Scratch-offs look simple, and mostly they are. But two or three facts about how they're made change how you should read the ticket, and one free resource tells you something the ticket itself can't.
Are scratch-off winners predetermined?
Yes. A scratch-off game is printed as a large run of tickets containing a fixed number of prizes at each level, set out in the game's prize table. The winners are spread through the run before any ticket reaches a store. When you scratch, you uncover a result; you don't create one. Retailers check tickets by scanning the barcode on the lottery terminal, which looks the ticket up against the lottery's records.
Two things follow from that. First, there's no pattern to exploit at the counter: a pack that just paid out isn't "cold," and one that hasn't isn't "due." Second, a game can run out of its big prizes while plenty of tickets are still for sale, which is why the prizes-remaining check below matters.
What do the overall odds on a scratch-off mean?
The overall odds printed on a ticket, often somewhere around 1 in 3 to 1 in 5, are the odds of winning any prize at all. On most games the most common prize is the ticket price itself, or a small multiple of it. A $5 ticket that wins $5 counts as a winner in those odds even though you've only got your money back. Your chance of winning more than you paid is lower, and the odds of the top prize are far longer. Both are in the game's prize table, which the lottery publishes for every game.
Do more expensive scratch-offs pay back more?
Often, yes, as a share of what you spend. The Minnesota Lottery, for example, has published its expected payout by price point: about 63% of sales returned as prizes on $1 games, rising step by step to 72% on $20 games and 74% on $50 games. Other states set their own percentages, so check your lottery's figures if it publishes them.
That doesn't make an expensive ticket a good bet. Every price point pays back less than it takes in, so on average you lose money on all of them. A higher payout percentage just means you lose a smaller share of each dollar. Prices commonly run from $1 up to $30 or $50, and some states go higher: the Texas Lottery's scratch ticket list includes $100 games.
How do you check prizes remaining on a scratch-off?
Most state lotteries publish a list of active scratch games with the number of top prizes (and often every prize level) still unclaimed. Look it up before buying a ticket for its headline prize; if the top prizes are gone, you'd be paying for a game that can no longer pay them.
Don't assume a game leaves stores when its last top prize is claimed. The Texas Lottery says on its game closing page that closing procedures begin once all top prizes are claimed, but "during closing, games may be sold even after all top prizes have been claimed."
How do you claim a scratch-off prize?
Small prizes are paid at retailers, up to a limit set by each state. In Texas, for instance, prizes of $599 or less can be claimed at any retailer. Bigger prizes go to a lottery claim center or are claimed by mail, following your state's process. Our step-by-step guide to claiming a prize covers what to bring.
Sign the back of a winning ticket as soon as you can. Until you do, it can be cashed by whoever holds it.
Are scratch-off winnings taxed?
Yes, all lottery winnings are taxable income. Under the IRS Form W-2G instructions, the lottery has to report a prize on a W-2G when it's at least $2,000 (the threshold for payments in 2026, now adjusted for inflation each year) and at least 300 times the ticket price. Federal tax of 24% is withheld when the winnings minus the ticket price exceed $5,000. State tax depends on where you live; see our federal and state lottery tax breakdown.
Do scratch-off tickets expire?
Yes. For scratch games, many states measure the deadline from the date the game officially ends rather than the date you bought the ticket. Texas, for example, gives you 180 days after the game closes. Rules differ by state, so check your lottery's list of ended games before you throw out an old ticket. Our guide to how long you have to claim a ticket has more.
Non-winning tickets aren't always worthless either. Many states run second-chance drawings where you enter losing tickets online or in an app.
What doesn't work
Nothing you do at the store changes a pre-printed result. Buying from a "lucky" retailer, picking a ticket from a certain spot in the pack, or buying the next ticket after a loser makes no difference. The only useful information you can get before you buy is the prize table and the prizes-remaining list. Beyond that, set a budget you're comfortable losing.
If you'd rather play games with a fresh drawing each time, the latest Powerball and Mega Millions results and every state's draw games are on our results pages.
Scratch-off questions
How do scratch-off lottery tickets work?
Each scratch game is printed with a fixed number of winning tickets spread through the print run. There's no drawing; scratching reveals a result that was set when the ticket was printed.
What do the overall odds on a scratch-off ticket mean?
They're the odds of winning any prize, including a prize equal to the ticket price. The odds of winning more than you paid, and of the top prize, are longer and are listed in the game's prize table.
Do more expensive scratch-off tickets have better odds?
They usually return a larger share of sales as prizes. Minnesota, for example, publishes payouts of about 63% on $1 games and 74% on $50 games. Every price point still pays back less than it takes in.
How can I check if a scratch-off still has top prizes left?
Look at your state lottery's prizes-remaining or scratch game list, which shows unclaimed prizes for each active game. Some games stay on sale after the top prizes are gone.
Do scratch-off tickets expire?
Yes. Many states count the deadline from the game's official end date; Texas allows 180 days after the game closes. Check your state's ended-games list before discarding an old ticket.
Are scratch-off winnings taxed?
Yes. For 2026 payments the lottery issues a Form W-2G for prizes of $2,000 or more that are at least 300 times the ticket price, and withholds 24% federal tax when winnings minus the ticket price exceed $5,000. State tax depends on where you live.
If gambling has stopped being fun, the National Council on Problem Gambling's helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
Sources: IRS Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754; Texas Lottery scratch ticket, game closing and prize claim pages; Minnesota Lottery scratch payout figures (2023).
