Hot $2,000
Image Credit: North Carolina Lottery
43
VALUESCORE
Fair
Hot $2,000 is one of the North Carolina Lottery's $10 scratch-off games. Published overall odds: 1 in 3.80. Its current expected value works out to $0.73 on the dollar, an average return. The top prize is $2,000. By our count most prizes have already been claimed, with 22% of all prizes unclaimed. On ScratchCheck's 0-100 ValueScore it earns a 43 (Fair). Today it stands at 47th out of 79 North Carolina scratch-offs; among $10 tickets it is 13th of the 16 active $10 games in North Carolina.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.80
Exp. Value
$0.73
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$2,000
Top Prizes Left
447
Prizes Remaining
22%
ValueScore™
43 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.73→
AVERAGE
Middle of the pack: #47 of the 79 active games we track in North Carolina.
Why
→Most of the larger top and mid-tier prizes have already been won.
- Most of this game's prizes are gone.
- $0.73 returned per dollar is roughly what most scratch-offs pay right now.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$2,000
447 of 2,048 left
launch odds 1 in 3,000
now ~1 in 2,991
$500
109 of 521 left
launch odds 1 in 12K
now ~1 in 12K
$200
217 of 1,041 left
launch odds 1 in 5,901
now ~1 in 6,161
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | 1 in 2,998 | 2,048 | 447 | 22% |
| $500 | 1 in 11,785 | 521 | 109 | 21% |
| $200 | 1 in 5,898 | 1,041 | 217 | 21% |
| $100 | 1 in 100 | 61,445 | 12,739 | 21% |
| $50 | 1 in 25 | 245,412 | 50,998 | 21% |
| $40 | 1 in 79 | 78,199 | 16,342 | 21% |
| $20 | 1 in 10 | 614,013 | 131,940 | 21% |
| $10 | 1 in 10 | 613,941 | 139,016 | 23% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$44,527,430
Current Prize Pool
$9,498,340
Payout Percentage
21.3%
Total Prizes Remaining
351,808
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
6,143,156
Estimated Remaining
1,336,870
% Remaining
21.8%
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.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
43
VALUESCORE
Fair
43
out of 100
Expected Value
20/40
Prize Quality
5/25
Win Frequency
14/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- North Carolina
- Game Number
- 3
- Ticket Price
- $10
- Start Date
- 7/1/2025
- Payout %
- 72.5%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: North Carolina Lottery
$10.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.80 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 Hot $2,000 scratch-off a good buy?
Hot $2,000 is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 43/100. It is roughly average compared to other scratch-offs in North Carolina. If you are looking for the best value at this price point, check the North Carolina rankings page for higher-rated alternatives.
How much does Hot $2,000 cost?
Hot $2,000 costs $10 per ticket in North Carolina. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $10 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Hot $2,000 scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Hot $2,000 are 1 in 3.80. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Hot $2,000?
The top prize for Hot $2,000 is $2,000. As of our latest update, 447 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Hot $2,000?
Hot $2,000 offers 8 distinct prize levels: $2,000 (2,048 total), $500 (521 total), $200 (1,041 total), $100 (61,445 total), $50 (245,412 total), $40 (78,199 total), $20 (614,013 total), and $10 (613,941 total). The full prize breakdown with odds and remaining counts is listed in the prize table on this page.
How many prizes are left in Hot $2,000?
Based on our latest data, 22% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 351,808 out of 1,616,620 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is Hot $2,000 rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Hot $2,000 at 43 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 Hot $2,000 released?
Hot $2,000 was released by the North Carolina Lottery on July 1, 2025. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is Hot $2,000 data updated on ScratchCheck?
Hot $2,000 data comes directly from the official North Carolina Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.