59% of retired scratch-off games ended with a top prize still unclaimed
When a lottery retires a scratch-off game, whatever is left in the unsold tickets stays unwon. That is normal and expected for small prizes, but it's surprising that it is also what happens to top prizes more often than not. Of the 2,130 retired US games where we have the numbers, 1,257 ended with at least one top prize unclaimed, which comes to 59%. Figures are from our database as of the second week of September 2026, and cover active US scratch-off games.
Those 2,130 retired games left 358,215 prizes of every size unclaimed between them. Here are some of the bigger jackpots.
| Retired game | State | Price | Top prize | Still unclaimed at the end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billion | Ohio | $50 | $20,000,000 | 2 |
| 300X | Massachusetts | $30 | $15,000,000 | 1 |
| $15,000,000 Money Maker | Massachusetts | $30 | $15,000,000 | 1 |
| $10,000,000 Super Bonus | California | $30 | $10,000,000 | 2 |
| Royal Riches | California | $30 | $10,000,000 | 1 |
| $300,000,000 Extreme Cash | Ohio | $30 | $5,000,000 | 6 |
In total, 115 retired games finished with an unclaimed top prize of $1 million or more. All of the winners were printed but some were sent to stores and never scratched, some were scratched and misread, and some sat in a warehouse that went back to the lottery.
The cheaper the ticket, the likelier it happens
| Price | Retired games | Ended with a top prize left | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | 259 | 176 | 68.0% |
| $2 | 386 | 229 | 59.3% |
| $5 | 573 | 323 | 56.4% |
| $10 | 400 | 228 | 57.0% |
| $20 | 217 | 131 | 60.4% |
| $30 | 82 | 55 | 67.1% |
| $50 | 24 | 13 | 54.2% |
The $1 tier is the worst at 68%, and the reason is arithmetic. A cheap game has a short print run and the shortest life on the shelf, so a top prize sitting in the back of the run has the least time to surface. The $30 tier is high for the opposite reason, since those games carry several top prizes at long odds and finishing all of them takes a full sell-through.
Where the unclaimed money goes afterward varies. Some states return unclaimed prize money to the prize pool for future games, some send it to the state's beneficiary, and the running total sitting on shelves is measured in billions at any moment.
How we did this. Remaining top prize counts and game status are from each state lottery's published game data. The sample is retired US games with a remaining top prize figure recorded, 2,130 games. A game counts as ending with a top prize unclaimed when its last recorded remaining count was above zero. Prize counts reflect the last figures a lottery published for a game, so a claim made after a game closed may not appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does a scratch-off game end with its top prize unclaimed?
More often than not. Of 2,130 retired US games where we have the figures, 1,257, or 59%, still had at least one top prize unclaimed when the game was pulled. Those games left 358,215 prizes of all sizes unclaimed between them.
Do million-dollar scratch-off prizes go unclaimed?
Yes. 115 retired US games ended with an unclaimed top prize of $1 million or more, including a $20 million prize on an Ohio $50 game and $15 million prizes on two Massachusetts $30 games. Those tickets were printed and shipped, and the game finished before anyone found them.
Which price point most often ends with a top prize left?
$1 games, at 68% of retired games, followed by $30 games at 67%. The $50 tier is lowest at 54%. A cheap game has a smaller print run and a shorter life, so there is less time and less volume for a top prize to surface.
Jessie Jurado is a news writer who covers new scratch-off launches, state lottery guides, taxes on winnings, news, and much more. She joined ScratchCheck in 2026 and writes the site's state-by-state coverage.
