Louisiana's $20 scratch-offs have more than doubled in sales since 2023
Louisiana players spent more on $20 scratch-offs than on any other price in the fiscal year that ended June 30, even though the lottery launched just three $20 games, according to its annual financial report dated September 29. The $20 tickets brought in $73.7 million, 23.2% of scratch-off sales, edging out the $5 tickets that had led the year before.
| Price | Games launched | Sales | Share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | 14 | $39.9 million | 12.5% |
| $2 | 13 | $46.2 million | 14.5% |
| $3 | 8 | $31.5 million | 9.9% |
| $5 | 10 | $68.6 million | 21.6% |
| $10 | 4 | $57.9 million | 18.2% |
| $20 | 3 | $73.7 million | 23.2% |
| Total | 52 | $317.9 million | 100% |
The $20 price first shows up in the report's sales schedule in fiscal 2023, at $33.9 million. It has more than doubled since, while $10 sales have fallen from a peak of $98.5 million in fiscal 2021 to $57.9 million. Total scratch-off sales rose only $1.1 million, less than 1%, and remain below the $333.4 million record set in fiscal 2021. The lottery also put out fewer games. Its 52 launches were the fewest in the ten years the report covers, down from 63 the year before.
Where the prize money comes from
The lottery says its average scratch-off prize structure rose from 68.1% to 69.0% to 69.4% over the last three years, and it credits the higher payouts, along with its retailer network and inventory management, for steady instant sales. The prize expense it booked against scratch-off sales, $210.1 million, works out to 66.1% of those sales. State law lets the lottery fund part of its scratch-off prize structures with unclaimed prize money. During the year it drew $10.6 million out of its unclaimed-prize fund while $9.5 million in expired prizes flowed in. That $10.6 million equals about 3.3% of scratch-off sales, which, added to the 66.1%, roughly matches the 69.4% figure. The report doesn't break down how the withdrawals were spent. Scratch-off prizes in Louisiana expire 90 days after the lottery announces a game's end.
How Louisiana tickets compare
In our data, Louisiana's 39 active scratch-offs pay out less, on average, than games at the same price in other states. The gap is widest in the middle of the price range and nearly disappears at $20.
| Price | Louisiana games | Louisiana average payout | Other states' average |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | 11 | 58.5% | 61.8% |
| $2 | 10 | 60.9% | 65.5% |
| $3 | 3 | 60.7% | 65.2% |
| $5 | 8 | 61.9% | 69.3% |
| $10 | 4 | 66.4% | 73.2% |
| $20 | 3 | 74.4% | 75.2% |
So the price players are shifting toward is also the one where Louisiana's tickets come closest to the national norm. Of the three $20 games now on sale, Fire/Ice, launched in August, rates 92.9 on our ValueScore™ with about 24% sold, and Double Your Luck rates 82.2. Louisiana sells nothing above $20. It is one of four lotteries in our data with that ceiling, along with Arkansas, New Mexico, and South Carolina. We compared the two prices nationally in our $10 versus $20 breakdown.
A small market that still pays the state
Louisiana is a light-buying lottery state. Figures from La Fleur's 2026 World Lottery Almanac, printed in the report, put its fiscal 2025 traditional lottery sales at $126 per resident, against $288 nationally, and only 10 lotteries sold less per person. The lottery sent $194.0 million to the state treasury in fiscal 2026, up from $181.5 million, on total revenue of $630.1 million. That is 30.8 cents of each revenue dollar, down from 31 cents the year before and 31.9 cents in fiscal 2024, The Center Square reported. State law requires the lottery to transfer 25% of gross revenue, plus any surplus, and the money goes to the Minimum Foundation Program for K-12 schools.
Draw games did most of the growing. Powerball sales jumped from $49.2 million to $81.3 million in a year with two jackpots of about $1.8 billion, and Pick 3, Pick 4, and Pick 5 together set a record at $145.4 million. The lottery's 2,967 retailers are the most in the report's ten-year history. The newest Louisiana tickets are in our roundup of September's four Bucks games.
How we did this. Sales, launches, prize expense, unclaimed-prize activity, transfers, claim periods, and retailer counts are from the Louisiana Lottery Corporation's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal years 2026 and 2025, audited by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Per-resident sales are La Fleur's figures as reproduced in that report. The cents-per-dollar figures are from The Center Square. Payout and ValueScore™ comparisons are unweighted averages of the published prize tables for active games in our data on October 5, 2026, so they are not directly comparable to the lottery's own sales-weighted prize structure.
Sources
The Center Square, via American Press: Louisiana's share of lottery revenue falls as sales rise
Louisiana Lottery Corporation: Transfers over $194 million to state's Minimum Foundation Program
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did the Louisiana Lottery give the state in 2026?
$194.0 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2026, up from $181.5 million a year earlier. The money goes to the Minimum Foundation Program for K-12 schools, and transfers since 1991 total about $5.14 billion.
Which Louisiana scratch-off price sells the most?
$20 tickets, at $73.7 million, or 23.2% of scratch-off sales in fiscal 2026, according to the lottery's annual report. That beat $5 tickets at $68.6 million, even though the lottery launched only three $20 games that year.
How long do you have to claim a Louisiana scratch-off prize?
Ninety days after the lottery announces the end of the game, according to its annual report. Draw-game prizes can be claimed for 180 days after the drawing. Money left unclaimed goes into a pool used for future prizes.
Phil Nageotte is a writer covering scratch-off odds, expected value, prize data, and more. He joined ScratchCheck in 2026 after years of tracking lottery payouts in spreadsheets of his own.
