ScratchCheck Blog
Analysis, strategy, and stories from the editorial team.
Why You're Playing Scratch-Offs Wrong (and How to Play Smarter)
Most people buy scratch-offs on autopilot. The common habits costing you, starting with the biggest: never checking how many top prizes are still unclaimed.
by Phil NageotteLatest articles
A Maryland Couple Constantly Checked Which Top Prizes Were Remaining, Then Won $500,000 on a Lottery Scratch Off
A Dundalk, Maryland couple won $500,000 on Gifts of Green after the husband checked which scratch-offs still had top prizes, exactly what ScratchCheck tracks.
by Jessie Jurado
How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy Lottery Tickets in Georgia?
You must be 18 to buy any lottery ticket in Georgia. How the rule is enforced, whether you can gift a ticket to a minor, and what happens when a minor's ticket wins.
by Jessie Jurado
Two Former South Carolina Store Employees Charged in a Lottery Scratch-Off Theft Scheme
SLED charged two former convenience store employees in an alleged scheme to steal and cash South Carolina Education Lottery scratch-off tickets. Both are presumed innocent.
by Jessie Jurado
Georgia Lottery Raised a Record $1.54 Billion for Education in Fiscal 2026
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the Georgia Lottery raised a record $1.54 billion for education in fiscal 2026, its 11th straight year over $1 billion, all for HOPE and Pre-K.
by Jessie Jurado
A 'Vision' Told a South Carolina Man to Buy a Ticket, and He Won $500,000
An Upstate South Carolina man said a vision told him to buy a lottery ticket, so he bought two $10 scratch-offs at a Greenville store. One was a $500,000 Gold Vault Extra Play winner.
by Jessie Jurado
Where Every Dollar You Spend on a Scratch-Off Actually Goes
Follow a single scratch-off dollar: how much goes to prizes, how much the state keeps, what the store earns, and why the split is worth knowing before you buy.
by Phil Nageotte
How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy Lottery Tickets in Florida?
You must be 18 to buy any lottery ticket in Florida. How the rule is enforced, whether you can gift a ticket to a minor, and what happens when a minor's ticket wins.
by Jessie Jurado
A Brooklyn Woman Won $3 Million on a Scratch-Off Bought at a Newsstand
Christiane Butcher of Brooklyn claimed a $3 million top prize on the New York Lottery's 100Xtra scratch-off, bought at a Brooklyn newsstand. Three top prizes still remain.
by Jessie Jurado
Both Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpots Surpass $500 Million
Mega Millions ($672M) and Powerball ($526M) are both over $500 million at the same time, more than $1.2 billion combined. The odds, the cash option, and what a winner actually keeps.
by Jessie Jurado
The Life Cycle of a Scratch-Off Game, From Launch to the Last Top Prize
A ticket that was a great buy at launch can be a poor one a year later, with the same printed odds. How a scratch-off game moves from its first ticket to its last prize.
by Phil Nageotte
South Carolina Woman Charged With Trying to Cash Stolen Scratch-Off Tickets
SLED charged a woman accused of stealing scratch-off tickets from the South Carolina store where she worked and trying to cash them at other gas stations.
by Jessie Jurado
An H-E-B Customer Just Won the Last $20 Million Top Prize in a Texas Scratch-Off
A New Braunfels H-E-B customer claimed the fourth and final $20 million top prize in the Texas Lottery's $20 Million Supreme scratch-off, the last big prize the game had.
by Jessie Jurado
Oregon Just Launched 3 New Scratch-Offs in July 2026
Oregon launched three new scratch-offs on July 14: Fast Cash Poker ($10), 20X Blitz ($5), and Potion Payout ($2). Prices, top prizes, and each game's ValueScore.
by Jessie Jurado
How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy Lottery Tickets in Texas?
You must be 18 to buy any lottery ticket in Texas. How the rule is enforced, whether you can gift a ticket to a minor, and what happens when a minor's ticket wins.
by Jessie Jurado
Delaware Lottery Adds Self-Service Sports Betting Kiosks at All 89 Lottery Retailers and 3 Casinos
The Delaware Lottery has rolled out self-service sports wagering kiosks at all 89 Sports Lottery retailers and its three casinos, powered by Caesars Sportsbook.
by Jessie Jurado
Are Scratch-Offs Rigged?
