ScratchCheck Blog
Analysis, strategy, and stories from the editorial team.
Latest articles
How bingo scratch-off games work (and how to play them)
Bingo scratch-offs are some of the most fun tickets on the shelf, and also some of the most confusing the first time. Here is how the caller’s card, your cards, and the winning patterns all fit together.
by Phil Nageotte
What "file a claim" or "see lottery" means when you scan a ticket
A lottery terminal that says "file a claim" is not rejecting your ticket. It usually means the prize is too big for the store to pay.
by Jessie Jurado
Florida man wins $1 million on a $5 scratch-off
James Bostick of Lady Lake won $1 million on Florida's $5 Giant Bucks scratch-off and took the $606,600 lump sum. Three of the game's $1 million top prizes remain.
by Jessie Jurado
Georgia family warns after 81-year-old loses more than $10,000 in lottery scam
Scammers convinced an 81-year-old Albany woman she had won $8.5 million, then took gift cards and $10,000 in jewelry over a month of WhatsApp calls. Real lotteries never call winners.
by Jessie Jurado
Is it better to buy twenty $1 tickets or one $20 ticket?
Twenty $1 tickets give you a 99% chance of winning something, and about $12 back on your $20. One $20 ticket keeps $15 and plays for a $577,000 median top prize.
by Phil Nageotte
Maryland man wins $50,000 on a scratch-off, 11 years after his first $50,000 win
A Fort Washington man won $50,000 on the $5 Multiply Your Money scratch-off, 11 years after a $50,000 win he has partly banked ever since. Four of seven top prizes remain.
by Jessie Jurado
Maryland Lottery helped send $1.64 billion to state programs last year, with nearly $700 million for schools
Maryland Lottery, casinos and sports betting contributed $1.637 billion to state programs in fiscal 2026, about $48 million more than last year, with nearly $700 million for education.
by Jessie Jurado
Why you should keep Quiet if you Win Big on the Lottery
Winners who kept quiet collected in peace. Winners who talked lost tickets to photos, prizes to relatives, and years to court fights. The cases keep making the same argument.
by Jessie Jurado
Best scratch-off odds and best value are not the same thing
Iowa sells two $30 games with identical 1 in 2.29 odds. One scores 95.4 on value and the other 59.3. That gap is the whole argument for looking past the odds.
by Phil Nageotte
The DC Lottery launched 3 Commanders scratch-offs, and the $10 one is genuinely good
The DC Lottery launched three Washington Commanders scratch-offs on August 5. The $10 version rates 82.1, unusually strong for a licensed ticket.
by Jessie Jurado
Workers searched 6 tons of garbage to recover a $1.16 million lottery ticket
An Italian woman threw away a $1.16 million winning ticket after misreading a terminal message. The local waste company traced the truck and sifted more than 6 tons to find it, still in one piece.
by Jessie Jurado
Michigan woman says a cashier mistake led to her $100,000 Powerball prize
Barbara Lambert of St. Helen went back into the store because her first ticket was missing Power Play. The replacement matched four white balls and the Powerball, and the 2X multiplier made it $100,000.
by Jessie Jurado
How to play a scratch-off ticket: symbols, matches, and bonus spots explained
If you have ever scratched a ticket and were not totally sure whether you won, this is for you. A plain-English walkthrough of how scratch-off play areas work, from matching numbers to bonus symbols.
by Phil Nageotte
Michigan launched 3 new scratch-offs in August
Michigan launched three scratch-offs on August 4, led by the $20 $2 Million Royale at a ValueScore of 91.2, one of the 35 highest-scoring games in the country.
by Jessie Jurado
Born on the 7th in '77, he bought a Triple Red 777 ticket and won $1 million
Tomas Munoz of Biscoe picked the Triple Red 777 Jackpot ticket because sevens matched his birthday, and won the game's first $1 million top prize. Two remain.
by Jessie Jurado
How long does it take to get your money if you win Powerball?
