Are $20 Scratch-Offs Better Than $1 Ones?
Short answer: on the numbers, yes — but not in the way most people hope. Higher-priced scratch-offs come with genuinely better odds and payout percentages. They just don't erase the house edge. Here's what the price point actually buys you.
Higher price, better odds — really
This isn't a myth. State lotteries build pricier tickets with a higher payout percentage (the share of sales returned as prizes) and better overall odds of winning anything. A $1 game might return roughly 60–65 cents on the dollar over its whole run; a $20–$50 game often returns 75–80 cents. More of your money is in the prize pool at higher price points.
The catch: it's still a loss on average
"Better" here means "less bad." Even an 80% payout means you lose 20 cents per dollar on average — that's how lotteries fund public programs. Spending more per ticket doesn't flip the math in your favor; it just narrows the gap. If you raise your budget chasing better odds, you can easily lose more in absolute dollars.
The smarter way to use this
Decide your total budget first. Then, if maximizing value is the goal, buy fewer higher-value tickets instead of a pile of $1 games — and within that price point, pick the specific game with the most prizes still unclaimed. Browse by price on any state page (for example, $20 Texas scratch-offs) to see which games at your price actually still have their top prizes.
No price point beats the lottery — PrizesLeft just helps you get the most for whatever you choose to spend. 18+ (21+ in some states) · 1-800-GAMBLER.
Frequently asked questions
＋ － Do more expensive scratch-offs have better odds?
Generally yes. States design higher-priced tickets with better overall odds of winning any prize and a higher payout percentage — often around 60–65% back on a $1 game versus 75–80% on a $20–$50 game. You still lose money on average at every price point; the higher price is just less unfavorable.
＋ － Is it better to buy one $20 ticket or twenty $1 tickets?
For expected value, one higher-priced ticket usually returns more per dollar than a stack of $1 games. For entertainment time, twenty $1 tickets give you more things to scratch. Neither wins on average — decide your budget first, then pick the price point that matches your goal.
＋ － Which scratch-off price point has the best odds?
The highest price points ($20, $30, $50) almost always publish the best overall odds and payout percentages. But odds printed on the ticket don't change; what changes is how many prizes are still unclaimed, which is why it pays to check remaining prizes for a specific game rather than trusting the price alone.