Hidden Gems
Image Credit: South Dakota Lottery
56
VALUESCORE
Fair
Hidden Gems is a $5 scratch-off lottery ticket from the South Dakota Lottery. The published overall odds are 1 in 4.07. Every $1 spent returns about $0.68 on average, an average showing by scratch-off standards. Its biggest prize is $25,000, with 2 of the 3 printed still unclaimed. Prize inventory sits at 58%: about half the prizes remain. It scores 56/100 (Fair) on ScratchCheck's ValueScore. That makes it #15 of the 31 active games we track in South Dakota, and 4th among the 11 $5 games South Dakota sells.
Overall Odds
1 in 4.07
Exp. Value
$0.68
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$25,000
Top Prizes Left
2 / 3
Prizes Remaining
58%
ValueScore™
56 / 100
Fair
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.68→
AVERAGE
A typical $5 ticket, ranked #15 of the 31 active games we track in South Dakota.
Why
→Expected value lands near the pack at $0.68 per $1 spent.
- 2 of 3 top prizes are still unclaimed, and the mid-tier pool holds up too.
- Winning tickets come up at a 25% clip (1 in 4.07), above the norm.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$25,000
2 of 3 left
launch odds 1 in 82K
now ~1 in 72K
$100
284 of 496 left
launch odds 1 in 496
now ~1 in 505
$50
1,392 of 2,476 left
launch odds 1 in 99
now ~1 in 103
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 1 in 80,000 | 3 | 2 | 67% |
| $100 | 1 in 500 | 496 | 284 | 57% |
| $50 | 1 in 100 | 2,476 | 1,392 | 56% |
| $25 | 1 in 78 | 3,150 | 1,776 | 56% |
| $20 | 1 in 48 | 5,128 | 2,908 | 57% |
| $15 | 1 in 30 | 8,174 | 4,613 | 56% |
| $10 | 1 in 15 | 16,402 | 9,618 | 59% |
| $5 | 1 in 10 | 24,612 | 14,665 | 60% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$839,400
Current Prize Pool
$489,260
Payout Percentage
58.3%
Total Prizes Remaining
35,258
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
245,995
Estimated Remaining
143,500
% Remaining
58.3%
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
56
VALUESCORE
Fair
56
out of 100
Expected Value
16/40
Prize Quality
16/25
Win Frequency
13/20
Inventory Health
12/15
Updated: 9/4/2026
Game Details
- State
- South Dakota
- Game Number
- 1159
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 4/7/2026
- Payout %
- 68.3%
- 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: South Dakota Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 4.07 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 Hidden Gems scratch-off a good buy?
Hidden Gems is a middling ticket with a ValueScore of 56/100. It is roughly average compared to other scratch-offs in South Dakota. If you are looking for the best value at this price point, check the South Dakota rankings page for higher-rated alternatives.
How much does Hidden Gems cost?
Hidden Gems costs $5 per ticket in South Dakota. 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 Hidden Gems scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Hidden Gems are 1 in 4.07. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Hidden Gems?
The top prize for Hidden Gems is $25,000. As of our latest update, 2 of 3 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Hidden Gems?
Hidden Gems offers 8 distinct prize levels: $25,000 (3 total), $100 (496 total), $50 (2,476 total), $25 (3,150 total), $20 (5,128 total), $15 (8,174 total), $10 (16,402 total), and $5 (24,612 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 Hidden Gems?
Based on our latest data, 58% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 35,258 out of 60,441 total). Roughly half the prizes remain, which is typical for an active game.
How is Hidden Gems rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Hidden Gems at 56 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 Hidden Gems released?
Hidden Gems was released by the South Dakota Lottery on April 7, 2026. It has been on sale for about 5 months.
How often is Hidden Gems data updated on ScratchCheck?
Hidden Gems data comes directly from the official South Dakota Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.