Mega Bucks is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the Iowa Lottery. It has overall odds of 1 in 3.67, meaning roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize. The expected value is $0.64 per $1 spent, which is a below-average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $50,000. Most prizes are still available (96% remaining). ScratchCheck rates this ticket 62/100 (Good) based on expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.67
Exp. Value
$0.64
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$50,000
Top Prizes Left
5
Prizes Remaining
96%
ValueScore™
62 / 100
Good
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.64↑
ABOVE AVERAGE
Strong overall value, among the better games we track right now.
Why
↑Healthy inventory: a large share of this game's prizes are still unclaimed.
- The larger prizes are well stocked, with plenty of top and mid-tier winners still out there.
- Expected value of $0.64 per $1 is below average. Less comes back per dollar than most games.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 1 in 200,000 | 6 | 5 | 83% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 8,000 | 158 | 154 | 97% |
| $250 | 1 in 1,000 | 1,265 | 1,226 | 97% |
| $100 | 1 in 545 | 2,308 | 2,220 | 96% |
| $50 | 1 in 400 | 3,178 | 3,050 | 96% |
| $30 | 1 in 60 | - | Not reported | - |
| $20 | 1 in 60 | - | Not reported | - |
| $10 | 1 in 20 | - | Not reported | - |
| $5 | 1 in 5 | - | Not reported | - |
“Not reported” = the lottery publishes remaining-prize counts for its top prizes only.
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$1,163,950
Current Prize Pool
$1,085,000
Payout Percentage
93.2%
Total Prizes Remaining
6,655
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
25,378
Estimated Remaining
24,424
% Remaining
96.2%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed and remaining are estimated from overall odds and the share of prizes still unclaimed.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
62
VALUESCORE
Good
62
out of 100
Expected Value
Prize Quality
Win Frequency
Inventory Health
Updated: 7/19/2026
Game Details
- State
- Iowa
- Game Number
- 796
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 7/7/2026
- Payout %
- 63.7%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 7/19/2026
Compare
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Image Credit: Iowa Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.67 overall odds
✓ Accounts for prizes already claimed
Entertainment only. Outcomes are random and won't match a real session. Current-odds mode scales each tier by remaining prizes and tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mega Bucks scratch-off a good buy?
Mega Bucks is a solid choice. Its ValueScore of 62/100 is above average, indicating good expected value and a healthy prize pool. It performs better than most $5 tickets in Iowa.
How much does Mega Bucks cost?
Mega Bucks costs $5 per ticket in Iowa. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $5 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Mega Bucks scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Mega Bucks are 1 in 3.67. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Mega Bucks?
The top prize for Mega Bucks is $50,000. As of our latest update, 5 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Mega Bucks?
Mega Bucks offers 9 distinct prize levels: $50,000 (6 total), $1,000 (158 total), $250 (1,265 total), $100 (2,308 total), $50 (3,178 total), $30, $20, $10, and $5. The full prize breakdown with odds and remaining counts is listed in the prize table on this page.
How many prizes are left in Mega Bucks?
Based on our latest data, 96% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 6,655 out of 6,915 total). The game is early in its run, with most prizes still on the market.
How is Mega Bucks rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Mega Bucks at 62 out of 100 using ValueScore™, a composite rating built from four factors: Expected Value, Prize Quality, Win Frequency, and Inventory Health. Scores of 80 or above are Excellent, 60 to 79 Good, 40 to 59 Fair, 20 to 39 Below Average, and below 20 is Poor. The score updates automatically as prizes are claimed and data refreshes.
When was Mega Bucks released?
Mega Bucks was released by the Iowa Lottery on July 7, 2026. This is a newly released game, so the full prize pool is effectively intact.
How often is Mega Bucks data updated on ScratchCheck?
Mega Bucks data comes directly from the official Iowa Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.