ScratchCheck Blog
Analysis, strategy, and stories from the editorial team.
Latest articles
Is the Lottery a 'Tax on the Poor'? What the Numbers Actually Show
You have heard the lottery called a tax on the poor. There is truth in it, but it is not the whole story. What the numbers show, without the lecture.
by Jessie Jurado
Who Owns the Winning $12.8 Million Lottery Ticket? A Fired Manager and Circle K Are About to Find Out
A former Scottsdale Circle K manager says he clocked out and followed policy before buying a leftover Arizona Lottery ticket worth $12.8 million. A judge will decide who owns it.
by Jessie Jurado
Baton Rouge Gas Station Clerk Accused of Skimming $5,485 in Lottery Proceeds
Baton Rouge Police accuse a gas station clerk of taking $5,485 in Fast Play tickets and winnings from a Kangaroo Express. She is booked on skimming of lottery proceeds, a Louisiana felony.
by Jessie Jurado
Found an Old Scratch-Off in a Drawer? Here's How to Tell If It's Still Good
An old ticket is worth checking, but the claim deadline is the catch. How to find out if a forgotten scratch-off won and whether it is too late to cash it.
by Jessie Jurado
Tribal Nation Sues to Stop Kansas Lottery Sales on Its Historic Reservation Land
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Kansas Lottery's right to sell tickets and run gaming machines within its 1846 reservation boundaries.
by Jessie Jurado
A Bored Night Online Turned a Michigan Woman's $700 Win Into $100,000
An 80-year-old Michigan woman logged in out of boredom, won about $700 on an online game, kept playing, and hit a $100,000 prize her husband did not believe.
by Jessie Jurado
Is Buying Scratch-Offs a Waste of Money? The Honest Answer
A straight answer instead of a lecture. What scratch-offs really pay back, why a few dollars of fun is not a waste, and the point where it stops being harmless.
by Jessie Jurado
Pennsylvania Grocery Store Sells a $1 Million a Year for Life Winning Ticket
A winning $1,000,000 a Year for Life scratch-off was sold at Martin's in Greencastle, PA. The winner can take $1 million a year or $14.5 million cash, and the store earns a $100,000 bonus.
by Jessie Jurado
11 New Scratch-Offs Just Launched in New York, Michigan, New Mexico, and New Jersey
Eleven new scratch-offs launched July 7 across New York, Michigan, New Mexico, and New Jersey. Every game with its launch ValueScore, top prize, and odds.
by Jessie Jurado
Do Newer Scratch-Off Games Have Better Odds? Here's the Real Answer
Players swear by fresh games, and there is a grain of truth to it. But the printed odds never change. What actually matters is how many big prizes are left.
by Phil Nageotte
Tennessee Just Launched 4 New Scratch-Offs, Up to a $1 Million Top Prize
Tennessee launched four new scratch-offs on July 1, from a $1 Lucky Gems to a $20 All The Money $$$ with a $1 million top prize. See each game, with photos, prices, and odds.
by Jessie Jurado
18 New Scratch-Offs Just Launched Across Virginia, Illinois, Arizona, Minnesota, and Mississippi
Eighteen new scratch-offs launched July 7 across Virginia, Illinois, Arizona, Minnesota, and Mississippi. The full list with prices, top prizes, and the real odds.
by Jessie Jurado
Nebraska Lottery Sends $9.6 Million to State Causes, With Its Environmental Fund Now in Court
Nebraska's lottery sent $9.6 million in quarterly proceeds to state causes, but the Environmental Trust's share is now caught in a court fight over how the state spent it.
by Jessie Jurado
Will Powerball and Mega Millions Become Worldwide Games, Not Just for Americans?
