ScratchCheck Blog
Analysis, strategy, and stories from the editorial team.
Latest articles
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
She Bought Her First Scratch-Off Ever and Won $100,000
Kahla Jeffries of Gastonia stopped for gas, bought the first scratch-off of her life, and won a $100,000 top prize. The game she picked still has 58 of its 80 top prizes unclaimed.
by Jessie Jurado
Ohio Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
One Ohio game stands head and shoulders above the rest: Millionaire Blowout still has 56 million-dollar top prizes unclaimed and a ValueScore of 97.2. Here is the full picture.
by Jessie Jurado
A North Carolina Man Almost Cried After a $250,000 Win on 500X The Cash
Kevin Pavel of Clayton bought a $50 500X The Cash scratch-off on his way to work and won $250,000, taking home $180,039 after taxes. The game we rate 91.4 still has all five $10M top prizes left.
by Jessie Jurado
Pennsylvania Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
Pennsylvania runs one of the deepest scratch-off catalogs in the country, and several of its games still have both plenty of top prizes left and elite ValueScores. Here are the standouts.
by Jessie Jurado
How to Play 100Xtra, Georgia's New $20 Scratcher
Georgia's new $20 100Xtra scratcher (game #1907) has a $2 million top prize, multipliers up to 100X, and an instant-cash symbol. Here is exactly how to play it, and why it scores so well.
by Jessie Jurado
A Georgia Player Just Won $3 Million on GRANT, and Two Top Prizes Are Still Left
A Georgia player claimed a $3,000,000 top prize on the GRANT scratcher on July 17, taking $1,546,986 cash. The ticket came from Parker’s #28 in Hinesville, and two top prizes remain.
by Jessie Jurado
Can a Store Refuse to Pay Your Winning Scratch-Off?
A clerk says the machine will not pay you, or hands the ticket back. Do you have any rights? Here is what a retailer can and cannot do with a winning scratch-off, and what to do if something feels off.
by Jessie Jurado
Powerball Players Are Threatening to Quit Over the UK Expansion
American Powerball players flooded social media with anger after the game launched in the UK, many vowing to quit. But for US players the price, the odds, and the payout choice all stayed the same.
by Jessie Jurado
Georgia Scratch-Offs With the Most Top Prizes Still Unclaimed
Georgia’s game with the most top prizes left is also one of its worst values, a perfect illustration of why the count alone can fool you. Here are the numbers, and how to read them.
by Jessie Jurado
Texas Lottery Just Launched 2 New Scratch-Offs: a $20 Crossword Game and $5 Ms. PAC-MAN
Texas launched two new scratch-offs on July 20: $1,000,000 Crossword ($20, $1M top prize, ValueScore 86.8) and the $5 Ms. PAC-MAN. Prices, top prizes, odds, and which is the better buy.
by Jessie Jurado
The States That Pay Out the Most on Scratch-Offs, and the Ones That Pay Least
Payout percentage is the share of scratch-off sales returned to players as prizes, and it varies a lot by state. We averaged it across the active games we track. Massachusetts leads; New Mexico trails.
by Phil Nageotte
Alabama May Finally Vote on adding the Lottery as Residents Keep Crossing State Lines to Play
Alabama is one of only five states with no lottery, and lawmakers may take one up soon after an Alabama player won $720,000 across the line in Tennessee. Residents keep driving out of state to play.
by Jessie Jurado
Georgia Just Launched 4 New 'Xtra' Scratch-Offs
Georgia launched four new Xtra scratch-offs on July 21: 100Xtra ($20, $2M top prize, ValueScore 81.3), 50Xtra ($10), 25Xtra ($5), and 15Xtra ($2). Prices, top prizes, odds, and value.
by Jessie Jurado
Powerball Just Launched in the UK Today
Powerball sales began in the UK this week, the first lottery outside the U.S. to feed the jackpot. But UK tickets skip the lower tiers, the prize structures differ, and British winners get no cash option.
by Jessie Jurado
Ohio Just Launched 4 New Scratch-Offs, Led by a $10 Gold Rush Rated 74
Ohio launched four new scratch-offs on July 21: Gold Rush ($10, $500,000 top prize, ValueScore 73.8), 5 Times Lucky ($5), Magic 8 Ball ($2), and Crazy Cash ($1). Prices, top prizes, odds, and value.
by Jessie Jurado
How to Read Scratch-Off Odds and Prize Data Like a Pro
Learn to read the odds, prize table, and prizes-remaining data every state lottery publishes, and you can size up any scratch-off in about a minute. Here is how.
by Phil Nageotte
A Michigan Woman Sat on a $1 Million Powerball Ticket for One Year, Then Claimed It With Just Hours to Spare
Theresa Lynchosky, 63, of Rochester Hills matched five white balls in the July 14, 2025 Powerball drawing to win $1 million, then claimed it just hours before her one-year deadline.
by Jessie Jurado
A Minnesota Ticket Just Won a Record $34.12 Million Lotto America Jackpot
A single ticket sold at a Holiday gas station in Coon Rapids won Saturday's Lotto America drawing, worth $34.12 million (about $15.15 million cash), the largest Lotto America jackpot ever won in Minnesota.
by Jessie Jurado
Lump Sum vs. Annuity: Which Should You Take If You Win the Lottery?
The cash option is smaller but gives you control; the annuity guarantees income and is hard to mismanage. How to decide between lump sum and annuity when you win.
by Jessie Jurado