Small Powerball prizes are paid at the counter the same day. A jackpot check normally takes about two weeks from the day you hand in the ticket, and here is why.
by Jessie Jurado
Undocumented Immigrant woman says uncle kept her $2 million scratch-off prize
Ruby Reyes says she won $2 million on a Santa Rosa scratcher and asked her uncle to claim it because she is undocumented. He is listed as the official winner, and she has gone to court.
by Jessie Jurado
Minnesota launched 4 new scratch-offs on August 4
Minnesota launched four scratch-offs on August 4, led by the $10 Money Bag Multiplier at a ValueScore of 85.2, plus a licensed Ghostbusters ticket at $5.
by Jessie Jurado
A Bluffton woman is accused of stealing lottery tickets from her store and cashing them for $270
SLED says a Circle K employee on Hilton Head Island took six scratch-off tickets from her store and cashed them at a Bluffton Food Lion for $270. She was identified on surveillance video.
by Jessie Jurado
A North Carolina man won $1 million on a $10 scratch-off, after winning $100,000 a few months ago
Oscar Mendoza of Sanford won $1 million on a $10 Jumbo Bucks ticket three months after a $100,000 win, and kept $432,063 after taking the lump sum. Three top prizes remain.
by Jessie Jurado
Texas launched 4 new scratch-offs, including a $100 game with one of the highest scores in the nation
Texas launched four scratch-offs on August 3, led by the $100 Premier Winnings, which debuts at 95.6 on ValueScore, the ninth-highest score in the country.
by Jessie Jurado
Colorado launched 4 new scratch-offs from $1 to $10
Colorado launched four scratch-offs on August 3, led by the $5 Broncos Blitz at 70.2. The state reports remaining counts for top prizes only, so its games have no payout percentage or expected value.
by Jessie Jurado
A South Carolina clerk is charged with cashing a winning lottery ticket she saw on social media
A South Carolina winner posted a photo of a winning ticket online. Investigators say a store clerk used the picture to scan it at her own terminal and collect the payout first.
by Jessie Jurado
Office lottery pools: Here's how to split winnings without a lawsuit
Group lottery pools are one of the most common ways ordinary people win big, and one of the most common ways friendships and coworkers end up in court. Here is how to run one that holds up.
by Jessie Jurado
An LLC Claimed a $10 Million Scratch-Off Prize in New York
A Dutchess County LLC claimed the $10 million top prize on New York’s Ultimate Cash scratch-off and received $4,420,300 after withholdings. One top prize is still unclaimed.
by Jessie Jurado
Connecticut Just Launched 4 New Scratch-Offs
Connecticut launched four scratch-offs on July 31, led by the $20 Lucky 7 Tripler at a ValueScore of 90.4. One of the others is called $10 Million Cash Blowout but tops out at $500.
by Jessie Jurado
A Florida US Postal Worker is Charged With Stealing a Winning Lottery Ticket From the Mail
A USPS letter carrier is accused of taking a $2,600 winning Pick 4 ticket from the mail and claiming the prize. The ticket had been posted to a relative to help with funeral costs.
by Jessie Jurado
New Jersey Just Launched 2 New Scratch-Offs, Led by a $10 Ruby 7's Rated 86
New Jersey launched two scratch-offs on July 29: Ruby 7's ($10, $500,000 top prize, ValueScore 85.5) and Poker Nights ($5, $150,000). Prices, odds and which is the better buy.
by Jessie Jurado
Hundreds of Scratch-Offs Are Still on Sale With All The Top Prizes Already Gone
More than 400 scratch-offs are still on sale across the country with every top prize already claimed, including a $100 Texas ticket that once advertised $20 million.
by Phil Nageotte
An 86-year-old Woman Won $1.5 Million on a Pennsylvania Lottery Scratch-Off
Rita Franczyk, 86, usually buys two $10 scratch-offs at her local Giant Eagle. She tried a $30 ticket for the first time, won $50, spent part of it on a second one, and hit $1.5 million.
by Jessie Jurado
Texas vs Florida: Which State Treats Scratch-Off Players Better?