Powerball's UK launch is its first outside the US in 34 years. Could Powerball and Mega Millions go fully global? The case for, the case against, and what it means for US players.
by Jessie Jurado
Baltimore Grandfather Wins $1 Million on a $20 Triple Red 777s Scratch-Off
A Baltimore grandfather and lifelong Orioles fan scratched a $20 Triple Red 777s ticket and uncovered the $1 million top prize. The Maryland game still has top prizes left.
by Jessie Jurado
Powerball Launches in the UK on July 21
Powerball goes on sale in the UK on July 21, the first time outside the US in 34 years. What it means for the shared jackpot, in US dollars.
by Jessie Jurado
You Won a Scratch-Off. Here's Exactly How to Claim It
Sign it first, then match the claim step to the size of the prize. A plain walkthrough of cashing a winning scratch-off, from a few dollars to a jackpot.
by Jessie Jurado
Two Georgia Players Became Instant Millionaires on Scratch-Offs
Two Georgia players won $1 million scratch-off top prizes in June, on 50X The Money in Fayetteville and Millionaire Maker in Jasper. Which game you can still play, plus the rest of a big month for Georgia Lottery players.
by Jessie Jurado
An Illinois Man Won the Same Lottery Game Twice, 15 Years Apart, for $1.3 Million
A Chicagoland man won $1.3 million on a Quick Pick Lucky Day Lotto ticket, 15 years after winning $45,000 on the same game when it was called Little Lotto. The full story.
by Jessie Jurado
Same Name, Different Game: How "100X" Pays 12 Different Ways
A scratch-off called "100X" runs in 12 markets, and the price, odds, payout, top prize, and ValueScore are different in every one. The name tells you nothing.
by Jessie Jurado
Which States Refresh Their Scratch-Offs Fastest?
Louisiana's typical active scratch-off is about three months old. Pennsylvania's is nearly two years old. Here is how fast each state cycles its lineup.
by Phil Nageotte
North Carolina Lottery Launched 4 New Scratch-Offs
North Carolina launched four new scratch-offs on July 3, 2026, including two with $1,000,000 top prizes. Full ValueScore, odds, payout, and top-prize breakdown.
by Jessie Jurado
Oklahoma Launched 6 New Scratch-Offs
Oklahoma rolled out six new scratch-offs on July 2, 2026, from $1 to $10, led by two strong $10 games. Full ValueScore, odds, payout, and top-prize breakdown.
by Jessie Jurado
What a Powerball Ticket Is Really Worth Over a Jackpot Cycle
A $2 Powerball ticket's real value rises and falls with the jackpot. From March 6 to June 25, 2026, it ranged from about $0.86 to $0.35, so how much did you lose per $2 spent?
by Phil Nageotte
A Michigan Man Thought He Won $50,000 from a Lottery Scratch-Off. He Actually Won $500,000.
A 51-year-old Genesee County man scratched a $5 Triple Red 777s ticket, thought he had won $50,000, and later realized it was actually a $500,000 winner. The full story, plus what the game looks like on ScratchCheck.
by Jessie Jurado
A Powerball Ticket Worth $1 Million Is About to Expire
A $1 million Powerball ticket from the February 2 drawing, sold at an Austin Circle K, is still unclaimed and expires August 1. The winning numbers, the real deadline, and where the money goes if no one comes forward.
by Jessie Jurado
Florida and Texas Launched New Scratch-Offs on July 1
Florida launched a five-game "Bucks" family and Texas added two new scratch-offs on July 1, 2026. Full ValueScore, odds, payout, and top-prize breakdown for all seven.
by Jessie Jurado
Best Scratch-Off Odds by State in 2026
Overall odds are a per-game number, not a per-state one. Here is where the strongest overall-odds scratch-offs are available right now, and what that does and does not tell you.
by Phil Nageotte
Virginia Lottery Winners Can Now Stay Anonymous
A new Virginia law lowers the lottery anonymity threshold from $10 million to $1 million as of July 1, 2026. What it changes, what it does not, and what a winner still has to do.
by Jessie Jurado
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in Washington Right Now
The strongest Washington scratch-offs right now by ValueScore, overall odds, and prizes remaining, with honest notes on which top jackpots are already gone.
by Jessie Jurado
A Florida Store Worker Allegedly Stole 456 Scratch-Offs and Scanned Them for Winners
A Winn-Dixie employee in Palm Beach Gardens is charged with stealing 456 scratch-off tickets and scanning them with the Florida Lottery app to find winners. What the case reveals about how ticket validation actually works.
