Play responsibly

Scratch-off tickets are gambling. They are designed to pay out less than they take in, and no information on this site changes that.

What the odds on this site actually mean

When a ticket says overall odds of 1 in 3.9, that counts every prize, including the ones that hand back exactly what the ticket cost. Winning something is common; winning more than you spent is not. Across a whole game, the lottery keeps roughly a quarter to a third of everything played, and that share does not move no matter which ticket you pick.

Tracking prizes can tell you when a game has nothing good left in it. It cannot tell you when a game is worth playing, and this site never claims it can.

Signs worth taking seriously

• Spending more than you planned, or more than you can lose without it mattering.
• Going back to win money back after a loss.
• Hiding what you spend from people close to you.
• Buying tickets with money meant for something else.
• Feeling you have to play rather than choosing to.

Where to get help, free and confidential

• United States — National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-GAMBLER, 24 hours a day.
• Canada — ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600, or your province's own service.
• United Kingdom — GamCare, 0808 8020 133, or the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
• Portugal — SICAD, 1414, Linha Vida.

Simple limits that work

Decide what you will spend before you go in, and treat it as the price of the entertainment rather than an investment you expect back. Do not chase a loss: the next ticket does not know about the last one. Keep lottery money separate from money you need. And never give scratch-off tickets to anyone under 18 — 19 in Alabama and Nebraska — which is both the law and the clearest predictor of gambling problems later in life.

If tickets have stopped being fun, stop buying them and call one of the numbers above. They are free, they are confidential, and they are staffed by people who have heard it before.