Texas games average a ValueScore of 50.3 against Florida's 42.7, but Texas tickets also cost nearly twice as much. Here is what the two biggest scratch-off states actually offer.
by Phil Nageotte
Two Texas Stores That Helped Print Almost Every Lotto Combination Have Surrendered Their License
Two Texas stores surrendered their lottery licenses after regulators alleged they entered tickets for the $95 million Lotto Texas jackpot using an unapproved method. The four retailers involved kept close to $1.3 million.
by Jessie Jurado
The Best $5 Scratch-Off in Every State Right Now
The $5 ticket is the most common price point in America, with 599 games on sale. These are the strongest one in each state, led by an Indiana game scoring 90.8.
by Phil Nageotte
A Look at the Most Expensive Scratch-Offs in America That Cost $100
Only five $100 scratch-offs are on sale in the country, in Oklahoma and Texas. One wins on 1 in 2.37 tickets. Another still costs $100 with zero top prizes left.
by Phil Nageotte
Tennessee's 24 Best-Selling Scratch-Offs
The Tennessee Lottery ranked its 24 best-selling scratch-offs for June 14 to July 11, 2026. We scored every one of them. The list runs from a ValueScore of 79.0 down to 13.1.
by Phil Nageotte
$800 Million Mega Millions Winning Ticket Sold in Florida
A single ticket sold at a Bradenton Wawa won the $800 million Mega Millions jackpot, ending a 37-drawing rollover. By our count of every drawing since 1996, it ties for the 10th largest ever won.
by Jessie Jurado
The 10 Best-Value Scratch-Offs in America Right Now
The ten best-value scratch-offs in the country as of July 29, 2026, ranked by ValueScore. Every one costs $20 or more, and California 200X entered at number four days after launching.
by Phil Nageotte
California Just Launched 5 New Scratchers, and One Rates as the Fourth-Best in the Country
California released five new Scratchers on July 27, led by the $30 200X, which rates 97.4 on ValueScore and ranks fourth among all active scratch-offs in the country.
by Jessie Jurado
A Memphis Man Is Charged With Robbing Someone at Gunpoint Over a $2 Lottery Ticket
Memphis police charged Lacorry Collins, 49, with aggravated robbery after they say a man was pistol-whipped and kicked over a $2 lottery ticket he had found on the ground.
by Jessie Jurado
What Does 10X Mean on a Scratch-Off? Multipliers Explained
That 2X, 5X, or 10X symbol can turn a small win into a real one, but only if you know how it works. Here is what multipliers do, and why the big number in the game’s name is not a promise.
by Phil Nageotte
An Ohio Man Won $1 Million on Millionaire Blowout, Then Won another Big Prize on the Next Ticket
A Toledo man won the $1 million top prize on a $50 Millionaire Blowout ticket, then bought another and won $25,000. The game still has 56 top prizes unclaimed.
by Jessie Jurado
New Hampshire Just Launched 3 New Scratch-Offs, Led by a $10 Game Rated 93
New Hampshire launched three new scratch-offs on July 27: Money Madness Extra Play ($10, ValueScore 92.7), Gem Jam ($5), and Fishing For $100s ($2). Prices, odds, and value.
by Jessie Jurado
The Minnesota Man Who Won $34 Million Checked His Ticket Three Times, Then Pinched Himself
The winner of Minnesota’s record $34.12 million Lotto America jackpot has come forward anonymously. He checked the numbers three times, pinched himself, and plans to pay off his daughter’s student loans.
by Jessie Jurado
Massachusetts Just Launched Online Lottery
The Massachusetts Lottery launched online sales Monday. Its new eInstant games return about 90% to players, more than the best physical scratch ticket in the country.
by Jessie Jurado
How to Play Gold Rush, Ohio's New $10 Scratch-Off
Ohio's new $10 Gold Rush scratch-off (game #1097) has a $500,000 top prize and four special symbols that change how you win. Here is exactly how to play it, and whether it is worth buying.
by Jessie Jurado
The Most Common Mega Millions Numbers of All Time
Across 3,045 Mega Millions draws since 1996, number 31 leads with 289 appearances. But the all-time list is skewed by format changes. Here is the honest version, and what it does not tell you.
by Phil Nageotte
Which Texas Scratch-Offs Win the Most? The Best Odds Belong to Premium Tickets
We ranked every active Texas scratch-off by overall odds. 500X Loteria Spectacular leads at 1 in 3.21, and every game in the top ten costs $10 or more. But the best odds are not the best buy.
by Phil Nageotte
Wisconsin Just Launched 3 New Packers Scratch-Offs, Led by a $10 Game Rated 75
Wisconsin launched three Green Bay Packers themed scratch-offs on July 24: $10 Packers ($10, ValueScore 74.8), Green & Gold Crossword ($5), and Go Packers ($1). Prices, top prizes, odds, and value.
by Jessie Jurado