by Jessie Jurado
A North Carolina Man Trusted His Gut and Won $1 Million on Cashword King
Everett Cooper of Marston followed a hunch, bought one $10 Cashword King ticket in Laurinburg, and won a $1,000,000 top prize. The honest version of the story, plus how much he actually took home and how many top prizes are left.
by Jessie Jurado
The Scratch-Off Jackpots Disappearing Fastest Right Now
Nine live scratch-off games had top prizes claimed in the last 30 days, and two are down to their final jackpot. Here is what our daily snapshots show.
by Jessie Jurado
What's the Best Time of Day to Buy Scratch-Offs?
There is no best time of day, because the outcome of every ticket was decided at the printing factory long before the store opened. Morning, evening, weekday, or weekend changes nothing. But there is a timing question that does matter, and it has nothing to do with the clock. Here is the one that counts...
by Phil Nageotte
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in Colorado Right Now
The best overall odds on a Colorado scratch-off right now belong to...
by Jessie Jurado
How Fast Do Scratch-Off Jackpots Actually Get Claimed?
ScratchCheck's daily snapshots show real jackpots vanishing in roughly two months. Here is how fast top prizes empty, broken down by ticket price.
by Phil Nageotte
What the Codes on the Back of a Scratch-Off Ticket Mean
The numbers and codes printed on the back of a scratch-off ticket identify the pack, the ticket, and let the lottery verify a claim. None of them let you pick a winner off the rack.
by Phil Nageotte
Ohio Lottery Launches New June Scratch-Offs
The Ohio Lottery launched four new scratch-offs on June 23, 2026, spanning $1 to $50. One of them, Instant Jackpot, opens as the single best-rated active game in the entire state...
by Jessie Jurado
The Best Scratch-Off Buys in Florida Right Now
The best Florida scratch-off to buy is not always the one with the best printed odds...
by Jessie Jurado
What Expected Value Means for Powerball and Mega Millions
Expected value tells you what a lottery ticket is really worth on average. Here is how to calculate it for Powerball and Mega Millions, and why both stay negative.
by Phil Nageotte
California Scratchers With the Most Top Prizes Remaining
Sorting California scratchers by top prizes remaining puts low-prize games on top. Here is how to read that column correctly and find the real big-money plays.
by Jessie Jurado
California's New June Scratch-Offs
The California Lottery launched four new scratch-offs on June 22, 2026, spanning $2 to $20. Golden State Riches headlines the group with one of the best ValueScores of any active game in the state. Here's the full breakdown.
by Jessie Jurado
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in Arizona Right Now
Arizona's best scratch-off right now is Million Dollar Crossword, with a 98.9 ValueScore, 1 in 2.3 odds, and a 77.7% payout rate from official lottery data.
by Jessie Jurado
How to Play Millionaire for Life (And Is It Worth It?)
How for-life lottery games work: a set amount paid for life, a guaranteed minimum payout period, and a lump-sum option. The specifics vary by state, so check your own lottery's page.
by Jessie Jurado
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in Iowa Right Now
Iowa's strongest scratch-offs ranked by ValueScore, with unusually good overall odds near 1 in 2.8 and plenty of top prizes still on the board.
by Jessie Jurado
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in Ohio Right Now
Ohio's strongest scratch-offs right now are the $10 bingo and cashword games, led by Bingo X50, which pair good overall odds with high payout rates.
by Jessie Jurado
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in Tennessee Right Now
Tennessee's strongest scratch-offs ranked by ValueScore and overall odds, including the key difference between frequent small-prize games and the million-dollar tickets.
by Jessie Jurado
Can You Claim a Scratch-Off Prize in a Different State?
No. A scratch-off can only be claimed in the state that issued it, because each lottery is run by its own state and only honors its own tickets. That holds even for multi-state games like Powerball. Here is why, and what it means if you buy while traveling...
by Jessie Jurado