How to Read a Scratch-Off Prize Table
Every scratch-off game has a prize table — the grid of prize amounts and counts the lottery publishes. Learn to read it and you can tell in seconds whether a game is fresh or picked over. Here's what each column means.
The three columns that matter
- Prize amount — the dollar value of that tier, from the top prize down to the smallest (often just your ticket price back).
- Prizes printed / total in game — how many of that prize existed when the game launched. Fixed for the life of the game.
- Prizes claimed — how many have already been won and cashed. This only goes up.
Prizes remaining = printed − claimed. That last number is the one that actually tells you something, and it's what our game pages put front and center.
Reading the top row first
Always start at the top prize. If it says 0 remaining, the headline jackpot is gone — the game is still sold, but you can't win the prize on the front of the ticket. If several top and high-tier prizes are still live, the game has upside left.
Fresh vs. picked over
Compare how many prizes are claimed against how far the game is through its run. A game that's 80% sold but still holding most of its top prizes is unusually good value right now. A game that's 80% sold with the top prizes already claimed is picked over — avoid it for the jackpot. You don't have to eyeball this: the Heat Score does exactly this comparison and ranks every game by it.
See it in action on any game page — for example, browse the 10 best Texas scratch-offs and open one to see its full prize table with remaining counts.
Reading the table well helps you spend smarter, but every scratch-off still has a house edge. Play for fun. 18+ (21+ in some states) · 1-800-GAMBLER.
Frequently asked questions
＋ － What does 'prizes remaining' mean on a scratch-off?
It's how many prizes at each level have not yet been claimed. The lottery starts with a fixed number of each prize (prizes printed) and subtracts the ones already won (prizes claimed). What's left is prizes remaining — the number that actually tells you if a game is still worth buying.
＋ － How do I know if a scratch-off game is picked over?
Look at the top prize row. If 'remaining' is 0, the jackpot you'd be chasing is already gone even though the game is still sold. If most high-tier prizes are claimed while the game is far into its print run, it's picked over — lower-value than when it launched.
＋ － Do the odds change as prizes are claimed?
The odds printed on the ticket describe the game as manufactured and don't literally change. But your practical value does: as big prizes get claimed, the remaining pool is worth less. That gap between printed odds and current value is exactly what PrizesLeft's Heat Score captures.