Bits & Odds

$250,000 JACKPOT — $5 Massachusetts Scratch Ticket #540

Data captured September 9, 2026 · launched March 31, 2026

$250,000 JACKPOT (#540) is a $5 Massachusetts scratch ticket launched on March 31, 2026. As of September 9, 2026 it ranks #69 of 132 active games on current payout (76.7%, $3.84 expected back per ticket) and #21 of 35 $5 games, #53 on any-prize odds (1 in 3.98) and #76 on top-prize odds (1 in 2,820,939). Since launch the payout has risen 0.3 points (76.5% at launch) and the any-prize odds have improved 0.9% (1 in 4.01 at launch). 2 of 3 top prizes of $250,000 remain, and we estimate 5,641,879 tickets are still unsold (30.0% sold). That is below average for Massachusetts; the Massachusetts ranking lists show better payouts, including at $5.

Current payout
76.7%
76.5% at launch
Expected value
$3.84
per $5 ticket
Any-prize odds
1 in 3.98
1 in 4.01 at launch
Cash odds
1 in 3.98
excludes free tickets
Profit odds
1 in 6.68
win more than $5
$600+ odds
1 in 7,142
claim-at-lottery prizes
Top prizes left
2 of 3
$250,000 each
Tickets remaining
70.0%
≈ 5,641,879 tickets

Prizes remaining

Every prize level in $250,000 JACKPOT, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. Across all tiers, 1,417,755 of 2,008,723 prizes (70.6%) are still out there.

PrizeOdds at launchOdds now TotalClaimedRemaining% left
$250,000 1 in 2,688,000 1 in 2,820,939 3 1 2 66.7%
$5,000 1 in 72,000 1 in 70,523 112 32 80 71.4%
$1,000 1 in 8,000 1 in 7,969 1,008 300 708 70.2%
$500 1 in 1,655 1 in 1,658 4,872 1,469 3,403 69.8%
$100 1 in 119.7 1 in 119.6 67,368 20,212 47,156 70.0%
$50 1 in 150.0 1 in 149.7 53,760 16,067 37,693 70.1%
$20 1 in 50.0 1 in 50.0 161,280 48,446 112,834 70.0%
$15 1 in 150.0 1 in 150.1 53,760 16,170 37,590 69.9%
$10 1 in 9.38 1 in 9.32 860,160 254,726 605,434 70.4%
$5 1 in 10.0 1 in 9.85 806,400 233,545 572,855 71.0%
All prizes1 in 4.011 in 3.98 2,008,723590,968 1,417,75570.6%

How $250,000 JACKPOT has moved

75% 77% 78% Sep 2026Sep 2026Sep 2026
Current payout (solid) and any-prize odds (dashed, inverted so up is better) since we began tracking $250,000 JACKPOT. 2 daily readings.

Recent claims of $1,000 and up

Derived from day-to-day changes in the official remaining-prize counts, so the date is when the lottery published the change.

$250,000 JACKPOT: common questions

How many $250,000 prizes are left in $250,000 JACKPOT?
2 of 3 as of September 9, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 2,820,939.
What are the odds of winning anything on $250,000 JACKPOT?
1 in 3.98 today, compared with 1 in 4.01 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 3.98, and the odds of winning more than the $5 ticket price are 1 in 6.68.
Is $250,000 JACKPOT worth buying?
Its current payout is 76.7% ($3.84 back per $5 ticket), rank #69 of 132 in Massachusetts. The best $5 alternative today is $1,000,000 Monopoly Doubler (#430, $5) at 89.1%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
How many $250,000 JACKPOT tickets are left?
We estimate 5,641,879 of roughly 8,064,000 printed tickets are unsold (30.0% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
When did $250,000 JACKPOT launch and is it still on sale?
It launched on March 31, 2026. It is still on sale.

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