets of one game?
The expected return of each ticket is below its price, so buying more tickets increases expected loss as well as the number of chances.
Play responsibly
Lottery games are for adults only. Check the minimum age and the rules where you live, set a budget before you buy, and stop if it stops being fun. If gambling is causing you harm, contact a problem-gambling support service in your area, such as the National Council on Problem Gambling (ncpgambling.org) in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
What are scratch-off lottery games?
Instant tickets with a coated area that is scratched off to reveal whether the ticket wins.
How do I know which games have the best odds?
Compare the published overall odds and prize tables for each game, remembering that no game guarantees a win.
Are scratch-offs better than draw games?
Neither is better in a way that can be relied on. Both have odds that favour the operator over time.