April 2026 U.S. Scratchers Report: Best Games, Biggest Movers & Top Strategies
April 2026 saw $3.55 billion in prizes claimed across 2,726 active games — averaging $118.5 million per day nationwide. Here’s where the best value was, which games moved fastest, and what strategies delivered the highest returns.
Data period: April 1–30, 2026 · 43 states · 2,726 active games analyzed
Summary
| Total Prizes Claimed Nationwide | $3.55 Billion |
| Average Daily Prize Activity | $118.5 Million/day |
| Active Games Tracked | 2,726 across 43 states |
| Positive ROI Games | 23 games (0.8% of all active) |
| Average ROI (All Games) | -37.5% |
| Best Game of the Month | Wild Cherry Crossword 10X (IN) — +74.5% ROI |
| Fastest Selling Game | BIG 7s (WV) — $2.8M/day in prizes claimed |
Key Takeaway: April had 23 games with positive expected value — meaning you’d statistically profit by playing them. Indiana, Georgia, and Florida led with the highest-ROI games. Meanwhile, West Virginia and Pennsylvania dominated the “fastest selling” charts with massive daily prize activity.
Top 10 Best Value Games (ROI)
These games had the highest Return on Investment (ROI) during April — meaning they returned the most money per dollar spent, based on remaining prizes. All 10 had positive ROI, making them statistically profitable.
| # | Game | State | Price | ROI | EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wild Cherry Crossword 10X | IN | $10 | +74.5% | $17.45 |
| 2 | 100X THE CASH | GA | $20 | +72.9% | $34.59 |
| 3 | $50, $100 & $500 BLOWOUT | FL | $10 | +51.4% | $15.14 |
| 4 | Super Cash Blowout | IN | $20 | +49.1% | $29.82 |
| 5 | Jumbo Bucks Limited | MS | $10 | +48.9% | $14.89 |
| 6 | $20 BIG GEORGIA RAFFLE | GA | $20 | +24.9% | $24.98 |
| 7 | Spectacular Riches | MS | $10 | +23.7% | $12.37 |
| 8 | 500X Money Maker | MI | $50 | +21.3% | $60.64 |
| 9 | Red Hot Cash | MS | $10 | +20.1% | $12.01 |
| 10 | Instant Millions | AZ | $30 | +17.5% | $35.24 |
Top 10 Best Odds Games
These games offer the highest probability of winning any prize. Remember: best odds doesn’t always mean best value — many wins may be small amounts below ticket price.
| # | Game | State | Price | Current Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Set For Life | AZ | $50 | 1 in 2.18 |
| 2 | Million Dollar Crossword | AZ | $30 | 1 in 2.30 |
| 3 | SUPER-SIZED BUCKS POWER 25X | GA | $25 | 1 in 2.34 |
| 4 | $5 Million Jackpot | OK | $100 | 1 in 2.37 |
| 5 | Royal Jackpot | CA | $40 | 1 in 2.43 |
| 6 | Holiday Frenzy | OK | $10 | 1 in 2.44 |
| 7 | Kentucky Jackpot | KY | $30 | 1 in 2.45 |
| 8 | JUMBO JUMBO BUCKS | GA | $10 | 1 in 2.47 |
| 9 | 200X THE MONEY | GA | $25 | 1 in 2.48 |
| 10 | MILLIONAIRE MAKER | GA | $30 | 1 in 2.53 |
Fastest Selling Games (Last Week of April)
Ranked by average daily prize value claimed — our proxy for sales velocity. These games saw the most player activity during the final week of April. See the full live rankings →
| # | Game | State | Price | Avg Daily Claimed | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG 7s | WV | $5 | $2.8M/day | $35,000 (4 left) |
| 2 | $120,000,000 Payout | PA | $30 | $2.6M/day | $2,500,000 (3 left) |
| 3 | $500 Blowout | PA | $20 | $2.5M/day | $500 (46,954 left) |
| 4 | WILD SIDE – POWER $500 | WV | $5 | $2.1M/day | $500 (296 left) |
| 5 | SHARK-CLUCK-WILD-HOPPY | WV | $1 | $2.1M/day | $500 (21 left) |
| 6 | LION’S SHARE | WV | $10 | $1.8M/day | $20,000 (3 left) |
| 7 | $250 Blowout | PA | $10 | $1.7M/day | $250 (54,744 left) |
| 8 | Win Win Win | PA | $10 | $1.7M/day | $1,000,000 (4 left) |
| 9 | TACO – BREW MATCH | WV | $5 | $1.5M/day | $50,000 (3 left) |
| 10 | DOGGIE-POOL-CAT-CASH | WV | $10 | $1.4M/day | $500 (2,537 left) |
Top Prize Watch List
These games have 3 or fewer top prizes remaining — and those top prizes are worth $1 million or more. When these prizes are claimed, the game’s expected value will drop significantly.
| Game | State | Price | Top Prize | Left | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500X The Cash | FL | $50 | $25,000,000 | 1 | -12.4% |
| $25,000,000 GOLD RUSH MULTIPLIER | FL | $50 | $25,000,000 | 1 | -18.7% |
| $20 Million Supreme | TX | $100 | $20,000,000 | 1 | -17.0% |
| Billion | OH | $50 | $15,606,610 | 2 | -12.3% |
| $15,000,000 DIAMOND SPECTACULAR | FL | $30 | $15,000,000 | 1 | -20.6% |
| Florida 300X the Cash | FL | $30 | $15,000,000 | 2 | +0.4% |
| 50th Anniversary | OH | $50 | $15,000,000 | 2 | +5.3% |
| 40 Years of Play! | CA | $40 | $15,000,000 | 1 | -20.0% |
| X SERIES: 200X | NY | $30 | $10,000,000 | 1 | -17.3% |
| Extreme Millions | OH | $30 | $10,000,000 | 1 | -18.0% |
Notable: Ohio’s “50th Anniversary” ($50 ticket) has a positive +5.3% ROI with 2 top prizes of $15M still remaining. Florida’s “300X the Cash” is also barely positive at +0.4% ROI with 2 of its $15M prizes left. These are rare opportunities where jackpot-chasing and positive EV align.