The honest answer to whether scratch-offs are rigged, how the fairness actually works, and why "not rigged" still is not the same as "a good bet."
by Phil Nageotte
New Jersey Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
New Jersey's biggest scratch-off top prizes still in the pool, ranked with each game's ValueScore and odds, so you can buy before the best prizes are claimed.
by Jessie Jurado
Michigan Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
Michigan's biggest scratch-off top prizes still in the pool, ranked with each game's ValueScore and odds, so you can buy before the best prizes are claimed.
by Jessie Jurado
What a $5-a-Day Scratch-Off Habit Really Adds Up To
Five dollars a day does not feel like much in the moment. Here is the plain math on what a daily scratch-off habit adds up to over a year, no lecture attached.
by Jessie Jurado
How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy Lottery Tickets in California?
You must be 18 to buy any lottery ticket in California. How the rule is enforced, whether you can gift a ticket to a minor, and what happens when a minor's ticket wins.
by Jessie Jurado
She Won $4 Million on a Scratch-Off Right After Her Divorce. Her Ex Fought All the Way to the State Supreme Court
The Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled a woman who won $4 million on a scratch-off weeks after her divorce does not have to share it with her ex-husband, ending a years-long fight.
by Jessie Jurado
North Carolina Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
North Carolina's biggest scratch-off top prizes still in the pool, ranked with each game's ValueScore and odds, so you can buy before the best prizes are gone.
by Jessie Jurado
How to Tell If a Scratch-Off Has Already Been Played or Tampered With
Most tickets are fine, but here is how to spot one that was already played or tampered with, and why the scanner is the only thing that settles it for sure.
by Jessie Jurado
Florida Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
Florida's biggest scratch-off top prizes that are still sitting in the pool, ranked with each game's ValueScore and odds, so you can buy before the best prizes are gone.
by Jessie Jurado
This Oregon Family Store Made $32,000 After Selling a $3.2 Million Winning Ticket
A family-owned Prineville store, R & R Grocery and Sporting Goods, earned a $32,000 bonus from the Oregon Lottery for selling a $3.2 million Megabucks jackpot ticket.
by Jessie Jurado
Is the Lottery a 'Tax on the Poor'? What the Numbers Actually Show
You have heard the lottery called a tax on the poor. There is truth in it, but it is not the whole story. What the numbers show, without the lecture.
by Jessie Jurado
Who Owns the Winning $12.8 Million Lottery Ticket? A Fired Manager and Circle K Are About to Find Out
A former Scottsdale Circle K manager says he clocked out and followed policy before buying a leftover Arizona Lottery ticket worth $12.8 million. A judge will decide who owns it.
by Jessie Jurado
Baton Rouge Gas Station Clerk Accused of Skimming $5,485 in Lottery Proceeds
Baton Rouge Police accuse a gas station clerk of taking $5,485 in Fast Play tickets and winnings from a Kangaroo Express. She is booked on skimming of lottery proceeds, a Louisiana felony.
by Jessie Jurado
Found an Old Scratch-Off in a Drawer? Here's How to Tell If It's Still Good
An old ticket is worth checking, but the claim deadline is the catch. How to find out if a forgotten scratch-off won and whether it is too late to cash it.
by Jessie Jurado
Tribal Nation Sues to Stop Kansas Lottery Sales on Its Historic Reservation Land
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Kansas Lottery's right to sell tickets and run gaming machines within its 1846 reservation boundaries.
by Jessie Jurado
A Bored Night Online Turned a Michigan Woman's $700 Win Into $100,000
An 80-year-old Michigan woman logged in out of boredom, won about $700 on an online game, kept playing, and hit a $100,000 prize her husband did not believe.
by Jessie Jurado
Is Buying Scratch-Offs a Waste of Money? The Honest Answer
A straight answer instead of a lecture. What scratch-offs really pay back, why a few dollars of fun is not a waste, and the point where it stops being harmless.
by Jessie Jurado
Pennsylvania Grocery Store Sells a $1 Million a Year for Life Winning Ticket
A winning $1,000,000 a Year for Life scratch-off was sold at Martin's in Greencastle, PA. The winner can take $1 million a year or $14.5 million cash, and the store earns a $100,000 bonus.
