Blog
Strategy guides, analysis, and tips to help you play smarter with New York scratch-off tickets.
Revealed: the Bensonhurst Grocery That Sold the $5 Million VIP Millions Winner — Claimed by a Brooklyn LLC
Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request show the $5,000,000 VIP Millions top prize claimed July 2 was sold at Bay Parkway Grocery Corp in Bensonhurst — and claimed by Shiny-Chev LLC of Brooklyn, keeping the winner anonymous. One $5 million prize is still out there.
A Third VIP Millions Jackpot Just Hit. One $5,000,000 Prize Is Still Out There.
The third of four $5,000,000 top prizes on VIP Millions ($30) has been claimed, per official NY Lottery data. One $5 million top prize — plus nine $1,000,000 prizes — is still unclaimed across roughly 6.4 million remaining tickets. What changed, when it posted, and why the game is not being pulled from shelves yet.
A Freeport Deli Just Sold a $3 Million Bonus Stars Winner — the $10 Ticket We Ranked No. 2 in New York
The winning $3,000,000 Bonus Stars ($10) ticket was bought at Torres Deli & Grocery in Freeport on June 11 and claimed by the Ronald Stuckey Revocable Trust 18 days later — the same game our Smart Score ranked the No. 2 $10 ticket in New York the day it sold. Two of its three top prizes remain.
We Had This $10 Ticket Ranked the No. 2 Best Buy in New York for Two Weeks. Then Its $3 Million Top Prize Hit.
$3,000,000 Bonus Stars ($10) was the No. 2 ranked $10 scratch-off in New York for 12 straight days on our Smart Score — behind only Set For Life. On June 29, 2026, one of its three $3 million top prizes was claimed, and our score marked the game down the same day. Here is the full day-by-day record, in both directions.
A Monsey Woman Just Won $5,000 a Week for Life on Set For Life — the $10 Ticket We Ranked No. 1 in New York
Henya Fried of Monsey won $5,000 a week for life on Set For Life ($10), bought at a Spring Valley storefront (retailer #73280) and claimed at the Long Island Customer Service Center. It is the same game our Smart Score ranked the No. 1 scratch-off in all of New York the day she bought it — and two of its six top prizes are still unclaimed.
A Brooklyn Player Just Won $10,000 a Week for Life — on the $20 Ticket We Ranked No. 1
A $10,000 A Week For Life top prize ($10,000,000 guaranteed) sold at The Market on 7th in Manhattan, won by Jennier Joris of Brooklyn. It is the same $20 game our Smart Score ranked the No. 1 scratch-off in New York the week before the claim — and two of its three top prizes are still unclaimed.
We Ranked This $20 Ticket in NY's Top 10 for Two Weeks. Then Its $5 Million Hit — and We Found the Store.
Mystery Multiplier held a spot in our statewide top 10 every day for two weeks — No. 1 in all of New York on May 4 — before a $5,000,000 top prize was claimed on May 13. The official record now names the store: a Walmart in Hudson. Two of the game's four top prizes are still unclaimed.
A Rensselaer Man Just Won $10 Million on 300X The Money — the $30 Ticket We Ranked No. 1
A man from Rensselaer hit a $10,000,000 top prize on 300X The Money, confirmed by the NYS Gaming Commission. It is the same $30 game our Smart Score ranked the No. 1 ticket in its class every day in the run-up to the win — and three of its four top prizes are still on the board.
Where Are New York's Winning Scratch-Off Tickets Sold?
A running record of NY stores confirmed to have sold a top-prize scratch-off ticket — the store, game, prize and date — plus the honest math on whether buying where a winner was sold actually helps your odds (it doesn't).
We Ranked This $10 Ticket No. 1 for Two Weeks Straight. Then Its Top Prize Hit.
Set For Life held our No. 1 spot for 13 of the last 14 days before one of its $5,000-a-week-for-life top prizes was claimed on June 24. It is still No. 1 today — but the win shrank a two-week lead down to four-tenths of a point. The full day-by-day record.
A Quarter-Billion Dollars in NY Scratch-Off Top Prizes Is Still Unclaimed. Here Is Where It Is Hiding.
Seven unclaimed $10,000,000 prizes. Sixteen unclaimed $5,000,000 prizes. Roughly $258 million in top-tier value still on the board — the complete map, from official NY Lottery data.
Which NY Scratch-Off Wins the Most? The Answer Is Not the One You Should Buy
One $1 game paid out 1.25 million prizes in 30 days — more than any other ticket in New York. It is also one of the worst buys on the board. The difference between winning often and winning money, with real claim data.
Do Scratch-Offs Hit Back to Back? We Reconstructed Real NY Packs to Find Out
A 50-ticket $10 pack averages 13 winners — which makes consecutive wins nearly inevitable in 98% of packs. The math of "hot rolls," from real pack-structure analysis.