New Games Launched in April
188 new scratch-off games launched across all states in April. New games start with all prizes intact, making them the best starting point for value-conscious players. Here are the top performers among April’s new releases:
| # | Game | State | Price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Cash Blowout | MN | $10 | -10.0% |
| 2 | $3,000,000 Cash Spectacular | NH | $30 | -13.6% |
| 3 | 500X The Cash | NC | $50 | -16.7% |
| 4 | $500,000 FRENZY | MA | $50 | -18.5% |
| 5 | Bingo Extra | NM | $2 | -18.9% |
| 6 | 500X | IA | $50 | -20.0% |
| 7 | $5 Million Titanium Black | TX | $100 | -20.3% |
| 8 | HIT $1,000 | GA | $20 | -20.5% |
| 9 | Casino Millions | TX | $50 | -20.7% |
| 10 | Diamonds & Gold | MD | $30 | -20.7% |
Best Combo Strategies by Price Tier
Our alternative strategy analysis found that splitting your budget across cheaper tickets often delivers higher expected value. Here are April’s best combos at each price point:
| Instead of 1× | Buy This Combo | State | Avg EV Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 ticket | 2× Rocky Mountain Cube Bingo ($5) | CO | +263.9% |
| $20 ticket | 2× $50, $100 & $500 BLOWOUT ($10) | CO | +356.8% |
| $25 ticket | 1× 100X THE CASH ($20) + 1× ATLANTA FALCONS ($5) | GA | +103.3% |
| $30 ticket | 3× $75,000 JUMBO CASH ($10) | WV | +486.0% |
| $50 ticket | 5× $50, $100 or $500 ($10) | PA | +318.6% |
| $100 ticket | 2× Casino Millions ($50) | TX | +0.6% |
April’s Best Strategy: In Colorado, buying 2× $50, $100 & $500 BLOWOUT tickets ($10 each = $20 total) delivered +356.8% more expected value than the average single $20 ticket. That’s the power of finding standout games at lower price points. Learn more about combo strategies →
State Rankings by Average ROI
Which states offered the best overall value in April? We ranked all 43 states by the average ROI across their active games.
Top 10 Best Value States
| # | State | Avg ROI | Active Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | -27.1% | 41 |
| 2 | Illinois | -27.1% | 53 |
| 3 | Virginia | -27.4% | 60 |
| 4 | Georgia | -27.8% | 94 |
| 5 | Maryland | -28.8% | 83 |
| 6 | Florida | -28.9% | 76 |
| 7 | North Carolina | -28.9% | 82 |
| 8 | Ohio | -28.9% | 77 |
| 9 | Washington D.C. | -29.2% | 18 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | -29.5% | 41 |
Bottom 5 (Worst Value)
| State | Avg ROI | Active Games |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | -95.8% | 35 |
| Colorado | -83.5% | 87 |
| Iowa | -79.6% | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | -74.8% | 50 |
| Indiana | -53.6% | 61 |
Prize Payouts by State
Total prize value claimed in each state during April 2026. This reflects player activity — states with higher payouts have more tickets being purchased and prizes won.
| # | State | Total Prizes Claimed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | $491.6M |
| 2 | California | $410.5M |
| 3 | Texas | $395.1M |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $232.2M |
| 5 | West Virginia | $229.1M |
| 6 | Georgia | $185.7M |
| 7 | North Carolina | $167.3M |
| 8 | New York | $148.3M |
| 9 | Ohio | $137.5M |
| 10 | Illinois | $132.9M |
| 11 | Michigan | $118.0M |
| 12 | New Jersey | $105.7M |
| 13 | South Carolina | $105.5M |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $85.9M |
| 15 | Missouri | $72.7M |
Methodology & Disclaimer
How We Calculate These Numbers
All metrics in this report are derived from official state lottery remaining prize data, scraped daily from 43 state lottery websites. Our key formulas:
- Expected Value (EV): Sum of (prize_amount × remaining_prizes ÷ estimated_tickets_remaining) across all tiers
- ROI: (EV ÷ ticket_price − 1) × 100%
- Daily Value Claimed: Sum of prize decreases × prize amounts between consecutive daily snapshots
For complete technical details, see our Methodology page and The Math of Scratchers guide.
Data Period & Limitations
- All data reflects the period April 1–30, 2026
- ROI and EV values are point-in-time snapshots — they change daily as prizes are claimed
- Prize payout figures are based on prize claims (not ticket sales, which lotteries don’t publish)
- Some states update their data less frequently, which can cause spikes in our daily calculations
Related Guides
Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only. All data is sourced from official state lottery websites and is updated regularly, but we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. Lottery games are games of chance, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Please play responsibly and never spend more than you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.