by Jessie Jurado
11 New Scratch-Offs Just Launched in New York, Michigan, New Mexico, and New Jersey
Eleven new scratch-offs launched July 7 across New York, Michigan, New Mexico, and New Jersey. Every game with its launch ValueScore, top prize, and odds.
by Jessie Jurado
Do Newer Scratch-Off Games Have Better Odds? Here's the Real Answer
Players swear by fresh games, and there is a grain of truth to it. But the printed odds never change. What actually matters is how many big prizes are left.
by Phil Nageotte
Tennessee Just Launched 4 New Scratch-Offs, Up to a $1 Million Top Prize
Tennessee launched four new scratch-offs on July 1, from a $1 Lucky Gems to a $20 All The Money $$$ with a $1 million top prize. See each game, with photos, prices, and odds.
by Jessie Jurado
18 New Scratch-Offs Just Launched Across Virginia, Illinois, Arizona, Minnesota, and Mississippi
Eighteen new scratch-offs launched July 7 across Virginia, Illinois, Arizona, Minnesota, and Mississippi. The full list with prices, top prizes, and the real odds.
by Jessie Jurado
Nebraska Lottery Sends $9.6 Million to State Causes, With Its Environmental Fund Now in Court
Nebraska's lottery sent $9.6 million in quarterly proceeds to state causes, but the Environmental Trust's share is now caught in a court fight over how the state spent it.
by Jessie Jurado
Will Powerball and Mega Millions Become Worldwide Games, Not Just for Americans?
Powerball's UK launch is its first outside the US in 34 years. Could Powerball and Mega Millions go fully global? The case for, the case against, and what it means for US players.
by Jessie Jurado
Baltimore Grandfather Wins $1 Million on a $20 Triple Red 777s Scratch-Off
A Baltimore grandfather and lifelong Orioles fan scratched a $20 Triple Red 777s ticket and uncovered the $1 million top prize. The Maryland game still has top prizes left.
by Jessie Jurado
Powerball Launches in the UK on July 21
Powerball goes on sale in the UK on July 21, the first time outside the US in 34 years. What it means for the shared jackpot, in US dollars.
by Jessie Jurado
You Won a Scratch-Off. Here's Exactly How to Claim It
Sign it first, then match the claim step to the size of the prize. A plain walkthrough of cashing a winning scratch-off, from a few dollars to a jackpot.
by Jessie Jurado
Two Georgia Players Became Instant Millionaires on Scratch-Offs
Two Georgia players won $1 million scratch-off top prizes in June, on 50X The Money in Fayetteville and Millionaire Maker in Jasper. Which game you can still play, plus the rest of a big month for Georgia Lottery players.
by Jessie Jurado
An Illinois Man Won the Same Lottery Game Twice, 15 Years Apart, for $1.3 Million
A Chicagoland man won $1.3 million on a Quick Pick Lucky Day Lotto ticket, 15 years after winning $45,000 on the same game when it was called Little Lotto. The full story.
by Jessie Jurado
Same Name, Different Game: How "100X" Pays 12 Different Ways
A scratch-off called "100X" runs in 12 markets, and the price, odds, payout, top prize, and ValueScore are different in every one. The name tells you nothing.
by Jessie Jurado
Which States Refresh Their Scratch-Offs Fastest?
Louisiana's typical active scratch-off is about three months old. Pennsylvania's is nearly two years old. Here is how fast each state cycles its lineup.
by Phil Nageotte
North Carolina Lottery Launched 4 New Scratch-Offs
North Carolina launched four new scratch-offs on July 3, 2026, including two with $1,000,000 top prizes. Full ValueScore, odds, payout, and top-prize breakdown.
by Jessie Jurado
Oklahoma Launched 6 New Scratch-Offs
Oklahoma rolled out six new scratch-offs on July 2, 2026, from $1 to $10, led by two strong $10 games. Full ValueScore, odds, payout, and top-prize breakdown.
by Jessie Jurado
What a Powerball Ticket Is Really Worth Over a Jackpot Cycle
A $2 Powerball ticket's real value rises and falls with the jackpot. From March 6 to June 25, 2026, it ranged from about $0.86 to $0.35, so how much did you lose per $2 spent?
by Phil Nageotte