Mega Bucks — $5 North Carolina Scratch-Off #45
Mega Bucks (#45) is a $5 North Carolina scratch-off launched on June 2, 2026. As of October 25, 2026 it ranks #48 of 62 active games on current payout (68.8%, $3.44 expected back per ticket) and #11 of 16 $5 games, #41 on any-prize odds (1 in 4.39) and #43 on top-prize odds (1 in 1,527,040). Since launch the payout has fallen 0.2 points (68.9% at launch) and your chance of winning something has risen 2.6% (1 in 4.50 at launch). 2 of 5 top prizes of $200,000 remain, and we estimate 3,054,081 tickets are still unsold (58.3% sold). That is below average for North Carolina; the North Carolina ranking lists show better payouts, including at $5.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in Mega Bucks, with the odds printed at launch, the odds today given what is left, and how much of each tier is still unclaimed. To set its odds of $1,000 or more (or any other prize size) against every other North Carolina game, see odds by prize size. Across all tiers, 696,401 of 1,625,797 prizes (42.8%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | 1 in 1,463,544 | 1 in 1,527,040 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 40.0% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 487,848 | 1 in 436,297 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 46.7% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 118,028 | 1 in 113,114 | 62 | 35 | 27 | 43.5% |
| $500 | 1 in 38,924 | 1 in 43,630 | 188 | 118 | 70 | 37.2% |
| $200 | 1 in 29,271 | 1 in 29,651 | 250 | 147 | 103 | 41.2% |
| $100 | 1 in 100.2 | 1 in 103.3 | 73,070 | 43,519 | 29,551 | 40.4% |
| $50 | 1 in 125.6 | 1 in 128.6 | 58,267 | 34,513 | 23,754 | 40.8% |
| $30 | 1 in 239.6 | 1 in 242.5 | 30,538 | 17,942 | 12,596 | 41.2% |
| $20 | 1 in 60.0 | 1 in 60.5 | 122,031 | 71,518 | 50,513 | 41.4% |
| $10 | 1 in 10.0 | 1 in 9.83 | 731,707 | 421,083 | 310,624 | 42.5% |
| $5 | 1 in 12.0 | 1 in 11.3 | 609,664 | 340,510 | 269,154 | 44.1% |
| All prizes | 1 in 4.50 | 1 in 4.39 | 1,625,797 | 929,396 | 696,401 | 42.8% |
How Mega Bucks has moved
Recent claims of $1,000 and up
- October 21, 2026: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 27 remain.
- October 10, 2026: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 28 remain.
- September 22, 2026: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 29 remain.
- September 16, 2026: one $1,000 prize was claimed; 30 remain.
Mega Bucks: common questions
- How many $200,000 prizes are left in Mega Bucks?
- 2 of 5 as of October 25, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 1,527,040.
- What are the odds of winning anything on Mega Bucks?
- 1 in 4.39 as of October 25, 2026, compared with 1 in 4.50 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 4.39, and the odds of winning more than the $5 ticket price are 1 in 7.15.
- Is Mega Bucks worth buying?
- Its current payout is 68.8% ($3.44 back per $5 ticket), rank #48 of 62 in North Carolina. The best $5 alternative as of October 25, 2026 is LOTERIA® Fiesta (#2, $5) at 75.8%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many Mega Bucks tickets are left?
- We estimate 3,054,081 of roughly 7,315,968 printed tickets are unsold (58.3% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did Mega Bucks launch and is it still on sale?
- It launched on June 2, 2026. It is still on sale.
Other $5 North Carolina scratch-offs
- Double Your Money — 81.0% payout, 1 in 3.85 any prize
- LOTERIA® Fiesta — 75.8% payout, 1 in 3.28 any prize
- $5 MONOPOLY® — 70.3% payout, 1 in 4.15 any prize
- Jungle Cashword — 70.1% payout, 1 in 3.63 any prize
- Prize Link Connect — 69.9% payout, 1 in 4.18 any prize