"How to Win Scratch-Offs Every Time" Is a Lie. Here Is What the Data Actually Supports.
The viral tricks do not survive contact with real data. But three boring, verifiable decisions measurably change your expected return — with about 20 cents per dollar between the best and worst choices.
Does New York Have a $50 Scratch-Off? Not Yet — and the $30 Tickets Are the Reason
Texas sells $100 tickets; New York stops at $30. But the $30 shelf holds every unclaimed $10 million prize in the state and the best payout math on the board.
Can You Buy Scratch-Offs With a Debit Card in New York? The Rules, Store by Store
Credit is banned by state law. Debit is legal — but each store decides. Age limits, Sunday sales, vending machine payments, and why so many bodegas are cash-only for lottery.
For Six Straight Days, Our Model Said Buy This $30 Ticket. Then Someone Hit It for $10 Million.
From June 5 through June 10, 300X THE MONEY never left the top two of our published rankings. On June 11, one of its four $10,000,000 grand prizes was claimed — and the model cut the game to #6 the same day. The full day-by-day record, exactly as published.
Smart Score Called the 100Xtra Top Prize: 14 Days of Rank Receipts
Game 1681 (100Xtra, $20) sat in our top 7 every single day for two weeks before its $250,000-a-year top prize was claimed — and was the #1 NY scratch-off pick on 8 of those days. Full daily rank history inside.
Smart Score Called Pot of Gold (1695) Before the $500,000 Top Prize Claim
Game 1695 was our #1 pick in the $5 tier on three of the six days before the $500,000 top prize was claimed. Inside: the full daily rank receipts and why ranking within the dollar-per-ticket tier matters more than the overall leaderboard.
Smart Score Called the $10,000 a Week for Life Top Prize: A Prediction Case Study
Our Smart Score ranked NY game 1686 as the #1 pick four of the eight days before its top prize was claimed — and held it top-3 for the entire week. Full daily rank receipts from our production prediction pipeline.
Same Pack vs Multiple Packs: Should You Buy 5 Scratch-Offs From One Vending Machine?
A store with a counter and two vending machines has up to three different active packs of the same game. We model the variance and top-prize coverage of concentrating in one pack vs spreading across packs at the same store.
NY Scratch-Offs Running Out of Top Prizes (Hazard Model)
Which NY scratch-offs are statistically most likely to lose their last top prize in the next 30 days? A hypergeometric extinction model on live claim velocity, updated daily.
Best NY Scratch-Off Tickets for Mother's Day 2026
Mother's Day is May 10. Our data-driven gift picks across every price point — including the dog-themed $1M Must Love Dogs as our sentimental top pick — ranked by current Smart Score.
How New York's Highway Corridors Stack Up on Lottery Smart Score & Payout
We bucketed all 12,735 geocoded NY scratch-off retailers by proximity to 11 major interstates. The corridors that win on counter payout (I-95, the LIE) are not the corridors that win on Smart Score (I-84, I-86, I-88) — and I-81 is statistically the worst-paying corridor in the state.
The Highest-Paying Zip Code Zones in New York (Past 30 Days)
We aggregated every NY zip code's instant-game settlements over the past 30 days, then computed a 10-mile radius rollup for each one. The top zone, statewide rankings, big-city comparisons, and methodology — refreshed automatically every 7 days.
The 50 Luckiest Lottery Stores in New York, Ranked by Data
We scored 3,435 NY lottery retailers across all 9 regions using our 9-factor Smart Score model. Wegmans dominates the top 20, Finger Lakes leads all regions, and a small grocery in Endicott is the #1 store in the state.
Do More Expensive Scratch-Offs Have Better Odds? Data Says Yes
We compared every NY scratch-off from $1 to $30 using real prize data. More expensive tickets consistently return more per dollar — but the full picture is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
Should You Buy 5 Scratch-Offs at One Store or Spread Across 5 Stores?
We ran 100,000 Monte Carlo simulations using real NY store payout data. The expected value is identical — but the real edge comes from which store you choose, not how many you visit.
NY Scratch-Off Tax Calculator: How Much Do You Actually Keep?
Won a scratch-off in New York? Use our interactive tax calculator to see exactly how much you keep after federal and NY state taxes. Covers prizes from $600 to $10 million with NYC rates.
Scratch-Off Expected Value Explained: The Number That Actually Matters
Expected value (EV) tells you exactly how much a scratch-off ticket is really worth. Learn how to calculate it, why it matters more than odds, and how to use it to pick better NY lottery tickets.
What Does "Overall Odds" Mean on a Scratch-Off Ticket?
