How the numbers work

States publish how many prizes of each size are still unclaimed for every scratch-off on sale. We pull that data several times a day and turn it into a few simple measures.

Est. sold

Most prizes are small and get cashed soon after a ticket is bought, so the share of prizes claimed tracks the share of tickets sold. It runs slightly behind real sales because winners don't always cash right away.

Value index

Prize money left ÷ prize money printed, divided by the share of tickets left. 1.00 means the remaining tickets are worth the same on average as at launch; 1.25 means 25% more. Games whose big prizes have already been claimed drop below 1.

Top retention

The same idea for jackpots alone. Above 1, top prizes are being claimed more slowly than tickets are selling — there are proportionally more jackpots left in what remains.

Hunt mode

A game becomes huntable once the lottery publishes its end date — the point where it stops shipping new packs — while at least one top prize is still unclaimed. From then on, the remaining tickets only exist on store counters, spread thinner every week; finding the stores still stocking it is the hunt. (In states that don't publish end dates, a game opens for hunting at about 70% sold.)

What this can't do

Every ticket's odds are fixed when it's printed. These stats describe what's left in the whole game, not what's in any single roll or ticket. Play for fun and only with money you can afford to lose. Problem gambling help: 1-800-GAMBLER.