New Jersey launches "7's" scratch-off tickets, and one of them is the 2nd best game in the state
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The New Jersey Lottery launched three 7's scratch-offs on sale on September 2, at $2, $5, and $20, respectively. According to the lottery's game listings they are Sapphire 7's, Emerald 7's and Black Opal 7's, numbers #1988, #1989 and #1991.
One of the "7's" games actually came earlier, Ruby 7's, game #1990, a $10 ticket that went on sale on July 29. With today's three launched, the "7's" series now complete a ladder from $2 to $20.
Black Opal 7's enters with a score of 92.0, second of the 66 active games we score in New Jersey. The only game above it is $1 Million Premier Ca$h at 92.5, and the two return an identical 76.5% of sales as prizes.
The full ladder, from 2nd to 32nd in the state
| Game | Price | Top prize | Payout | Odds | ValueScore™ | NJ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Opal 7's | $20 | $1,000,000 | 76.5% | 1 in 3.97 | 92.0 | 2nd |
| Ruby 7's | $10 | $500,000 | 72.7% | 1 in 4.04 | 73.8 | 10th |
| Emerald 7's | $5 | $200,000 | 70.7% | 1 in 4.19 | 73.8 | 11th |
| Sapphire 7's | $2 | $20,000 | 65.6% | 1 in 4.64 | 48.9 | 32nd |
Ruby 7's and Emerald 7's tie at 73.8. Ruby is the pricier ticket with the higher payout, but it has been on sale five weeks, is already 29.6% sold, and has two top prizes left. Emerald launched today with all four of its top prizes and none of the run sold. Our score weights how much of the prize pool remains alongside payout and odds, and that's enough to close the two-point payout gap.
The second 7’s ladder in 18 months
New Jersey ran the same structure in January 2025 with Red Hot 7's, Sizzling Hot 7's, Super Hot 7's and Mega Hot 7's at the same four prices, numbers #1900 through #1903. Two of those games have retired. Super Hot 7's and Mega Hot 7's are still on sale, ranked 31st and 20th.
| Price | 2025 game | Payout | 2026 game | Payout | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2 | Red Hot 7's | 65.7% | Sapphire 7's | 65.6% | level |
| $5 | Sizzling Hot 7's | 67.0% | Emerald 7's | 70.7% | +3.7 |
| $10 | Super Hot 7's | 69.9% | Ruby 7's | 72.7% | +2.8 |
| $20 | Mega Hot 7's | 73.0% | Black Opal 7's | 76.5% | +3.5 |
Against New Jersey and the country
| Price | This game | NJ average | National average |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2 | 65.6% | 66.4% | 65.5% |
| $5 | 70.7% | 69.1% | 69.3% |
| $10 | 72.7% | 70.3% | 73.1% |
| $20 | 76.5% | 73.7% | 75.1% |
New Jersey pays below the national rate at $10 and $20, by 2.8 and 1.4 points, so a ticket that looks average nationally can lead its shelf in Jersey. Black Opal 7's clears both bars, returning 2.8 points more than the state's other $20 games and 1.4 more than the national figure. Sapphire 7's is the one that trails, sitting under New Jersey's own $2 average.
New Jersey's 66 active games average 70.1% payout and 50.2 on our scale. This is the fifth state in a week to launch one brand across a full price range, after Connecticut, Texas, Michigan and Virginia. Current New Jersey ValueScore™ rankings update daily.
Sources
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are New Jersey’s new 7’s scratch-offs?
Sapphire 7’s at $2, Emerald 7’s at $5 and Black Opal 7’s at $20, games #1988, #1989 and #1991, all on sale from September 2, 2026. They complete a family with Ruby 7’s, game #1990, a $10 ticket that launched on July 29. Top prizes are $20,000, $200,000, $500,000 and $1 million.
Which New Jersey 7’s game is the best value?
Black Opal 7’s, the $20 ticket. It returns 76.5% of sales as prizes with overall odds of 1 in 3.97 and rates 92.0 on our ValueScore™, second of New Jersey’s 66 active games. Only $1 Million Premier Ca$h scores higher, at 92.5 on the same 76.5% payout.
How does the new ladder compare with the 2025 Hot 7’s games?
It pays more at three of the four prices. Emerald 7’s returns 70.7% against 67.0% for Sizzling Hot 7’s, Ruby 7’s 72.7% against 69.9% for Super Hot 7’s, and Black Opal 7’s 76.5% against 73.0% for Mega Hot 7’s. The $2 tickets are level, with Sapphire 7’s at 65.6% and Red Hot 7’s at 65.7%.
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.
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