What does "overall odds 1 in 4.87" actually mean on a scratch-off ticket? We break down the math, explain what counts as a "win," and show why overall odds are misleading without context.
NY Scratch-Off Top Prizes Left Today (Live Data)
See which NY scratch-off games still have top prizes available today. Live remaining prize data updated daily. Don't play a game where the top prizes are already gone.
Are Scratch-Off Tickets Rigged? The Truth Behind the Math
Are scratch-offs rigged? We break down the math, regulations, and oversight behind NY scratch-off tickets — how odds actually work, why some people think they're rigged, and what the data really shows.
Do Scratch-Off Tickets Expire in New York? Claim Deadlines Explained
Yes, New York scratch-off tickets expire. You have 1 year after the game's official end date to claim prizes. Find out exactly how long you have and what happens if you miss the deadline.
Where to Cash Scratch-Off Tickets in New York (2026 Guide)
Complete guide to cashing winning scratch-offs in NY — by prize size, with locations, hours, and requirements for retailer payouts, Customer Service Centers, and mail-in claims.
How to Check Scratch-Off Tickets on Your Phone (NY Guide)
Three ways to check NY scratch-off tickets with your phone: the official NY Lottery app, ScratchOffsNY barcode scanner, and manual lookup. Step-by-step instructions for each method.
How Many Scratch-Off Tickets Are in a Roll? Pack Sizes Explained
A roll of scratch-off tickets in New York typically contains 30 to 300 tickets depending on the price. See exact pack sizes for every price tier from $1 to $30 and what buying a whole roll means.
Best $3 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
The overlooked $3 price tier offers better value than $1 and $2 games with higher payout rates and more interesting game formats. See which $3 games have the best odds right now.
NY Scratch-Off Delivery Schedule: When Do Stores Get Fresh Tickets?
We analyzed 11,478 NY lottery retailers over 381 days to reverse-engineer the scratch-off delivery schedule. Tuesday is king (+28%), the 1st of the month is massive, and your store has a predictable pattern.
New NY Scratch-Off Games Coming Soon (2026) — Full List & Prize Breakdowns
Preview upcoming NY scratch-off games with full prize structures before they hit stores. See 300X The Money, $1M Must Love Dogs, Bonus Blackjack, and more.
Best Scratch-Off Tickets in New York: Complete 2026 Guide
A comprehensive look at every price point from $1 to $30 — which games have the best Smart Score right now, how payout rates differ by tier, and how to use data to pick the best ticket every time.
Best $1 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
Dollar scratch-offs are the most popular tickets in New York but have the lowest payout rates. Here's how to find the $1 games where the math has shifted in your favor.
Best $2 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
The $2 price point sits between casual $1 tickets and serious $5 plays. Better prize structures, more mid-range wins, and formats like crosswords make $2 games a solid middle ground.
Scratch-Off Odds Explained: What "1 in 4" Really Means for Your Wallet
What do scratch-off odds like 1 in 4, 1 in 350, or 1 in 4 million actually mean? We break down real NY lottery odds tier by tier with current game data — from the $1 break-even to the $10 million top prize.
Are Scratch-Offs Worth It? A Data-Driven Answer
Are scratch-off lottery tickets worth buying? We analyzed every NY scratch-off game with real data — payout rates, expected returns, and the honest math behind every price point.
Best $30 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
$30 games carry the best payout rates (74–78%), the biggest jackpots, and the most generous mid-range prizes. Here's how to pick the right premium game — and when to skip them entirely.
Best $20 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
$20 scratch-offs hit the sweet spot between serious prize potential and reasonable ticket cost. See which $20 games have the best expected value right now based on remaining prize data.
5 Scratch-Off Strategies That Actually Work (And 3 That Don't)
There's no shortage of scratch-off "strategies" online. Most are nonsense. Here are 5 data-backed approaches that actually improve your odds — and 3 popular myths that waste your money.
NY Scratch-Off Prizes Remaining: How to Check Before You Buy
Checking remaining prizes before you buy is the single most impactful thing you can do to play smarter. Here's exactly how to do it and what the numbers mean.
Best $10 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
The $10 price point is where NY scratch-offs get serious — $1M+ top prizes, 70%+ payout rates, and deep prize tiers. Here's which $10 games have the best expected value right now.
Best $5 Scratch-Offs in New York Right Now
The $5 price point is the sweet spot for most players — big enough prizes to be exciting, low enough cost to play regularly. Here's which $5 games have the best expected value this week based on remaining prize data.
How to Read NY Scratch-Off Odds (And Why Most People Get It Wrong)
The odds printed on the back of a scratch-off ticket tell you the overall chance of winning any prize — but that number is misleading. Here's what actually matters and how to use expected value to pick better games.