Glossary

The terms used on every page of this site, in plain language. The arithmetic behind them is on the methodology page.

Current payout

The share of each dollar spent that the remaining prizes will return, given what is still unclaimed. Our default ranking. Competitors charge for this.

Expected value (EV)

Current payout expressed in dollars per ticket. A $10 ticket at 72% payout has an EV of $7.20; you lose $2.80 per ticket on average.

Any-prize odds

Chance one ticket wins something, including free tickets and break-even prizes.

Cash odds

Any-prize odds with free-ticket tiers removed.

Profit odds

Chance of winning strictly more than the ticket cost. The number most players mean when they ask about their chances.

$600+ odds

Chance of a prize large enough that most states require you to claim at a lottery office rather than a retailer.

Top-prize odds

Chance a ticket bought today is one of the remaining top-prize winners.

Prizes remaining

Unclaimed prizes at a given level, as published by the lottery.

Tickets remaining (estimated)

How many tickets we believe are unsold, derived from prizes claimed and their printed odds. An estimate, not an official figure.

Odds at launch vs odds now

Printed odds describe the whole print run. Odds now describe what is left, which is what you actually buy into.

Overdue

A game where the share of prizes still unclaimed is higher than the share of tickets still unsold; not a prediction, just a description.

Ending / claim-only

The lottery has stopped shipping the game but tickets already sold can still be claimed until a stated date.