SCRATCHSharp

Tips

Tips

One tip a day on the home ticket. The whole set is here. Estimates, not promises.

Today's tip

ScratchSharp is not Washington's Lottery and isn't endorsed by the state. Check prize claims and official details with the Lottery.

Picking a game

  • The rankings are sorted by estimated payback per $1, best first. Use a price button ($1 to $30) to compare tickets that cost the same.
  • A $1 ticket and a $30 ticket are different spends. Pick your price first, then compare games at that price.
  • A game's payback depends on how much prize money is left compared with how many tickets are left to sell, not on the fancy printed graphics on the ticket. One top prize left can still mean a strong payback if few tickets remain.
  • Games with all top prizes claimed are listed last. Washington can keep selling those tickets, so check before you buy.
  • If a game has no top prizes left, smaller prizes can still be unclaimed. Tap the card to see every prize tier.
  • Tap any game card for its full prize table: each prize, how many were printed, and how many are left.
  • The Redeem deadline button lists games by their last day to claim prizes, soonest first.
  • Washington scratch winners have 180 days from a game's official end of sales to claim a prize. If a game is near its deadline, cash any winners soon.

Odds and payback

  • Payback per $1 is the estimated amount a game pays back, on average, for each dollar you spend. 73¢ per $1 means about 73 cents back on average, so you lose about 27 cents.
  • Every game on the list pays back less than its price, on average. A higher ranking means you lose less, not that you will win.
  • Improved means a game's payback is at least 2¢ per $1 higher than at launch. It is less bad, not a winner.
  • Steady means the payback is within 2¢ per $1 of where the game started. Diminished means it dropped at least 2¢ per $1.
  • Up $1.22 per ticket since launch is the change on the whole ticket. The Improved, Steady, and Diminished labels use the change per $1, so a $20 ticket can be up 29¢ and still be Steady.
  • Payback figures are estimates from Washington's published prizes remaining and the overall odds. They are not a count of the tickets in your store.
  • Prize counts are updated once a day. A prize listed as left may already be sold but not yet claimed.
  • Million-dollar-plus prizes are counted at the 50% lump-sum cash option printed on the ticket, not the full advertised amount. See the Method page.
  • The odds printed on a ticket are from launch day and never change. ScratchSharp tracks how a game has played out since then, which is how you see what it pays back today.
  • Overall odds like 1 in 3.5 count every win, including prizes that only give you your money back. They are not your odds of making a profit.
  • Each ticket's result is set when it's printed. A string of losers doesn't make the next ticket due.

Playing responsibly

  • Choose your spending limit before you walk into the store, and stop when you hit it.
  • Only play with money you can afford to lose, never money meant for bills.
  • Don't chase losses. Buying more tickets to win back what you lost usually makes the loss bigger.
  • Small wins are part of the cost of playing. Cashing some of them out keeps more of your money.
  • You must be 18 or older to buy Washington Lottery tickets. Only give scratchers as gifts to adults.
  • Want the fun without the cost? The Simulator uses play money only, so no real money or prizes are involved.
  • Your daily play money comes from scratching the ticket on the home page. Each day you get a random $10, $20, or $30.
  • Simulator results are random and don't predict how real tickets will turn out.
  • If gambling stops being fun, help is free and available 24/7. Call the Washington Recovery Help Line at 1-866-789-1511 or 1-800-GAMBLER. See the Disclaimer .
  • The lottery is built to keep more money than it pays out. Play for fun, not as a way to get rich.