Minnesota Lottery

We love giving away prizes. And a whole lot of those prizes go to scratch game winners! So, we thought we’d take a closer look at scratch game odds and break down how it all works.

Because let’s face it: Odds can sound a little... mathy. But they’re actually pretty easy to understand once you know what you’re looking at.

Let’s talk odds

Game odds are printed on the back of every scratch ticket. They’re calculated by taking the total number of tickets printed for a game and dividing it by the total number of winning tickets.

For example, if a game has odds of 1 in 3.98, that means that, on average, one out of every 3.98 tickets is a winner.

Notice we said on average. That doesn't mean every third or fourth ticket is guaranteed to be a winner. Random is random, and that’s where things get interesting.

No, we don't know where the winners are

No one at the Lottery, or your local retailer or clerk, knows where the winning tickets are hiding.

Our scratch ticket vendors use software that generates a variable data algorithm to ensure that every ticket printed has the same random chance to win.

The Lottery also requires that the algorithm limit the string of non-winning tickets to three times the odds, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

Using the 1 in 3.98 example above:

3 × 3.98 = 11.94 → 11 tickets

That means it’s possible to have several winning tickets, or no winning tickets at all, in a string of 11 tickets.

So, there’s no secret map showing which tickets are winners. Nobody knows until you scratch it!

Want to see the numbers for yourself?

You can find the odds for every scratch game currently on sale at mnlottery.com. Scroll toward the bottom of any scratch game page to find the Prizes & Odds table.

The table shows:

Each prize tier
The odds of winning that prize
The number of tickets printed for that prize tier

Let’s take a look at the $500 Frenzy game.

Its Prizes & Odds table shows how often a ticket, on average, is likely to result in a win.

And what about those top prizes?

If you’re wondering how long a scratch game stays on sale, here’s the scoop: The Lottery stops selling a game when the last top prize has been claimed.

Want to know how many prizes are still out there for a particular game? Check the unclaimed prizes page.

It’s a handy way to see which prizes are still available before you pick your next scratch game.

Didn't win? Don't toss that ticket just yet.

This is where 2nd Chance comes in.

Eligible non-winning tickets can be entered for a chance to win 2nd Chance prizes. You could score cash, merchandise or amazing experiences.

Just look for the 2nd Chance logo on your ticket.

Do 2nd Chance prizes take money away from the regular cash prizes in a scratch game?

Nope.

Only a very small portion of the normal cash prizes fund a 2nd Chance promotion. In many cases, the 2nd Chance prizes are added to the normal cash payout of a game.