Ranked 5th of 77 Tickets in Iowa
Merry MoneyIowa Scratch-Off Odds & Prizes Remaining
Image Credit: Iowa Lottery
89
VALUESCORE
Excellent
At a glance
The Iowa Lottery sells Merry Money as a $20 ticket. At 1 in 2.90, its overall odds are the longest of Iowa's 6 $20 games. It went on sale on October 6, 2026, so 96% of its prizes are still unclaimed. None of its winning tickets pays $20 or less: every prize is worth more than the ticket.
Overall Odds
1 in 2.90
Exp. Value
$0.74
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$250,000
Top Prizes Left
4
Prizes Remaining
96%
ValueScore™
89 / 100
Excellent
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.74↑
GREAT VALUE
The numbers put it at #5 of 77 in Iowa, better than about 95% of the state's games.
Why
↑The game is early in its life, with the bulk of its prizes unclaimed.
- The larger prizes are well stocked, with plenty of top and mid-tier winners still out there.
- Expected value of $0.74 per $1 is about average, a typical return for a ticket at this price.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate · Updated October 19$250,000
4 of 4 left
launch odds 1 in 29K
now ~1 in 27K
$5,000
18 of 18 left
launch odds 1 in 6,357
now ~1 in 6,105
$2,000
58 of 62 left
launch odds 1 in 1,845
now ~1 in 1,895
ScratchCheck estimate. Current odds are derived from the prizes still unclaimed and our estimate of tickets remaining, shown next to the lottery’s printed launch odds. Actual odds vary as tickets are sold and prizes claimed.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 1 in 120,000 | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 30,000 | 18 | 18 | 100% |
| $2,000 | 1 in 8,000 | 62 | 58 | 94% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 4,000 | 131 | 127 | 97% |
| $500 | 1 in 800 | 645 | 621 | 96% |
| $200 | 1 in 600 | 826 | 790 | 96% |
| $100 | 1 in 120 | 4,190 | 4,019 | 96% |
| $50 | 1 in 15 | 33,578 | 32,254 | 96% |
| $40 | 1 in 15 | - | Not reported | - |
| $25 | 1 in 15 | - | Not reported | - |
| $20 | 1 in 8 | - | Not reported | - |
“Not reported” = the lottery publishes remaining-prize counts for its top prizes only.
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$3,930,600
Current Prize Pool
$3,816,100
Payout Percentage
97.1%
Total Prizes Remaining
37,891
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
114,417
Estimated Remaining
109,884
% Remaining
96.0%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed is estimated from overall odds. Tickets remaining is estimated from the share of prizes still unclaimed.
Prize History
Top prizes left
All 4 $250,000 top prizes left at launch on October 7 are still unclaimed.
43
4
October 7October 19
From ScratchCheck's daily record of the lottery's published prize counts. Dates are when a claim first appeared in those counts, and small prizes are often cashed days after purchase, so claims trail actual sales.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
89
VALUESCORE
Excellent
89
out of 100
Expected Value
34/40
Prize Quality
25/25
Win Frequency
16/20
Inventory Health
15/15
Updated: 10/19/2026
Game Details
- State
- Iowa
- Game Number
- 811
- Ticket Price
- $20
- Start Date
- 10/6/2026
- Payout %
- 74.4%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 10/19/2026
Compare
Compare this game with another →Official Source
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: Iowa Lottery
$20.00 per ticket · 1 in 2.90 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 Merry Money scratch-off a good buy?
Yes. Merry Money has a ValueScore of 89/100 (Excellent) and is 2nd of Iowa's 6 $20 tickets, in the top third. It pays back about $0.74 for every $1 spent.
What are the odds of winning the Merry Money scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Merry Money are 1 in 2.90. This means roughly 1 in every 3 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Merry Money?
The top prize for Merry Money is $250,000. As of our latest update, 4 top prizes remain unclaimed.
How many prizes are left in Merry Money?
Based on our latest data, 96% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 37,891 out of 39,454 total). The game is early in its run, with most prizes still on the market.
When was Merry Money released?
Merry Money was released by the Iowa Lottery on October 6, 2026. It is newly released, so the prize pool is essentially intact.
Every $20 ticket in Iowa
| Game | ValueScore | Odds | Payout | Top prize · left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100X The Cash | 91 | 1 in 2.88 | 74.4% | $250K · 8 |
| Merry Money (this game) | 89 | 1 in 2.90 | 74.4% | $250K · 4 |
| MONOPOLY DOUBLER (Game #783) | 81 | 1 in 2.90 | 74.4% | $250K · 9 |
| Ending Soon!Gem 7s | 79 | 1 in 2.52 | 74.3% | $150K · 8 |
| 200X THE WIN | 77 | 1 in 2.89 | 74.4% | $250K · 8 |
| Ending Soon!Lucky 7 Bonus | 65 | 1 in 2.88 | 74.5% | $250K · 4 |