Online lottery instant games by state (October 2026)
Eleven state lotteries sell instant games online, the digital version of a scratch-off, and together they offer 1,602 of them, according to our data as of October 22, 2026. Michigan has the most by far. Players pick a stake, reveal symbols on screen, and are paid into an account, and they must be inside the state to play.
| State | Online games | Stakes per play | Largest top prize | Typical top prize | Games with $1M+ top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 291 games | $0.05 to $50 | $2,100,000 | $100,000 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 244 games | $0.05 to $50 | $1,000,000 | $150,000 | 2 |
| New Hampshire | 205 games | $0.01 to $50 | $600,000 | $100,000 | 0 |
| Virginia | 189 games | $0.01 to $50 | $1,100,000 | $150,000 | 8 |
| Georgia | 166 games | $0.10 to $30 | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 158 games | $0.02 to $50 | $1,000,000 | $150,000 | 4 |
| Rhode Island | 121 games | $0.50 to $20 | $400,000 | $100,000 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 88 games | $0.05 to $50 | $1,000,000 | $150,000 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 74 games | $0.05 to $30 | $2,000,000 | $150,000 | 2 |
| Delaware | 40 games | n/a | $10,000 | $5,000 | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 26 games | from $0.05 | $2,500,000 | $250,000 | 1 |
Few lotteries publish what their online games pay back, but the two that do in our data show a big gap. Pennsylvania's 244 online instant games return 88.6% of wagers on average, from 84% to 90.1%, while its paper scratch-offs average 74.4%. Delaware's 20 online games with a published rate average 90.0%, against 68.8% for its paper tickets. Paper scratch-offs nationwide return about 69.9%.
A higher payout doesn't mean players keep more. Online games are played fast and stakes are often replayed, so a player can wager the same money many times in one sitting, and the lottery counts each wager as a sale. That is how North Carolina's sales jumped after it added online instants in late 2023. Massachusetts is the newest, and its launch gave it the largest online top prize in our data. Whether a given state sells online at all is covered in our guide to buying scratch-offs online.
How we did this. Game counts, stake ranges, top prizes, and published return-to-player rates are from each lottery's online game listings as collected in our database on October 22, 2026. The typical top prize is the median across a state's active online games. The national paper payout averages all active state lottery scratch-offs with full prize data. Delaware's listings do not include stake ranges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states sell scratch-off games online?
As of October 22, 2026, our data lists online instant games in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, Rhode Island, North Carolina, West Virginia, Delaware, and Massachusetts. Players must be physically in the state to buy.
Do online scratch-offs pay better than paper tickets?
Where lotteries publish it, yes. Pennsylvania's 244 online instant games return 88.6% on average, from 84% to 90.1%, against 74.4% for its paper scratch-offs. Delaware's published online games average 90.0%.
How much does an online scratch-off cost to play?
Most let the player choose the stake. Some games start at 1 cent a play in New Hampshire and Virginia, and the most expensive plays top out at $50 in most states. Top prizes usually run $100,000 to $250,000.
Paul is the Founder of Scratchcheck, he previously co-founded allkpop.com and grew it to millions of readers.
