The States That Pay Out the Most on Scratch-Offs, and the Ones That Pay Least
Every scratch-off is built to return a set share of its sales to players as prizes. That figure, the payout percentage, is one of the most honest numbers in the whole hobby, and it is not the same everywhere. We averaged it across the active games we track in each state to see who gives players the most back, and who gives the least.
A quick note on method: these are averages across the games each state currently has on sale that publish full prize data, not a single headline number a lottery advertises. Think of it as the typical return you would see spread across that state’s shelf.
The states that pay out the most
Massachusetts sits on top, and if you follow the lottery that will not surprise you. It is famously the highest per-capita lottery state in the country, and it returns the most to players too.
| # | State | Avg. payout | Games tracked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 77.9% | 123 |
| 2 | Georgia | 76.1% | 67 |
| 3 | Indiana | 75.9% | 17 |
| 4 | Illinois | 74.2% | 54 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 72.3% | 81 |
| 6 | Michigan | 72.3% | 109 |
| 7 | California | 72.1% | 50 |
| 8 | Maryland | 71.8% | 92 |
| 9 | Florida | 71.5% | 93 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 71.4% | 166 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 70.8% | 36 |
| 12 | Ohio | 70.4% | 66 |
The states that pay out the least
At the other end, the returns thin out. These states still return most of what they take in, but noticeably less than the leaders.
| State | Avg. payout | Games tracked |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 66.7% | 103 |
| Iowa | 65.8% | 62 |
| Wisconsin | 64.9% | 59 |
| Nebraska | 62.8% | 26 |
| Louisiana | 62.0% | 37 |
| Montana | 61.8% | 53 |
| New Mexico | 60.4% | 56 |
What this does and does not mean for you
The spread from top to bottom is about 18 cents on every dollar, which is not nothing. Play regularly in a high-payout state and more of your money finds its way back over time. But do not read this as "move to Massachusetts to win." Any single ticket is still mostly luck, and even a low-payout state has strong individual games while a high-payout state has duds.
So use this as background, not a buying decision. The number that actually picks your ticket is the one attached to the specific game in front of you. Sort your state’s games by payout percentage or by ValueScore™ and you will beat the state average no matter where you live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state pays out the most on scratch-offs?
By average payout percentage across the active games we track, Massachusetts leads at about 77.9%, meaning nearly 78 cents of every dollar spent comes back to players as prizes over the life of its games. Georgia and Indiana follow closely.
Which state pays out the least?
New Mexico is lowest among states we track at about 60.4%, with Montana and Louisiana just above it near 62%. That is roughly 18 cents on the dollar worse than Massachusetts.
Does payout percentage mean I will win more in one state?
Over a large number of tickets it tilts the math in your favor, but any single ticket is still mostly luck. The bigger lever is picking a strong individual game, which you can do in any state using ValueScore and prizes remaining.
Phil Nageotte got interested with lottery math after realizing most players have no idea what the odds on the back of a ticket actually mean in practice. Phil covers the numbers side of scratch-offs. He holds the unofficial record among his friend group for most lottery tickets purchased purely for research purposes. He would like to clarify that he is not addicted to scratch-offs. He is addicted to data.
