How to Tell If Your Scratch-Off Ticket Is Actually a Winner

Scratching a ticket and not being sure if you won is more common than it sounds. Prize tables can be confusing, symbols don't always match what you expect, and some games have multiple ways to win that aren't obvious at first glance. Here's exactly how to tell if a scratch-off is a winner, including how to check it by barcode, by serial number, and what you can (and can't) find out before you scratch.

Can You Tell If a Scratch-Off Is a Winner Before Scratching It?

Short answer: no. There's no reliable way to see whether a ticket is a winner without scratching the play area, and the popular "tricks" don't hold up. Claims that you can spot a winner by reading the serial number, studying the barcode, or buying the rest of a roll are myths. The winning combinations are hidden under the scratch-off coating for exactly this reason, and retailers can't see them either.

The one legitimate pre-scratch check is scanning an unscratched ticket in your state lottery's app. That won't tell you if your specific ticket won, but it can confirm the game is still active and still has unclaimed prizes, which is worth knowing before you spend money on an old game. To find out if the ticket itself is a winner, you have to scratch it and then verify it using one of the methods below.

Read the Instructions on the Ticket First

Every scratch-off ticket has instructions printed on it, usually on the back or along one edge. Before you scratch anything, read them. Some games require matching three of the same number. Some require your numbers to beat a dealer's hand. Some have bonus symbols that trigger separate prize pools. The rules vary by game and skipping them is how people miss wins.

The instructions also tell you what symbols or numbers to look for. A ticket with a star symbol might automatically win a prize. A ticket with a multiplier might change how much a matching prize pays out. None of that is obvious unless you know the game you're playing.

Scratch the Entire Ticket

This sounds obvious but a lot of people miss prizes by not scratching every panel. Many scratch-off games have multiple play areas, a bonus section, a multiplier area, or a prize legend at the bottom that needs to be scratched separately. If you only scratch the main play area and toss the ticket, you may have left a prize unscratched.

Scratch everything. Every panel, every box, every area on the ticket. Some of the best wins hide in the bonus sections that players skip.

Check the Prize Legend

Every ticket has a prize legend, usually on the back, showing all possible prize amounts for that game. If you think you won something but aren't sure how much, match what you scratched against the prize legend. The legend also shows you the lowest prize the game pays, which is useful for knowing whether a small win is real or whether you misread a symbol.

Scan the Barcode at a Retailer

If you're still not sure after checking yourself, take it to any lottery retailer and ask them to scan it. The scanner reads the barcode and pulls the result directly from the lottery system, so it will instantly tell you whether the ticket is a winner and exactly how much it pays. This is the definitive check by barcode. There's no ambiguity.