MEGA BUCKS
Image Credit: North Carolina Lottery
32
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
MEGA BUCKS is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the North Carolina Lottery. The published overall odds are 1 in 4.35. Right now the math works out to $0.69 back per $1 spent, an average figure for this kind of game. The top prize is $200,000. Across every tier, 10% of prizes are still out there: most prizes have already been claimed. It scores 32/100 (Below Avg) on ScratchCheck's ValueScore. That makes it #64 of the 79 active games we track in North Carolina, and 16th out of 21 $5 tickets in North Carolina.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.35
Exp. Value
$0.69
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$200,000
Top Prizes Left
2
Prizes Remaining
10%
ValueScore™
32 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.69↓
BELOW AVERAGE
The numbers work against it: #64 of the 79 active games we track in North Carolina.
Why
↓Weak prize quality: relatively few of the bigger top and mid-tier prizes are still unclaimed.
- The prize pool is running thin, with most prizes already won.
- Wins are infrequent: about a 23% chance to win something per ticket (1 in 4.35), lower than most games.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$200,000
2 of 9 left
launch odds 1 in 1.2M
now ~1 in 562K
$10,000
1 of 18 left
launch odds 1 in 617K
now ~1 in 1.1M
$1,000
10 of 72 left
launch odds 1 in 154K
now ~1 in 112K
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | 1 in 1,234,580 | 9 | 2 | 22% |
| $10,000 | 1 in 617,290 | 18 | 1 | 6% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 154,323 | 72 | 10 | 14% |
| $500 | 1 in 23,392 | 475 | 39 | 8% |
| $100 | 1 in 804 | 13,818 | 1,062 | 8% |
| $50 | 1 in 67 | 166,625 | 12,847 | 8% |
| $25 | 1 in 30 | 370,211 | 30,164 | 8% |
| $15 | 1 in 33 | 333,660 | 29,097 | 9% |
| $10 | 1 in 15 | 740,624 | 69,895 | 9% |
| $5 | 1 in 12 | 925,859 | 115,426 | 12% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$38,298,260
Current Prize Pool
$3,654,685
Payout Percentage
9.5%
Total Prizes Remaining
258,543
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
11,098,464
Estimated Remaining
1,124,662
% Remaining
10.1%
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
32
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
32
out of 100
Expected Value
18/40
Prize Quality
3/25
Win Frequency
7/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- North Carolina
- Game Number
- 947
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 8/30/2024
- Payout %
- 68.9%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 9/4/2026
Compare
Compare this game with another →Official Source
View on North Carolina Lottery ↗Simulate This Game
Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: North Carolina Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.35 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 scores 32/100 on ValueScore, which is below average. The expected value, prize pool, or inventory health is weaker than most other tickets at this price. There are likely better options in North Carolina at the $5 price point.
How much does MEGA BUCKS cost?
MEGA BUCKS costs $5 per ticket in North Carolina. 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 4.35. 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 $200,000. As of our latest update, 2 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for MEGA BUCKS?
MEGA BUCKS offers 10 distinct prize levels: $200,000 (9 total), $10,000 (18 total), $1,000 (72 total), $500 (475 total), $100 (13,818 total), $50 (166,625 total), $25 (370,211 total), $15 (333,660 total), $10 (740,624 total), and $5 (925,859 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 MEGA BUCKS?
Based on our latest data, 10% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 258,543 out of 2,551,371 total). The vast majority of prizes have been claimed. This game is close to being retired.
How is MEGA BUCKS rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates MEGA BUCKS at 32 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 North Carolina Lottery on August 30, 2024. It has been on sale for over a year, so checking the remaining prize counts is important before buying.
How often is MEGA BUCKS data updated on ScratchCheck?
MEGA BUCKS 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.