MERRY BRIGHT — $5 South Dakota Scratch Game #1172
MERRY BRIGHT (#1172) is a $5 South Dakota scratch game launched on September 16, 2025. As of October 14, 2026 it ranks #33 of 35 active games on current payout (63.1%, $3.15 expected back per ticket) and #11 of 12 $5 games, #16 on any-prize odds (1 in 4.05) and #4 on top-prize odds (1 in 21,906). Since launch the payout has fallen 6.1 points (69.2% at launch) and your chance of winning something has risen 1.6% (1 in 4.11 at launch). 1 of 3 top prizes of $10,000 remain, and we estimate 21,906 tickets are still unsold (88.0% sold). That is below average for South Dakota; the South Dakota ranking lists show better payouts, including at $5.
Prizes remaining
Every prize level in MERRY BRIGHT, 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, 5,413 of 44,388 prizes (12.2%) are still out there.
| Prize | Odds at launch | Odds now | Total | Claimed | Remaining | % left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | 1 in 60,000 | 1 in 21,906 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33.3% |
| $500 | 1 in 11,250 | 1 in 21,906 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 6.3% |
| $100 | 1 in 555.6 | 1 in 1,685 | 332 | 319 | 13 | 3.9% |
| $50 | 1 in 61.2 | 1 in 111.2 | 2,980 | 2,783 | 197 | 6.6% |
| $20 | 1 in 30.0 | 1 in 34.3 | 6,084 | 5,446 | 638 | 10.5% |
| $15 | 1 in 30.0 | 1 in 41.4 | 6,104 | 5,575 | 529 | 8.7% |
| $10 | 1 in 17.1 | 1 in 16.7 | 10,617 | 9,305 | 1,312 | 12.4% |
| $5 | 1 in 10.0 | 1 in 8.05 | 18,252 | 15,530 | 2,722 | 14.9% |
| All prizes | 1 in 4.11 | 1 in 4.05 | 44,388 | 38,975 | 5,413 | 12.2% |
How MERRY BRIGHT has moved
MERRY BRIGHT: common questions
- How many $10,000 prizes are left in MERRY BRIGHT?
- 1 of 3 as of October 14, 2026. The chance that a ticket bought today is a top-prize winner is about 1 in 21,906.
- What are the odds of winning anything on MERRY BRIGHT?
- 1 in 4.05 as of October 14, 2026, compared with 1 in 4.11 printed at launch. Cash-only odds are 1 in 4.05, and the odds of winning more than the $5 ticket price are 1 in 8.14.
- Is MERRY BRIGHT worth buying?
- Its current payout is 63.1% ($3.15 back per $5 ticket), rank #33 of 35 in South Dakota. The best $5 alternative as of October 14, 2026 is $500 FRENZY (#1195, $5) at 71.5%. No scratcher has a positive expected value; this is about losing less over time.
- How many MERRY BRIGHT tickets are left?
- We estimate 21,906 of roughly 182,520 printed tickets are unsold (88.0% sold), derived from the prizes claimed at each tier and their published odds.
- When did MERRY BRIGHT launch and is it still on sale?
- It launched on September 16, 2025. It is still on sale.
Other $5 South Dakota scratch games
- $500 FRENZY — 71.5% payout, 1 in 4.13 any prize
- SEASON'S GREETINGS — 69.9% payout, 1 in 4.11 any prize
- ONE-WORD CROSSWORD — 69.9% payout, 1 in 3.70 any prize
- 20X EXTREME CASH! — 69.8% payout, 1 in 3.99 any prize
- MAX MONEY — 68.8% payout, 1 in 4.26 any prize