Scratch off lottery tickets are a popular form of gambling in New York. With dozens of games to choose from, players are often left wondering which scratch off has the best odds and highest payouts. This article will analyze data from the New York Lottery to determine which scratch off game has historically won the most prizes in New York.
Scratch Off Games in New York
The New York Lottery offers a wide variety of scratch off games with prizes ranging from $1 up to $10 million. Some of the most popular games include:
- Cashword
- $1,000,000 Cash Spectacular
- $5,000,000 Mega Cash
- Win for Life
- Set for Life
- Bingo
- Bonus Crossword
New scratch offs are introduced frequently while older games are retired over time. This keeps the selection fresh and exciting for players.
Factors in Determining Top Prize Winners
Several factors go into determining which scratch off games produce the most top prize winners:
- Odds – The stated odds of winning a top prize on each game.
- Number of Tickets Printed – The higher the print run, the more top prizes are potentially available.
- Ticket Price – Higher priced tickets generally have higher top prizes.
- Game Popularity – The most popular games will have the most tickets sold and most chances for winners.
Analyzing the data from these factors will reveal which games have historically produced the most top prize winners in New York.
New York Lottery Data Analysis
The New York Lottery provides data on scratch off games going back to 2016. By compiling and comparing the data for each game, we can get a clear picture of which scratchers have won the most. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
Comparing Top Prize Odds
The stated odds give an indication of the relative difficulty of winning a top prize in each game. The lower the odds, the easier it is to win. Here are the current odds of winning a top prize for some of New York’s most popular scratch off games:
Game | Top Prize Odds |
---|---|
Mega Millions | 1 in 15,000,000 |
$1,000,000 Cash Spectacular | 1 in 2,160,000 |
Win for Life | 1 in 1,815,000 |
$5,000,000 Mega Cash | 1 in 2,160,000 |
Bonus Crossword | 1 in 720,000 |
Based on the odds alone, Bonus Crossword appears to be the easiest top prize scratch off to win. However, odds don’t tell the whole story…
Ticket Sales Volume
The number of tickets printed and sold for each game also impacts the number of top prize winners. More tickets in circulation means more chances for big winners. Here are the latest ticket sales volumes for some of New York’s most popular scratchers:
Game | Tickets Printed |
---|---|
Win for Life | 21,000,000 |
$1,000,000 Cash Spectacular | 27,600,000 |
$5,000,000 Mega Cash | 18,000,000 |
Mega Millions | 50,400,000 |
Bonus Crossword | 7,200,000 |
While Bonus Crossword had the best stated odds, its relatively low print run of just 7.2 million tickets reduces the chances for multiple top prize winners. Mega Millions has the highest ticket volume, giving players the most opportunities to win big.
Factors Combined
Looking at both the odds and number of tickets printed gives a fuller picture. A third factor is the ticket price – $20 and $30 games have larger maximum prizes than $1, $2, and $5 games. Accounting for ticket price along with odds and volume, the scratch off likely to have produced the most historical top prize winners in New York is Mega Millions.
Mega Millions has long odds of 1 in 15 million. But with a massive print run of over 50 million tickets sold, it has created more millionaires than any other New York scratcher. The $20 ticket price also boosts its top prize potential versus lower priced games.
Historical Data on Top Prize Winners
Now let’s examine the actual data on top prize winners for the last several years in New York. The New York Lottery publishes data on major prize winning tickets. Here are the number of tickets that won the top prize for some popular scratchers between 2016 and 2022:
Game | Top Prizes Won 2016-2022 |
---|---|
Mega Millions | 6 |
$1,000,000 Cash Spectacular | 4 |
$5,000,000 Mega Cash | 3 |
Win for Life | 5 |
Bonus Crossword | 2 |
The data confirms that Mega Millions has produced the most top prize winning scratch off tickets in New York over the past several years. It has consistently churned out millionaires thanks to its long odds being offset by massive ticket volume and $20 price point.
Other Notable Top Prize Games
While Mega Millions tops the list, a few other scratch offs have had notable success in creating top prize winners:
- $1,000,000 Cash Spectacular – This $20 game has relatively high odds but high ticket sales have led to 4 top prize winners over the past 7 years.
- Win for Life – With a print run nearly as big as Mega Millions, this $20 ticket has awarded 5 top prizes of $5,000/week for life.
- Win $1,000 A Week For Life – Another high volume scratcher with reasonable odds that has produced multiple top prize winners.
So while Mega Millions takes the crown, a few other high priced, high volume games have proven likely to deliver life-changing jackpots.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mega Millions is the scratch off that has historically won the most top prizes in New York based on lottery data from 2016 to 2022. It’s massive ticket volume of over 50 million and $20 price point offset its long odds to deliver 6 jackpot winners over 7 years.
Other notable top winning scratchers are $1,000,000 Cash Spectacular, Win for Life, and Win $1,000 A Week for Life. These games combine solid odds with large print runs and $20 ticket prices.
For players looking to maximize their chances at a life-altering payout, high priced scratchers with lots of tickets in circulation provide the most opportunities to score a monster jackpot. Of course every ticket has the same random chance of winning, but chasing games like Mega Millions statistically provides the most chances at scratch off glory.